Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1905-02-03

voiced conversation Thorpe arose ab-
ruptly.
Where you goingf' asked Shearer.
But the young man did not reply. He
swung. with the same long. nervous
stride. into the down river trail
Until late that night the three men
for Ellis insisted on accompanying them
hurried through the forest Thorpe
walked tirelessly. upheld by his violent
but repressed excitement. Shearer
noted the fire in his eyes and. from the
GOODNESS of his greater age. counseled
moderation.
II wouldn't stir the boys up." he
painted. for the pace was very swift
They'll kill some one over there; it II
be murder on both sides"
He received no answer. About mid
night they came to the camp.
Two great fires leaped among the
trees and the men were grouped be-
tween them. talking. Evening had
brought its accumulation of slow anger
against the perpetrators of the outrage.
Even as the woodsmen joined their
group they had reached the intensity
of execution. Across their purpose
Thorpe threw violently his personality.
You must not Gol" be commanded.
Through their anger they looked at
him askance.
Il forbid it, Thorpe cried.
They shrugged their indifference and
arose This was an affair of caste
brotherhood. and the blood of their
mates cried out to them.
The work." Thorpe shouted hoarse-
~ The work! We must get those
logs out, We haven't time"
Then swiftly between the white.
strained face of the mailman trying to
convince his heart that his mind had
been right and the fanatically exalted
river men interposed the sanity Of Rad.
way. The old jobber faced the men
calmly, almost humorousiy, and some
how the very bignesS Of the man com.
manded attention.
| You fellows make me sick" said he.
! you haven't got the sense God gave
rooster. Don't you see you're playing
right in those fellows hands? What
do you suppose they dynamited them
dams for: To kill our boys? They
never dreamed we was dry pickin' that
| dam. They sent some low lived whelp
down there to hang our drive, and ii
looks like they was going to succeed
/ thanks to you mutton heads.
''S'pose you 90 over and take 'em
apart. What then? Then have q scrap.
Probably yer ;l1k 'em. You whale day
lights ous ci 4 lot of men who probably
don't know any more about this here
shooting of our dams than hog does
about a rutfled shirt Meanwhile your
drive hangs. Well? Well do you sup.
pose the men who were back of that
shooting-do You suppose Morrison &
Daily give tinker's dam how many
men of theirs you lick? What they
want is to hang our drive. If they
hang our drive. it's cheap at the price
of Il few black eyes"
The speaker paused and grinned
J 6ODi huiiibitt'l at tiir iiiNH
faces. Then suddenly his own became
grave
"Do You want to know how to get
even?" he asked, "Do you want to
! know how to make those fellows sing
50 small you can't hear them? Well.
! I'll tell you. Take out this drive. Do
/ il in spite of them. Show them they're
no good when they buck mp against
Thorpc's One. Our boys died doing
their duty, the way river man ought
to, Now hump yourselves! Don't let
them die in vainv'
The crew stirred uneasly. looking at
each other for approval of the con-
version each had experienced. Rad
way turned easily toward the blaze.
Better turn in. boys. and get some
| sleep" he said. We've got q hard
! day tomorrow" He stopped to light
his pipe at the fire. When he had
again Strengthened his back after rath.
er a prolonged interval the group had
already disintegrated 4 few minutes
later the cookee scattered the brands
of the fire from before sleeping
camp.
Before daylight Injun Charley drift
ed into camp TO find Thorpe already
out With a curt nod the Indian seat.
ed himself by the fire and, producing
a square plug of tobacco and knife,
began leisurely to fiji his pipe. Finally
lnjun Charley spoke in the red mans
clear cut, initiative English, a pause
between each sentence.
II find trail three men," said he.
both dam, three men. One man 20
down river. Those men have cork
boot One man no have cork boot. He
boss"
The Indian suddenly threw his chin
out his head back, and half closed his
eyes in a cynical squnt. AS by a fash
Dyer. the scaler, leered insolcntly from
behind the Indians stolid mask
How do you know" said Thorpe.
For answer the Indian threw his
shoulders forward in Dyers nervous
fashion.
HE make trail big by the toe. light