The Irish standard., 1905-02-25


SCHOOLING 1 HAD THAT WIN
TER"
no man I knew tried ever to cope
with him. By the middle of May we
began rolling in for the raft AS soon
as they were floating, the logs were
withed together and moored in Sec
tions. The bay became presently q
quaking, redolent plain of timber.
When we started the raft, early in
June, that summer of 1910, and worked
it into the broad river with sweeps
and poles, was aboard with D'ri and
six other men, bound for the big city
OF which had heard SO much. l was
to visit the relatives of my mother
and spend year in the College de st.
Pierre. We had little frame house
on big platform. bacl: of the middle
section of the raft, with hunks in it.
where we ate and slept and told
stories. Lying on the platform there
was large flat stone that held our
fires for both cooking and comfort.
D'ri called me in the dusk of the early
morning, the first night out, and said
We were near the Sault. got up.
rubbed my eyes, and felt a mighty
thrill as ! heard the roar uf the great
rapids and the creaking withes, and
felt the lift Of the speeding waters.
D'ri said they had broken the raft
into three parts, ours being hindmost.
The roaring grew louder, until my
shout was as a whisper in a hurricane.
The logs began to heave and fall, and
waves came rushing through them.
Sheets of spray shot sllyward, coming
down like shower. We were shaken
as by an earthquake in the rough wa
ter. Then the roar fell back of us, and
the raft grew stea&g.
Gin us a tough twist" said D'ri,
shouting down at nN-"kind NV twis..
O the bit m kick n the side"
1t was coming daylight as we sailed
into still water. and then Dri put his
hands to his mouth and hailed loudly.
getting an answer out of the gloom
ahead.
"Gol-dum Ell it hain't the power NV
thousan' painters!" D'ri continued,
laughing as he spoke. "Never see
nothin' jump m kick n spit lille tibet
air, less it he'd fur on-never n all
my born days"
D'ri's sober face showed dimly now
in the dawn. His hands were on his
hips; his faded felt hat was tipped
sideways. His boots and trousers
were quarreling over that disputed ter.
ritory between his knees and ankles.
His boots had checked the invasion.
Smooth water now" said he,
thoushtfully. Seems terribly still.
Hain't a breath NV air stirrin. Jeru-
shy Jane Pepper! VIVA does tibet
mean?"
He stepped aside quickly as some
bits of bark and a small bough of hem
lock fell at our feet. Then shower
OF pine needles came slowly down,
scattering over us and hitting the tim
Der with faint hiss. Before we could
look up a dry stick as long as a log
fell rafting on the platform.
Never seen no sech doin's al re-"
said D'ri, looking upward. "Things
don't seem t. me t be actin eggzacly
nat'ral-rut jest es I'd like t. see 'em."
AS the light came clearer, We saw
clouds heaped black and blue over the
tree-tops in the southwest. We stood
a moment looking. The clouds were
heaping higher, pulsing with light,
roaring with thunder. What seemed to
be flock of pigeons rose suddenly
above the far forest, and then fell as
If they had all been shot. A gust of
wind coasted down the still ether, tlut-
tering like rag and shaking out
few drops of rain.
Look there!" l shouted, pointing
aloft.