The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-05-22
THE MARKSMAN
BY FRANK L. POLLOCK.

HSs
they took to the work naturally, and
Allen, although he had not yet come
to his full strength, speedily developed
surprising dexterity with the ak.
He could lay a tree within a few
inches of where he desired it to fall.
and had been the instrument of VIC
tory several times in numbering
matches with rival camps.
1t was late in. February and still Bit
terfy cold, but the deep Snow was
packing and seftening. In a few weeks
the ice might break up, and mountains
of logs were piled upon the river in
readiness for the drive.
About three miles before it reached
the shanty the river broke into rapids
for about 80 rods before it fell tn
multuously over low ridge of rseks.
1t was necessary to make a dstonr
round this obstacle, and Allen went
ashore at cautious distance from the
water. Louis, however, remained
upon the ice, walking almost to the
verge, and looking over into the inky
stream.
ting rotten!' Allen shouted, from the
bank.
Its as strong as rock. Look" an
swered Louis, jumping in his rackets
with a heavy thud upon the snow.
He proved the reverse of what he
intended. There was a dull cracking
under the snow and a startled shout
cake of ice broke off. drifting away,
with Louis standing upon it, He bal
anced unsteadily for moment, stag
gered, and plunged off with terrified
yell, going clean out Of sight under the
icy water.
The cake of ice drifted over the
rapids and broke up. Allen had
scarcely had time to move before his
brother reappeared, struggling feebIy,
and evidently almost paralyzed by the
cold immersion. BY good luck he
managed to catch the top of pro-
jecting rock at the head of the fall,
and there he chung, driven against the
rock by the force of the current.
Hold on a minute. Lou! IN get
Il, y
Louis turned blue face toward him.
without answering.
Allen could think of no plan. He
shouted encouraging words without
knowing what he said, while his eyes
roved desperately up and down the
snowy shores in search of some III
spiration.
If he had only a rope, or anything
to make a bridge-and then his eye.
fell upon tall dead pine stub" bark
less and almost branches, standing a
few feet back from the stream.
1t was long enough to reach to the
imperled youth, if it could be felled
so accurately as to lie close beside.
him. But a foot or two above or be-
low him would make it useless, and
I to aim too closely would be to run
deadly risk Of crushing the boy under
the falling trunk.
By a queer vagary of his excited
brain he remembered William Tell
and the apple. He would have to per-
form a somewhat similar feat of
craftsmanship; but it was the only
chance that he could think of. He
plunged through the snow for his ak,
wallowed back to the dead stub, and
began to chop.
In the need for action his nerves
grew suddenly cool. The feat was,
more delicate one than he had ever at
tempted, and his brothers life hung
upon his steadiness of nerve and mus.
Gle. But he cut quietly and without
haste. The great yellow chips flew.
and wide notch grew in the trunk.
In a few moments he shifted to the
other side, cut another notch, and
sighted for the probable direction OF
the fall of the stub.
1t was the critical moment. He,
sighted again most carefully, and cut
out few small chips here and there.
The stub tottered. 1t was standing
poised upon thin edge of uncut wood,
and he stood behind it and pushed.
cautiously, and then heavily.
The tall trunk wavered, and the
fibers snapped loudly. 1t hesitated,
bowed, and Allen leaped away from
the butt. Down came the pine. roar
ing through the air. >. :
IL crashed into the water with
mighty wave and splash that hid boy
and rock, and Allen had moment of
Mortified belief that his brother had
been crushed under it. A moment
later he saw that Louis was unhurt.
But the tree had actually grazed the
rock, 1t had fallen within eight inches
of the boys body.
It made a perfect bridge as it lay
but in his nervous reaction Allen wal
almost too shaky to walk the trunk
and pull his brother out. He did it,
although how he got him to land he
never quite knew. Louis was almost
unconscious, and his wet clothes froze
instantly into mass of ice.
He would certainly have lapsed into
sleep and died, but Allen piled the
pine chips about the stump and had q
fire blazing in few seconds. The dry
stump burned like pitch, producing q
furnace-like heat; and Allen partly un.
dressed his brother and rubbed him
hard with snow. Under this heroic
treatment Louis came back to painfuf
consciousness. and the fierce heat from