The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-08


reused from his sleep by aimless blum
dering, struck light, and saw the cook
looking uncertainty toward him through
blood-clotted lashes. The man was
partly drunk, partly hurt, but more
frightened.
.Theys too big fer me, too big fer
mel" he repeated thickIy
Fitz Patrick kicked aside the blan-
kets and set foot on the floor.
..Le' me stay" pleaded the cook, "I
won't bother you; j won't even make a
noise. I'm skeered.''
Course you can stay replied the
scaler "Come here"
He washed the mans forehead, and
bound up the cut with surgeons plaster
from the van. The man fell silent, look
ing at him in wonderment for such kind
ness.
Four hours later. dimly through the mist
OF his broken sleep, Fitz Patrick heard
the crew depart for the woods in the
early dawn. On the crest of some higher
waves of consciousness were borne to
him drunken shouts, maudln blasphemies.
After a time he arose and demanded
breakfast
The cook, pale and nervous, served him.
The man was excited, irresolute, eager to
speak Finally he dropped down on the
bench opposite Fitz Patrick, and began.
liz, SdlQ lie, uOI L 20 III III WOOuS
today. The men is fair wild wild tn drink,
and th' Rough Red is beside hiself. Las
night I heerd them. They are goin' to
skid th' butt log again, and they swear
that If you Gull it again, they will kill
you. They mean it. That's all why they
>wint to tn woods this day
Fitz Patrick swallowed his coffee in 81
lence. In silence he arose and slipped on
his mackinaw blanket coat. In silence he
thrust his beechwood tablets into his
pocket, and picked his pliable scaler's rule
from the corner.
Where are ye goins?" asked the cook
anxiously.
I'm goin' to do TIL work they pay me
to do" answered Fitz Patrick.
He took his way down the trail, his face
set straight before him, the smoke of his
breath streaming behind. The first skid
way he scaled with care laying his rule
fiat across the face of each log, entering
the figures on his many leaved tablets OF
beech, marking the timbers swiftly with
his blue crayon.
The woods were empty. No ring of the
ak, no shout of the driver, no fall of the
tree broke the silence Fitz Patrick com
pretended. He knew that at the next
skidway the men were gathered, waiting tc
see what he would do; gathered openly al
last in that final hostility which had been
maturing all winter. He knew, besides
that most of them were partly drunk and
wholly reckless, and that he was alone
Neverthelessafter finishing conscieEtiously
ly skidway number one, he moved on to
skidway number two.
There, as he had expected, the mer
were waiting in ominous silence, theil
eyes. red with debauch and hate. Fitz
Patrick paid them no heed, but set about
his business,
Methodically, deliberately, he did the
work. Then. when the last pencil mark
had been made and the tablets had beer
closed with snap of fnality the Rough
Red stepped forward.
Eye have finished with this skidway p
asked the foreman, in soft cat tones.
Il have" answered Fitz Patrick, briefly
'sYo' have forgot to scale one stick"
mo"
There is stick still not marked"
81 euIled it,
"Why?''
st was not sawed straight"
Fitz Patrick threw his head back proud
", answering his man at ease, as an ac
complished swordsman. The Rough Rel
shifted his feet. almost awed in spite o
himself One after another the mel
dropped their eyes and stood ill at ease