The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1905-01-25
CHAPTER XXI

n
H5 ed against the sun warmed
boarding house. commented on the
band as it stumbled into the wash
room. Their conversation was inter-
rupted by the approach of Thorpe and
Big Junko. The former looked twenty
wears older after his winter His eye
was dull. his shoulders dropped, his
gait was inelastic. The whole bearing
of the man was that of one weary to
the bone.
1--WE got something here to show
you, Harryr' cried Wallace Carpenter,
waving a newspaper. ct was great
drive, and here's something to remem-
Der it by"
"A1l right. Wallace, by and BY" re-
piled Thorpe duly. I'm dead. I'm
going to turn in for awhile. | need
sleep more than anything else"
He passed through the little passage
into the ''parlor bedroom" which Mrs.
Hathaway always kept in readiness
for members of the firm. There he fell
heavily asleep almost before his body
had met the bed.
In the long dining room the river
men consumed belated dinner They
had no comments to make. 1t was
over.
The two on the veranda smoked. To
the right. at the end of the sawdust
street, the mill sang its varying and
lulling keys. The odor of fresh sawed
pine perfumed the air Not a hundred
yards away the river slipped silently
to the distant blue Superior. escaping
between the slanting stone filled cribs
which held back the logs. Down the
south and west the huge thunder heads
gathered and flashed and grumbled, as
they had done every afternoon for
days.
"Queer thing" commented Hamilton
finally, these cold streaks in the air.
They are just as distinct as though
they had partitions around them"
Z Queer climate anyway" agreed Car
penter.
Excepting always for the mill, the
little settlement appeared asleep The
main booms were quite deserted. Aft
er awhile Hamilton noticed something.
LOOK here, Carpenter" said he.
whats happening out there? Have
some of your COMPOUNDED logs sunk, or
what? There don't seem to be near so
many of them somehow"
mo; it isn't that" proffered Carpen-
ter after a moments scrutiny. There
are just as many logs. but they are
getting separated little so you can
see the open water between them"
Guess you're right Say, look here,
/ believe that the river is rising"
Nonsense. We haven't had any
rain
"She's rising just the same. You see
that Spite over there near the left hand
crib? Well, l sat on the boom this
morning watching the crew, and I
whitfield the Spite with my knife. You
can see the marks from here. cut the
thing about two feet above the water.
Look at it now
''She's pretty near the water line,
that's right" admitted Carpenter
About an hour later the younger man
in his turn made discovery.
"She's been rising right along" he
submitted ''Your marks are nearer
the water and, do you know, believe
the logs are beginning to feel it. See,
they've closed up the little openings
between them, and they are beginning
to crowd down to the lower end of the
pond"
Il don't know anything about this
business" hazarded the journalist. 'but
should think there was a good deal of
pressure on that same lower end. By
Jove, look here! See those logs up-end.
l believe you're going to have jam
right here in your own booms."
Il don't know" hesitated Wallace.
II never heard of its happening"
You'd better let some one know"
II hate to bother Harry or any OF
the river men. I'll just step down to
the mill Mason-hes our mill fore
man-he'll know"
Mason came to the edge of the high
trestle and took one look.
Jumping fishhooksr' he cried. why,
the rivers up six inches and still
a-comin'! Here you, Tomw he called
to one of the yard hands. "You tell
Solly to get steam on that tug dou-
BILE quick and have Dave hustle to-
gether his driver crew.
What are you going to dor asked
Wallace.
81 got to strengthen the booms,' ex-
planned the mill foreman. "Well drive
some piles across the cribs
Us there any dangerw
ooh, no. The river would have to
| rise good deal higher than she is now
to make current enough to hurt
They've had a hard rain up above
This will 60 down in few hours"
| After time the tug pulled up to the
booms, escorting the pile driver. The
latter towed little raft of long, sharp