The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

they swear that if you Gull it again
they will kill YOU They mean H. Inats
all why they wint to tn woods this
day"
Fftz Patrick swallowed his coffee In
silence. In silence he arose ana shppeo
on his mackinaw blanket coat. IN
silence he thrust his beechwood tablets
into his pocket and picked his pliaole
scaler's rule from the corner.
Where are ye gOin'?" asked the COOK
anxiously-
I'm goin' to do tn work they pay
me to do answered Fitz Patrick
He took his way down the trail, MS
face set straight before him, the smoke
of his breath streaming behind. The
first skidway he scaled with care. lay
ing his rule fiat across the face OF each
log. entering the figures on his many
Ieaved tablets Of beech, marking the
tinbers 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 Pat
rick comprehended- He knew that at
the next skidway the men were gath
cred waiting to see what he would do
gathered openly at 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. Never
theless, after finishing conscientiously
skidway number one, he moved on to
skidway number two.
There. as he had expected, the men
were waiting in ominous silence, their
eyes red with debauch and hate. Fitz-
Patrick paid them no heed. but set
about his business
5olih al nA
work Then. when the last pencil mark
had been made and the tablets had
been closed with snap Of fnality, the
Rough Red stepped forward.
Eye have finished with this skid
way?" asked the foreman in soft cat
tones.
IT have" answered Fitz Patrick
briefly.
.eYo' have forgot to scale one stick
No"
There is a stick stin not marked"
II culled it,
''why?"
TT was not sawed straight"
Fitz Patrick threw his head bach
proudly, answering his man atease. as
an accomplished swoTdsman. The
Rough Red shifted his feet, almost
awed in spite of himself. One after an
other the men dropped their eyes and
stood i'll at ease. The scaler turned
away. his heel caught a root. he stum-
bled. instantly the pack was on him,
for the power of his eye was broken
Mad with rage. they kicked and beat
and tore at Fitz Patrick's hud6led form
long after consciousness had left 1t
The. nan owl hooted from the shadow
of the wood, or a puff Of wind swept
by, or a fox barked, or some other lit
tie thing happened, so that in blind.
unreasoning panic they fled. The place
was deserted save for the dark figure
against the red and white snow.
Fitz Patrick resained his wits in pain
and so knew he was still on earth
Every movement cost him moan, and
some agency outside himself inflicted
added torture. After a long time he
knew it was the cook, who was firmly
but kindly kneading his limbs and
knuckling his hair. The man proved to
be in a maze of wonderment over his
patients tenacity of life.
IT watched ye." he murmured sooth-
ingly. IT did not dare interfere. But
/ kem to yo' S soon as I could See.
here's a fire that I built for ye, and
some tea Take a little. And no bones
brokei True fer We. ye're a hearty man,
fit to fight tn Rough Red man to man.
Get tn use of yere legs, darlint, an
I'll take We to camp, for it's fair drunk
they are by now. Sure an tole ye,
they'd kill ye."
But they didn't muttered Ftts Pat
rick, with gleam Of humor.
Sure twas not their fault, nor yere
own!''
Hours later, as it seemed. they moved
slowly in the direction of camp. The
cold had stiffened Fitz Patrick's cuts
and bruises. Every step shot a red
wave of torture through his arteries to
his brain They came in sight of camp.
1t was silent. Both knew that the men
had drunk themselves into stupor.
Then as they looked, a thin wreath OF
smoke curled from under the open
doorway and spread lazily in the frosty
air. Another followed. another. still an
other. The cabin was afire.
They've kicked over tn stove
again." said Fitz Patrick. seating him
self on a stump. His eyes blazed with
wrath and bitterness.
what yo' going to dor" asked the
cook.
"Sit here" replied F'itz Patrick grimly.
The cook started forward
sStop!'' shouted the scaler fercely.
IF you move a step III break your
back"
The cook stared at him through sau-
Ger eyes.
But they'd be burnt alive!" he Ok
jected wildly.
.aThey ought to be-" snarled the
scaler. 1T amt their fault I'm here to
help them 'Tis their own deed that
I'm not lying beyant there in tn forest.
unable to help myself. Do you under
stand? I'm yet out there In tn
: woodsl"
"Ah, wirra, wirral" walled the cook,
wringing his hands, "Th' poor lads!"
He began to weep.
Fitz Patrick stared straight in front
of him for a moment. Then he struck
bts forohAad and with Wonderful agfi-