The St. Mary banner., 1907-08-24

base was buried 20 bedrock in the
clay and gravel of the stream-bed
That's tough proposition, said
Scott. How to handle it, wonder?'
Billy Bodine rose and looked loag
at the log, went over to his team,
rubbed their necks, examined each
part of the yoke, and then drove them
it. The men watched him idly at
first, but awakened When they saw
him throw the chain round it.
Il wouldn't do that" called Scott
The four best horses in this county
failed to shake it, even"
Billy studied the footing. and made
no reply. He worked the chain hook
low under the nose of the log and the
yoke we'll back upon the necks of
the oxen, then gently steadied them
up till the kinks came out of the
chain and it sang taut and true.
Then began eight minutes of the
mightiest pulling ever seen in all that
country, and as good work as was
ever done by dumb brutes for boy.
For the first six minutes it seemed
all failure The tree quivered, but
did not move. Its butt sank if any
thing deeper into the muck. The
steers feet plowed the gravel and
gave back repeatedly. They appeared
to be cull-half-asleep and not try
ing.
With eyes still mild and slow
winking, they heaved and swayed
about Guarter-circle; but the men
noticed that the chain never Stacked.
whined with the tension, and it cut
far out of sight into the old log, till it
gripped at last the unrotted core.
The pets We're awakening now, and
the tree was all atrembie. the earth
about its base bulging little, heav-
ing and settling back. Not word
came from the men. The only sounds
were the creaking of the yoke and the
gentle voice of Billy.
He had begun quietly, talking low,
whispering at their ears, calling their
names, patting and fondlins them,
and waving his long whip lightly
above their heads.
But soon his face became pale He
watched with anxious eyes the sink
ing feet, and his voice grew high
pitched and louder. They were strain
ing nightly now-hopelessly, it
looked, but the chain never Stacked.
This the old drivers of horses
watched and wondered at; but the
young men began to laugh and mock,
And what of Buek and Bright?
The gentle light was gone from their
eyes now, the lethargy from their
frames. With feet sunk to the knees
and noses touching the water, tails
aloft and kinked, eyes fire-red and
bulging from their sockets, they
heard not the gibas-only the mas
ters voice.
The chain sank in the log. the yoke
sank in their necks, red froth began
to show at their nostrils-and still
they pulled. The men had become
silent.
stop it! Stop it," an old man
cried. you'll kill them. Stop it,
Billy"
Stop them.' cried Barney Scott
Bright, the nigh OK. had lost his
footing and was nearly down; yet
the chain never Stacked. The log
with its load of earth had moved a
foot.
Then Billy Bodine became a wild
boy. Throwing whip and hat into
the air, he gave shrill cry, and
rushed upon them with his bare
hands.
Bright gathered up his useless foot
and placed it far forward in the
gravel. 1t sank down and down, till
it caught in some crevice of the bed
rock. The great beast felt that toe
hold, and throwing his whole weight
over on that side, the muscles of that
hind quarter began to bunch and roll
and culver in huge masses under the
sweating hide.
stop it! Stop it," commanded
Scott, springing down toward them.
Then things happened. First
little cracking began up in the woods
at the top OF the tree. The stones and
clay heaved about the base, and slow
ly, inch by incn, it came! Buck was
set and holding; Bright was lifting
his whole body lined upon that one
leg.
And Billy? Billy was everywhere.
With tears streaming down his face,
he called to them wildly. He leaped
from side to side, pulling at their
horns, pushing at their dripping
fianAs, natting, besecohiag, striking,
shriekins.
A quiyer. tearing of roots, a
crunchirg OF the rocils-it moved, it