Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-01-05
The Little
Iron Spikes

were both in the same numbering gang
on the Du Nome river, a tributary of
the Ottawa, when | first knew them.
Lumberers, as perhaps you know are
the men who cut down the trees in
the forest, and shape them into logs
ready for the saw-mills.
THE two youths were French Cana
dians, from the same little Quebec vii
lage, but they represented two differ
ent types. Louis, who was quite a
boy, turned 16 and slight in figure
came of pure French family
with claim to nobility on his moth
er's side. Pierre, on the other hand,
was of the peasant class, heavily built,
and with a touch of Indian blood in
him that made his skin darker and his
features coarser.
Both the youths were noted for
their strength and their skill in lum-
bering, and it was. well known that
each wanted to win the little silver
bell which is awarded to the best lum-
berer on many of the rivers in Can
ada. Louis was especially keen on
gaining this honor, for he knew that If
he returned with the little bell tied
to his knee, its gay ribbons fluttering
and its tinkle-tinkle sounding at every
step, it would raise him in the esteem
of pretty Jeanette, the notary's
daughter
IF Legros had been forced to admit
why he most wanted the silver beH he
would have said that it was because
he could not bear to be beaten by a
boy. He was four years older, and
surpassed Louis in sheer strength; but
the younger one was more 1.-THE and
active, and in the river work this gave
him an advantage.
Il saw them start off from Montreal
one September morning for the lum-
bering camp, and it did not need two
glances to see that mischief was brew
ing. While Louis was in high spirits,
laughing and chatting with his friends,
Pierre sulked moodily by himself
wearing an ugly scowl on his swarthy
face. | learned from Radillac himself
that there had been a wrestling match
in the village the previous day, and
that he had thrown Pierre three times.
''The months passed quickly by, and
the winter gave place to spring. | was
still in Montreal engaged in some bust
ness when the next news of the lum-
berers reached my ears.
"One evening in May some river
men came down the Ottawa with a
raft, and brought a startling tale with
them. There had been trouble in the
Du Nome camp-trouble between
Louis and Pierre. Briefly put, this
was what had happened.
THE winter had passed without any
open quarrel taking place, the con-
slant work of telling trees, hauling
logs and saving them, having kept
everybody busy from early morn to
sunset Then, in the shanty where
they all roomed together, the presence
of the other men had prevented
Pierre's ill-will from showing itself.
After the ice had broken up, how.
ever, and the river was ready to re.
ceive the logs and carry them down
into the Ottawa, Pierre found more
To his disgust Louis had become
great favorite with the gang, and had
been specially commended by their
chief, so that If the silver bell were
to be awarded to one of them it was
plain that Pierre stood little chance.
Then came the drive tie most ex.
citing and dangerous part o. the lum-
berer's work, when he has 10 pilot
hundreds of logs through the tum.
bling water Of the river, guiding them
through rapids and over waterfalls.
and keeping them from forming a
jam in awkward places. 1t was
when one of these jams occurred
that Pierres ill-will carried him to the
lengths it did.
Louis was one of the best OF the
rivermen, expert with pole and can't
hook, and at these times he was al.
ways among the first to leap out on to
the heaving mass of logs and release
those which blocked the way. On this
occasion he had hardly set foot on the
outer ones when he realized that his
boots had been tempered with.
"A lumberer in his work wears
sharp spikes in his boots to prevent
him from slipping on the wet shifting
logs; but to Louis horror he found
it difficult TO maintain his balance. He
kept his head, however, and sprang
lightly from one position to another
until he reached the head of the jam,
where he began pushing and pulling
with his hooked pole.
Pierre was working near by him
with another man, but Louis had no
time for questions, although the sus-
picion that his rival knew something
of the affair had entered his mind. At
last the key log was found, and as the
mass suddenly commenced TO move he
gave a warning shout, and leapt back
on TO safer spot.
The need of those sharp spikes in
his boots now made itself felt, for
again and again his feet slipped on
the treacherous surface, and il was
Il. 4.