The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1905-01-14

lhtN ltll INTO utHNihFl NonNtfnAs
ton OF fits and starts. Woodsmen OF
the genuine sort are never laxative.
and Thorpe, as has been explained,
was constitutionally reticent In the
course OF their dlsJointed remarks
Thorpe explained that he was looking
for work In the woods and intended
iirst OF all 10 try the Morrison 4 DAILY
camps az Beeson lake.
''know anything about logging2" In
qulred the stranger.
Nothing" Thorpe confessed.
"Aint much show for anything but
lumber jacks. What did sou think OF
dolngT
81 don't know" said Thorpe doubt.
fully. Il have driven horses n good
deal. thought might drive team"
The woodsmnn turned slowly and
looked Thorpe over with a quizzical
eye. Then he faced 10 the front again
and spat
quite like" he replied, stlll more
dryly.
The boys remnrk had amused him,
and he had showed IT, as much as he
ever showed anything. Excepting al
ways the river men. the driver OF n
team commands the highest wages
among out OF door workers.
IL IL easier TO drive a fre engine than
logging tenn.
But in spite Of the naivete OF the re-
mark the woodsman had seen some
thing in Thorpe he liked Such men be-
come rather expert In the reading OF
character, lie revised his first inten-
ton 10 let the conversation drop.
81 think NJ. a II. il rather full up
just now" he remarked. I'm walkin'
boss over there. The roads Is about
nll made. and ruadmaking IL what
n grcenhorn tackles FIRST. They's more
chance earlier In the year. But II
the old fellow"-hc strongly accent
ed the FIRST worl-"hain't nothln' for
you. just ask for Tim Shcarcr. an I'll
try to put you on the trail for some
jobbcr's camp"
The three who had come into COLI.
sion with Jimmy and Bud were getting
nolsier. They had produced a stone
Jug and had collected the remainder or
the passengers. with the exception OF
Shcarcr and Thorpe. and now were
passing the jug rapidly from hand TO
hand Soon they became musical. strik-
ing up one OF the wicrd, long drawn
out chants SO popular with the shnnty
boy Thorpe shrcwdly guessed his
companion to bot man OF some weight
and did not hesitate to ascrlbe his im-
muniy from annoyance 10 the others
presence
ITS a bad thing" said the walking
boss. II used TO be at II myself, and
know
"Bccs'n Lnkc!r cried Jimmy fcrccly
through the aperture Of the door.
you'll and the bourdin' house Just
across over the track" said the woods
man. holding out his hand. so long.
See you again II you don't find n job
with the old fellow My names
Shcarcr."
milne IS Thorpe" replied the other
THANK you"
Thorpe followed and found himself
on the frozen platform OF a little dark
RAILWAY station. Directly across the
track from the railway station "A sin.
gle building was prlcked from the dark
10y solitary lamp IN lower story
room. The four who had descended
before Thorpe made over toward this
light. stumbling and laughing unccr.
talnly. so he knew IL was probably the
boarding house and prepared 20 follow
them
The Eve were met az the steps by the
proprietor OF the boarding house. This
man WIS short and stout. with hare
llp and cleft palate, which az once gave
him the well known slurring speech
or persons 50 afflicted and impaired
also 90 thc tlmbre 81 bis voice a pecul.
nrly hollow. resonant, trumpctlikc
note. lie stumpcd about cncrgctlcally
on wooden leg or home manufacture.
II was cumbersome instrument.
heavy, with deep pine socket FOR the
stump and projecting brace which
passed under leather belt around the
mans whist This instrument he used
With the dextcriiy Of third hand. As
Thorpe watched him hc drove IN a pro
iccting nail kicked two turkeys In.
side thc open door aud stuck the armed
end of his peg leg through the top and
bottom OF the whisky iug that ono OF
The new arrivals had set down near
the door. The whisky promptly ran
out At this the cripple filrted the Inn
paled jug from the wooden Lex far out
over the rail OF the veranda into the
snow.
A growi went up.
what N thunder's that fcrf' smart
ed one 'he owners - the whisky
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