The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-05-15
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RIDING THE FROST
LAKE DAM.
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AN INCIDENT OF EARLY DAYS
IN MICHIGAN.
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IL, nA-N 4
BY L. fS. LLOYD.
Observation-Disclosures

In the case. Nell was all right. too,
mind yer. as girls go-red hair. full
form, fire an all that sort of thing
but she couldn't play soft. Had TO
be things doin' when she handled
the bow-with her novel-readin' no.
tions of heroes and trusty swords and
ridin' into deaths ways before you
could kiss the tip Of her finger. Oh.
shucks! l hate bein' harsh on the
Child, but good men are too Blamed
hard TO lay your hands on these days.
their appointed time, all along OF a
whim and a little lace. All right,
I'm gettin' there. The drive had
come down pretty slick that spring,
no serious accidents or nothing. and
we were just holdin' the logs above
the last dam till we had got enough
water 10 float them out onto the
home stretch. The boys lied around
IN the shade OF the cook-house and
chewed their pipes and cursed a
little and waited-thinkin' on the
settlement only thirty mile away and
payday just round the bend. The
second day we heard the squeakin'
OF wheels and Nell appeared on the
scene, havin' buggied out to wish us
luck and with greetings from the
home folk-that's what she said.
I'm guessin' different, and seed later
l guessed right.
We all jumped to our feet. bein'
mighty starved for the sight OF a
pretty face, but Angus Carmichael
was Johnny-on-the-Spot all right and
had the honor of liftin' her out and
receivin' smile that would ave
softened a pike-pole. We were all
right envious OF Angus. but big Jim
Connors was the only one weak
enough to show it. They'd been run
min neck and neck for favors all that
winter and weren't too friendly about
It either. The other boys had long
since dropped out and were just
waitin around to hold the coats and
pick up the pieces. Jim butted In
between Angus and the smile and
grabbed her hand so she WINGED.
Right glad ter see yer again.
Nell" says he. Amt yer soin' ter
let me have the pleasure of drivin'
yer back ter the settlement this af-
ternoon? Yer said could sometime
and I'm not needed here jest now,
you know"
Nell looked up at him out OF the
points Of her eyes: Maybe, jim,
Wen see."
Angus was lookin' sort OF pale In
spite OF the tan. She's already
promised me, Jim, but of course she
knows what she wants, and I'll step
aside II she says the word"
Connors swung round quick,
blazin' mad. Go to blazes, you! and
mind yer own business" His fists
were stuck out in Carmichael's face.
and we looked for things happenin
right there. Nell did too. guess,
for the look Of scorn on her face
when Angus jest gave a gasp and
stepped back wasn't pretty to see.
I'm thinkin' yer didn't hear
straight. Mister Carmichael" she
said softly. Il wouldn't be feelin'
safe with a coward at the reins!"
NO, I'm not coward, Nell, and
yer know IL. II Jim wasn't a heap
sight better man with his fists than
l be he wouldn't be so free with his
speech. Now ask him IL he feels like
runnin' the dam with me or no and
we'll see whose scared"
We held our breath when we
about the best man on a log in the
province. not barrin' Carmichael
either, the devil himself couldn't do
the trick and live. Nell knowed it
as we'll as we did, but by Jimminy
she jest stood there with the hot sun
famin' on her red hair and little
smile on her face that said plain as
day: "Will yer let him dare yer,
Jim?"
Yer could hear the throbbn Of
the dam comm up under yer very
feet, though il was really round the
bend below, and 1t didn't sound pretty
ter JiB's ears as we could see. He
pulled the battered felt off his head
and mopped his forehead with a red
bandanna, but guess none Of us felt
much sympathy for him. seem as
he'd got himself into the hole.
There was twenty-eight foot head
OF water behind the dam. Then
there was sluice sixty foot long
and ten wide where the water ran
smooth and swift as creased light
ming, till II shot out on the apron
and was carried some eighty feet far
ther over a ledge OF rocks. Near the
lower end OF the apron the water
was that shallow that though a small
log would shoot out straight and drop
into the pool below almost horizontal.
ehe big sticks would drag and tip
and 20 over head first and not rise %
rse surface for a couple OF hundred
feet below.
The pool was as ugly a bit OF wa
ter as I've ever seen. Bollin' and
eddyin'. and chock full OF undertows
that would drag a human body down