The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-11-07

In the early dawn. On the crest of
some higher waves of consciousness
were borne to him drunken shouts,
maudlin blasphemies. After a time he
arose and demanded breakfast.
The cook, pale and nervous, served
him. The man was excited, i~rresolute,
eager to speak. Finally be dropped
down on the bench opposite Fitz Pat
rick and began:
'Fitz.' said he. don't go in the
woods today. The men is fair wild wild
the drink. and the Rough Red is be
side hi'self. Las night 1 heerd them.
They are goin' to skid the butt log
again, and they swear that if you Gull
it again they will kill you"
Fitz Patrick swallowed his coffee in
silence. In silence he arose and Slip
ped on his mackinaw blanket coat In
silence he thrust his beechwood tab
lets into his pocket and picked his pill
able s~caler's rule from the orne
Where are We goin'?" asked the
cook a~nxiously.
I'm gofn' to do the 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 -steaming 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
leaved tablets of beech. marking the
timbers swiftly with his blue crayon.
The woods We're 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 mex skidwav the men We're
gathered. waiting to see what he would
do; gathered openly at last in that
final hostility which had been matur-
ing all winter He knew. besides, that
most of them We're partly drunk and
wholly reckless and that he was
alone. Nevertheless, after finishing
conscientiously skidway number one,
he moved on to skidway number two.
There. as he had expected, the men
were waiting in Ominous Hence
Methodically, deliberately, he did the
work. Then, when the last pencil
mark had been made and the tablets
nad been closed with a snap of finality.
the Rough Red stepped forward.
"Ye have finished with this skid
way?" asked the foreman in soft cat
tones.
Il have" answered Fitz Patrick
briefly.
Eye 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 rs
an accomplished swordsman. The
Rough Red shifted his feet. almost
awed in spite of himself. One after
another the men dropped their eyes
and stood still at ease. The sc4ler
turned away. his heel caught a 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 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 u~nreeSOning panic they fed.
Fitz Patrick regained his wits in
pain INC so knew he was still Oh earth.
Every movement cost him IA moan. and
some agency outside himself inflicted
added torture. After a long time he
knew ii was the cook. who was firmly
but kindly kneading his limbs and
knuckIing his hair. The man proved
to be i'll Il maze of wonderment over his
patients tenacity of life.
L watched We" he murmured sooth-
ingly. Il did not dare interfere. But
1 KEN to yo' s soon as | could. See!
Here's a fire that | built for We and
some tea. Take a little. And no bones
True for ye, ye're a hearty
man and strong, with tn big muscles
On We fit to fight til Rough Red nan to
man. Get tn use of ye're legs, darlint
an I'll take We to camp, for it's fair
drunk they are by now. Sure, an l
tole We they'd kill YEP
But they didn't" muttered Fitz Pat
rick. with a CLEAN 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 hot a red
wave of torture through his brain.
They came in sight of camp. 1t was
silent. Both knew that the men had
uEuIh t1eu1SclNGS lulO d SluIOI.
I'D like t. kill tn whole layout as
she sleeps snarled the cook, shaking
his fist.
$50 would l." replied Fitz Patrick.
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
another. The cabin was aire.
They've kicke over the stove
again. said Fitz Patrick, seating him
self on a stump. His eyes blazed with
wrath and bitterness.
what yo' goin' to doT" asked the
cook.
"Sit here" replied Fftz Patrick grim
ly.
The COO started forward.
Stop shouted the scaler fiercely.
IF you move a step I'll break your
backr'
The cook stared at him through sau-
Ger eyes.
but they'd be burnt aliver' he OBJ
jected wildly.
They ought to be-" snarled the seal
er. 1T amt their fault I'm here to