Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-01-14
CHAPTER X.
The FIGHT in the Timber.

When Sandry aWOke next morning
pane 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
IN the hills. Therefore he got into his
hlothes in double-Quick time, swung up
10 the cook shack. washed in the porch
Ind presented himself with apologies
10 Ma Daily.
SiletZ came in in the dusk of the
bng room and set the cup beside him,
luiet. sOft-foOted, slim and straight
h her plain garments. She seemed
pade for service. the unquestioning
iervice of woman, as she waited upon
lis needs after the fashion of the prim-
tive mate of man. She placed a last
buch here and there, smiled at him
md crossing to the west door, snapped
Ter fingers to the big mongrel and
tepped 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
Hecorum 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
ito the kitchen, She, too, was watching
her.
Mrs Daily" he said suddenly, what
is Sletz?"
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
rose and went out in the mist He
climbed steadily with something of
the logger's movement. This much he
had learned along with thousand
other things of the free life, and yet
he was a novice-Johnny Eastern
still.
He was thinking deeply as he
climbed, lost in the majestic silence of
SlIC pIlCo Will LilC ONllllllSo NcLl
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
full upon sight that stirred his blood
and fired 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 if 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 mainland 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" cried the owner
of the Yellow Pines, his voice running
up on the last word in a squeak OF
rage, IAN I'll see t he does! An you
an your river hogs that you pass as
loggers! Rotten outfit, we are! You'll
git off an stay off This land belongs
to me by right of good money paid
an you tore down O'Conneis home
steaders cabin! That's ag'in the law
He thrust out his heavy face belliger
emily, inviting insult, first movement
of violence. 1t 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 worri
ment and favorite of Ma Daily. He
flung himself forward with a whoop