Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-05
CONTINUED FROM PAGE TWO

Other men went to work clearing roads for the
lumber to be hauled to the yards. -
These men were called swampers, and Rob
was sent with them. while Rocky was kept to
help roll the logs upon the yards as the teams
brought them in.
With each of the teams a stout man was
placed to help the teamster in loading one
end OF the long logs upon the bob-sleds, the
other end dragging behind. These men were
called sled-tenders, and performed the most
lab0rlous work done in the woods.
They had to trim the limbs from the trees,
which. the choppers had merely felled and
topped off, roll them over with "cant-dogs
and slice the bark from the side which would
drag underneath if the log was heavy, so that
ground or skids.
Rob worked away manfully at cutting the
underground, and helping to remove the wind
falls, but his strength was slight his arms
ached, and he was, nearly fainting with exhaus-
ton when the call for dinner sounded.
He ate of the cold boiled pork and bread
ravenously, and drank the tea in manner
that caused Mr.. Mountain to smile
Coming to your appetite. eh? querled
Rocky, as the eatables vanished before the on
slaughts of the hungry men. This will just be
the making of you"
But the boy used all his life to his mother
pettlng and nursing could not in his present
condition of mind derive much encouragement
from these cheering words. His back ached
from the excessive labor and it seemed to
him that he was more of failure than ever
before.
Could it be possible that only three days
and part of another day had elapsed since his
leaving home?
After dinner the men smoked their pipes
around the smoulderlng fire for a few min
utes. 1t was in the edge of a little glade or
opening and Reddy White began climbing a
tall, slender birch saphng that ran up among
the towering trees sixty or seventy feet, as
though striving to emulate their lofty height.
The young man, though of heavy build, was
supple and elastic in his movemnts, and withal
extremely fond of displaying his athletic at
tainments.
As he went rapidly upward, the men below
cheered him with shouts of encouragement
and admiration. He neared the top, where
the sapling was scarcely thicker than his wrist,
and then the tall, 1.-THE tree bent and swayed
out into the opening
The watchers below saw the cheeks of Red.
dy pale as he hung suspended in midair thirty
or forty feet from the ground.
go nearer the top, an bend her down,
shouted Bill MeGregor. Don't be afeared
it won't break"
ANY imputation upon his courage was like
gall and NORWOOD to Reddy White. Hand
over hand he went the tree descending slowly
till his feet touched the ground, brought down
by his weight.
He stood holding the tree, which described
a perfect curve, and Bill McGregor and some
others came to where he was standing.
Rocky and Rob were among them, and, quick
as thought, Black Bill unbuckled the strong
leather belt from his waist, clasped it around
the sender body of the boy and of the Bonded
tree, and buckled it. And then, almost before
the terrified lad realized the action, the
, swarthy teamster pushed Reddy White away;
the sapling, scarcely minding the light weight
of the boy, sprang once more to an upright
position, and Rob Archer felt himself whirled
through the air with terrific velocity.
"Cling to the tr9e!" shouted Black Bill. :,
But the frightened lad was powerless; the
belt alone upheld him. He felt himself sway
ing back and forth high in the air amid the
tree-tops; he saw the Mortified men far below
him, seemingly hundreds of feet away; a
pain thrilled his being: he felt himself slip
ping away from the belt, and then he lost
consciousness entirely.