Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-21

whitfield diligently, but let no one see what he was
making Then, borrowing a small tin cup from the
cook, he fused the with some dark smelly
decoction of tobacco juice and ink Rosy-Lilly was
consumed with curiosity especially when she saw him
apparently digging beads off an Indian tobaccopouch
which he always carried. But Jimmy Bracket did
not let her enough to get enlightened as to this
mysterious occupation
On the following day McWha went to work again
but not till after breakfast when the others had ono
departed: Rosy-Lily, with one hand twisted n her
little apron was standing in the doorway as he passed
out She glanced tip at him with a coaxine smile
MGWha G would not look at her, and his face was as
SuHeny marsh as ever; but as he passed he slipped
something into her hand To her speechless delight
It proved to be little dark-6rown wooden doll dan
tly carved, and with two white beads with blac cen
teTS cunningy set into its face for eyes
RoSy-Llly hugged the treasure to her breast Her
lSt proud impulse was to run o Jimmy Bracket with
IT. But subtler instinct withheld her. Somehow
from the way the gift had been bestowed she felt il
was meant to be kind Of secret She carried if awav
ana hid 1t IN her bunk, where she would go and look
at It from time to time throughout the dav Tb.+
night she brought it forth but with several o+ber
treasures so that it quite escaped comment She said
nothing about it to McWha but she PLAYED with #
when he could not help seeing it. And thereafter her
nlgger-baby' was always in her arms
ms compliment, however, was apparently all lost
on McWha, who had again grown unconscious of her
existence. And Rosy-Lily, on her part no longer
strove to win his attention She was content eit6e
with the victory she had won, or with the secret nm
uerStand1ng which, perforce, now existed between
-4NAA' wit
every one now too occupied to do more than mind
his own business. -0
1t CHANGED this year. that the Spring thaws were
early and unusually swift and from eyerv hrooksde
landing the logs came down in black trmh1ino
SWarmS just below Conroy's Camp the river waIowed
round narrow bend angled with slate ledges
And here, now, IN spite of the frantic efforts Of
jam. s4- ~
At this stage of affairs the boss, ak in hand. picked
his way the tangle of the face Of the
Jam between the great white Jets till he gained te CEN
ter OF the structure Here his practised eye presently ID
stated the t1mberS which held the structure firm the
Key logs as the men called them These he marked
with his ak Then, returning to the shore he called
or two volunteers to dare the task of cutting these
Key logs away.
Such task is the most perilous that q ZIMMERMAN
IN all his daring career be called upon to perfor
OaVe Logan had some brilliant feats of iam-breaknp
10 his credit, from the days before he was made a
Doss; and now, when he called for volunteers every
unmarried man III camp responded, with the excep-
lion, OF course of Valley Johnson whose limited
9 no1 untted MN tor such venture The boss chose
only smart axmen, but also adopts in the rivermens
game of running logs"
With jaunty air the two young men spat on their
hands grpped their axes, Sprang along the base
OF the Jam and Piled their heavy blades 1t was heroic
the work of these two chopping cooy out there under
that colossal front of death Their duty was nothing
less than to bring the topping brow of the lam down
upon them yet cheat fate at the last instant if pos
sibe by eaping to shore before the chaos quite over
Whelmed them.
Suddenly, while the two kew logs were not VET hale
cut through, the trained eye of the boss detected
settling near the top of the jam His veil of warning
tore through the ca1noT Of the waters. At the in
slant came vast grumbing-not loud apparently vet
dull1ng all other sounds. The two choppers sprang
wildly tor shore, the whole face of the lam seemed
TO crumble In breath
AT this moment a scream of terror was heard md
every heart stopped. Some thirty yards or 50 uD-
stream and dozen perhaps, from shore stood Rosv-
y Llly on log; While none were observing her she
mad geetully clambered out the solid mass look
ing for spruce gums. But now when the logs moved
she was SO terrorstricken that she could not even
try to get ashore She lust fell down uDon her Ioo
and clung to it screaming.
A groan of horror went up. The awful grinding Of
the breakup was already under way. Valley John
son eaped wildly out upon the logs fell head
foremost and was dragged back, fighting furiously
Just as Johnson went down, there arose great bel
lowing cry OF rage and anguish then Red McWha's big
form shot past leaping far out upon the logs Over
the sckening upheaval he bounded this wav and that
with miraculous sure-footedness He reached the
pitching log whereon Rosy-Lilly still cung He
clutched her by the frock He tucked her under one
arm like ragbaby Then he turned, balancing him
SELF for an instant and eapng back toward shore
great shout of wonder and joy went up,-to be
hushed IN second as a log reared high in McWha's
path and hurled him backwards. Right down into the
whrl OF the dreadful grist he sank. But with a
strength that seemed more than human he recovered
himself, climbed forth dripping and came on again
with those great unerrlng leaps This time there was
no shout The men waited with dry throats. Within
two feet of shore log toward which he had Jumped
was erked aside just before he reached it, and turn
down across it on his side with stunning vio-
lence. AS he fell, the boss, and Brackett and two Of
the others, sprang out to meet him. They reached him
somehow and covered with bruises which they did not
feel succeeded in dragging him, with his precious bur-
den, up to safety When his feet touched solid ground
he sank unconscious, but with his arm 50 securely
grpped about the child that they had difficulty in oos-
ing his hold
Rosy-Lilly, when they picked her up, was qtvering
with terror, but unframed When she saw McWha
stretched upon the bank motioness with his ewes
shut and his white lips half open she fought savagey
to be put down. She ran and flung herself down Be-
side her rescuer caught his big white face between
her tiny hands, and fell to kissing him. Presently Nc
Wha opened his eyes, and with mighty effort rose
upon one elbow. A look of embarrassment passed
over his tace as he glanced at the standing about
him Then he looked down at Rosy-Liny, grinned
with shamefaced tenderness, and pulled her gently
toward him.
I'm right-glad- -ye're-safe-Rosy-Liy, he said
family drawing her face down to his "Boys get the
doc to patch me up-Ive got to live for Rosy-LiIys