The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-08-14

sending the logs through this chan
mel, and as many as fifteen to twenty
men are required to keep them from
"jamming." With all our care on
this particular day a Jam" occurred.
A log became weGged with one or
two others right across the chute
as the passage is called. The result
was the same as invariably is. Hun
dreds of logs came floating slowly
but irresistibly toward the chute
with the current and found a restlns
place behind each other, with tho
dam as their foundation.
Hundreds more came sweeping on,
and, finding the current too strong
to allow them to rest behind their
| forerunners, piled themselves In a
muddled heap on the top. The water
began to rise, and more and yet more
logs piled themselves up, till a solid
wall of timber at least twelve feet
high stretched across the chute be-
hind the dam.
Meanwhile the river-drivers bound
ed from log to log, risking their lives
every second in the vain attempt to
disengage the damned logs, for if
the Jam had given way it would have
carried every man to almost certain
death.
"Somebody'Il have to find those
damned logs and cut them" said
the foreman, quietly, knowing full
we'll that he was asking soIne n to
tempt death.
"Of course" he continued, II can't
make any of you do it; unless some
one offers I'll have to do it myself,
but I'm kind of heavy for the Job.
There's SO in it and drinks for the
crowd"
Six of us stepped forward stimuli
taneously.
you're all wool, boys" said the
foreman a%dmiringly, "but I'm glad
the kid offered, cause he's the light
est of the crowd"
A thick rope was promptly tied Sc
curely round my body under the
arms, by way of a belt, two longer
ones fixed to it on either side, and I
was ready for work.
Sixteen of the heaviest men were
picked from the gang. and eight
climbed up on to.the dam each side
of the jam. An axe was then handed
to me, and hand over hand I was let
out on one side and drawn in on the
other till I hung suspended in mid
air half way across the current.
Then, in answer to a sharp order
from the foreman, the two sides 81
multaneously commenced to pay out
rope, and I began to sink lower and
lower toward the damned logs.
which creaked and rasped ominou5ly
under the strain of the water behind
them.
I cannot remember any other SEN
sation than that of suppressed excite
ment as I reached the level Of the
water and finally stood on the tremh-
ling, groaning mass of logs-a mass
that might sink from beneath my
feet at any moment. I was only sig
teen, and $40 was a lot of money to
me, apart from the glory Of the
achievement.
For several seconds I stood on
those logs without moving, fascin-
ated with the delicious possibilities
of the thing, till at last a gruf shout
from the foreman. reminded me that
there was work to be done.
Carefully I crept to the edge Of
the mass Of logs; then I slowly slid
from log to log down to the seething
water below. Where were the
damned logs? That was the ques-
ton.
Above me rose the butts and tops
of innumerable logs. What If they
gave way now? I should be hurled
to my death at once. Hastily put
ting the thought from me, I felt be-
meath the surface of the water with
the axe handle. Yes, there they
were, firmly wedged a foot down.
/. Then I set to with a will, the water
splashing all over me. With each
stroke Of the axe a tremor went
through the pile on which I stood.
1t seemed as If I had been chop
ping an hour. My he:.rt was thump-
ing against my ribs with the exer-
ton, and I gasped for air between
the douches of cold water that
splashed me from head to foot. Sud-
denly, without the slightest warning,
there vas a report like a muffled re-
volver shot, a stream of water shot
into my face, a hoarse cry came from
somewhere above, and I felt myself
jerked from my feet high into the
air, sinking, rising, and again sink
ing like a bouncing ball. Then, with
a roar and a mighty splash, the
whole structure Of piled up logs on
which 1 had been standing three Sec
onds before collapsed like a house
of cards, and log after log went
sweeping and eddying through the
chute and owe the rapids to the lake
below. Either the damned log had
broken or 1 had chopped it through;
no one ever knew which.
1 don't quite know how they got
me back on to the dam, for the first
thing 1 remember after that was SEE
ing a green piece of paper in my left
hand that I knew to be the promised
$40 bill, and a ring Of perspiring,
grizzled faces close to mine, breath
ing gruf congratulations.-The Wide
World Magazine.
A Useful Witness.
A witness was being examined az to