Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-01-06
CHAPTER x.


The Fight in the Timber.
When Sandry awoke next morning
she gray day was alight outside his
Fane and he could hear the rumble of
the dinkey as it rocked up from the
Ower rollway. BY this he knew that
breakfast was over and the crews out
m the hills. Therefore he got into his
clothes in double-quick time, swung up
TO the cook-shack. washed in the porch
and presented himself with apologies
to Ma Daily
Siletz came in in the dusk of the
long room and set the cup beside him,
quiet, soft-footed. slim and straight
in her plain garments. She seemed
made for service. the unquestioning
service of woman, as she waited upon
his needs after the fashion of the prim-
tive mate of man. She placed a last
touch here and there. smiled at him
and crossing to the west door, snapped
her fingers to the big mongrel and
stepped out
Sandry, his hand unconsciously
poised with raised spoon, watched her.
He saw her hasten as she neared the
edge of the level, and finally, as if she
could no longer hold herself to the
decorum of her pace, break into flight,
running like deer up among the pines
with long bounding leaps. AS she dis
appeared he dropped his hand and be-
came aware of Ma Daily in the door
fn he 80
her
Mrs. Daily he said suddenly, what
rs S1etz?"
The old lady turned on him quickly
the piercing glance of her sharp eyes,
Just girl" she said succinctly.
She turned to her realm and Sandry
ruse and went out In the mist He
climbed steadily with something of
the logger's movement. This much he
had learned along with a thousand
other things of the tree life, sad yet
he was novice Johnny Eastern
still
He was thinking deeply as he
climbed. lost in the majestic silence of
the hushed pines with the stilling car
pet of needles at their feet, and it was
some time after the first sounds from
ahead had come to him dimly that he
wakened to the loud voices of men in
quarrel. AS he broke through the wall
of dripping waist-high fern he came
fun upon sight that stirred his blood,
and fred his wrath, in spite of his eff
fort to keep calm. There in the new
cutting stood Hampden, his face red
with fury, his eyes swapping, his dou-
bled fists shaking at Daily who front
ed him. Behind the two the men were
grouped in menacing punches. They
were huge fellows every one of them.
as il they had been picked purposely.
bare-armed. open-throated. wet with
the constantly falling, soft mist
Those OF Hampden were armed with
pixies and peavies to man-and these
are deadly weapons Daily's crew car
ried axes and several had cant
hooks
Il told your Johnny Eastern to stay
off this here land" c.rud the owner
Of the Yellow Pines. his .oice running
ap on the last word in a squeak of
rage. an I'll see t he does, An you
an your river hogs that you pass as
loggers, Rotten outfit. We arel You'll
git OF an stay off This land belongs
to nae by right of good money paid
an you tore down O'Connels home
steader's cabin! That's lin the law,"
He thrust out his heavy face belliger-
emily. inviting insult. first movement
of violence It came. not from Daily.
the easy going. tactful foreman, who
had righted many topping crises, but
from Jim Anworthy. the curly-headed
young scapegrace who was the worr-
ment and fayorite OF Ma Daily He
flung himself forward with a whoop
Rotten are we, Live clean to tn
heart"
And with lightning pass he slapped
Hampden square in the face, ieaping
backward like cat In fash the
two groups OF men had mingled and
the silent woods rang with conflict
that was a delight to every heart in
the mixup. with the exception, perhaps
of Hampden. who was too small and
mean of nature to love anything for
It's own sake
Sandry on the outskirts beheld 1t
with CONSERVATION
Men" he shouted. jumping up on
stump. ''Hampden, Hampden! Daily
Eamoden's