The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-08

I 'F1tZ, SAID ne, uoll 90 mo W
woods today. The men is fair wild
wild tn drink. and tn Rough Red is
beside hi'self Las night | heerd
them. They are goin to skid tn 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
, silence. In silence he arose and slip
ped on his mackninaw coat. In 81
| lence he thrust his Eeechwood tablets
| into his pocket. and picked his plrable
scaler's rule from the corner.
Where are We goin' ?" asked the
| cook anXiously
Tn 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, 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
Glue 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 comprehended. He knew that
at the next SIidWay the men were
gathered, waiting TO see what he
would do: gathered openly 1T last in
that final hostility which had been
maturing all winter He knew be-
sides, that most of them were partly
drunk and wholly reckless. and that
he was alone. Nevertheless, after fin
ishins conscientiously skidway num-
Der one, he moved on to skidway num-
Der two
There, as he had expected, the men
were waiting in omnibus silence. their
eyes red With debauch and hate.
Fltz Patrick paid them 10 heed bus
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 linality,
the Rough Red stepned forward.
Ye have finished this skidWay?"
asked the foreman in soft cat-tones.
Il have. answered i'irz Patrick
briefly.
,Yo' have forgot to scale one stick.
No"
There is a STICK still not marked
4 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
another the men dropped their eyes
ard stood i'll at ease. The scaler turned
away; his heel caught Il root; he
stumbled; 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 hud- |
died form long after consciousness
ness had left it. Then an owl hooted
from the shadow of the wood, or a
puff OF wind swept by. or fox bark
ed, or some other little thing happen
ed, SO that ia blind unreasoning panic
they fed. The place was deserted
save for the dark figure against the
red and white snow.
l'itZ Patrick regained his wits in
pain, and so knew he was still on
earth. Every movement cost him a
moan, and some agency outside him
self inflicted added torture. After a
long time he knew it was the cook,
who was firmly but kindly kneading
dis limbs and knuckling his hair. The
man proved to be in q maze of Won
derment over his patients tcnacity of
life.
Il watched ye," he murmured
soothingly. Il did not dare interfere.
Rut l KEN to 70 IS soon as / could.
See. here's Il fire that l built for we.
and some tea. rake a little. And no
bones broke. True for we, ye're
hearty man. and strong with tn big
muscles on We fit sto fight TIL Rough
Red man to man. Get tn use of yere
legs dar!int, an I'll take We to camp,
for it's fair drunk they are by now,
Sure an tole We they'd kill We
but they didn't" muttered Fitz
Patrick with CLEAN of humor.
sure twas nor their fault, nor Eere
own"
Hours later as it seemed, they NOV !
ed slowly in the direction of the camp. |
The cold had stiffened Fitz Patricks !
cuts and bruises. Every step shot !
red wave of torture through his ar
teries to his brain. They came in
sight of camp. 1t was silent. Both
knew that the men had drunk them I
selves into a stupor. !
I'D like TO Kill tn whole lay out as
she sleeps" snarled the cook, shaking I
ais est.
80 would H. replied Fitz Patrick.
Then, as they looked, a thin wreath
81 smoke curled from under the open :
doorway and spread lazily in the FROST
V air Then followed, another. sill
another. The cabin was afire.
They've kicked over tn stove
again" said Fltz Pattick, seating him
self on q stump. His eyes blazed with !
wrath and bitterness.
What yo' goin' to do?" asked the
cook.
"Sit here" replied Fitz Patrick
grimly.
The cook started forward.
stop" shouted the scaler fiercely.
IF you move a step III break your
)ack!'
The cook stared at him through
saucer eyes.
But they'd be burnt aiive" ne OBJ
ected wildly.
They ought to be-, snar'ed the
;caler. 1T amt their fault I'm here
o help them. lis their own deed.
hat I'm not lying beyont there III tn
iorest, unable to help myself Do
you understand? I'm yet out there
tn woods
"Ah, wirra,, wirra!" walled the
;ook wringing his hands. "rh' poor
iads. He began to weep.
titZ Patrick stared straight in front
of him for a moment. Then he struck
ais forehead. and with wonderful agil-
", considering his injuries he had just
eceived. tore down the hill in the di-
lection of the smolderng cabin. The
,ook followed him joyfully, Together
hey put out the fire. The men snorcd
L.