The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-08
BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE

I'm goin' to do tn 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 skidway he scaled with care, lay
ing his rule nat across the face of each
log. entering the figures on his many
leaved tablets OF beech, marking the
tlmbers swiftly With his blue crayOn-
The woods were empty No ring OF
the ak no shout of the driver, no fan
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 New
ertheless, after finishing conscientious
ly skidway number one. he moved on
to skfdway number two.
Theres as he had expected. the men
we're waiting in ominous silence. their
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
been closed with a snap of hnality. the
Rough Red stepped forward.
we have finished with this skid
way?" asked the foreman in soft cat
tones.
Il have" answered Fitz Patrick.
"Yo' have forgot to scale one stick"
mo"
There is a stick still not marked
Il culled it"
Why"
1T was not sawed straight"
Fitz Patrick threw his head back
proudly, answering his man at ease. as
an accomplished swordsman. The
Rough Red shifted his feet, almost
awed in spite of himself One after
and stood i'll al ease. The scaler turned
away; his heel caught a root: he STUN
bled; instantly the pack was on him,
for the power Of his eye was broken.
Mad with rage they kicked and beat
and tore st Fitz Patrick's huddled form
long after consciousness had left it.
Then an owl hOoted from the shadow of
| the wood, or a puff Of wind swept by.
or a fox barked. or some other little
| thing happened. SO that in blind IN
reasoning panic they fled The place
was deserted, save for the dark figure
against the red and white snow
Fitz Patrick regained 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 IL was the cook, who was firmly
I but kindly kneading his limbs and
knucklinR his hair. The man proved TO
be in a maze OF wOnderment over his
patients tenacity of life.
Il watched We" he murmured. SoOth-
ingly Il did not dare interfere But
/ KEN to yo' : soon as I could See.
here's a fire that I built for We, and
some tea. Take little. And no bones
broke. True for We, ye're a hearty
man. and strong with tn big muscles
on We fit 10 fight tn Rough Red man to
man. Get tn use of yere Negs, darlint,
an I'll TAX We TO camp, for it's fair
drunk they are by now. Sure, an l
tOle We they'd kill ye-'
But they didn't muttered Fitz Pat
rick. with a CLEAN OF hUmor.
: Sure twas not their fault, nor yere
town.
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
red wave of torture through his ar
teries to his brain. They came in sight
OF camp It was silent Both knee
that the men had drunk themselves INFO
a stupcr.
I'D like t kill tn whole layout as
she sleeps" snarled the cook, shaking
his fist.
so would t. replied F'itz Patrick
Then as they locked. a thin wreath
of smoke curled from under the open
doorway and spread lazily in the frosty
air. Another followed. another, still
another. The cabin was afire