The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-11-23

Ut 10 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
full"
men II he viii let you. Fight him
every inch of his construction-tbat Is
your job-and I'll still Insist that IL Is
his fault II he IL tardy on the LIST OF
May. But it's you and o'Mara from
now. And by CAD. don't you ever
come near me again with n request
that don't you ever let me hear, you
threaten that you
Alllson's face was suffused before he
finished. and wickersham. astounded
past utterance. slid from his chair
away from that fiourishing hand which
had become n fist. II was no scene
20 take place between a man and his
prospective son-in-law. Realizing that.
Allison tried to laugh deprecatingly at
his temper.
go out and get him. Archie" he In
vited. "IIl be watching. don't doubt
that. And ! know how much you
want TO win. It's a bigger stake than
most folks realize!''
The same day that more than half OF
O'Mara's men went on strike and de-
serted to the reserve company's pay
roll the news reached Allison that a
tralnload OF laborers had been shot
In 10 take their places-those very
types OF laborers which Steve him
self had warned Elliott would not last
an hour In the event OF trouble. For
a week Allison wondered that there
was no clash between the displaced
men who believed that the river was
theirs alone and this new corps which
Garry Devereau was handling at the
lower end OF construction. not by phys
Teal prowess. as Fat Joe had ruled.
but Just as surely and all because. as
Joe himself put II. he could damn a
man merely by bidding him good morn
ing
Honey crossed north today to have
a look at his winter cut" Joe would
observe to his chief ut supper at
Thirty Mile. and before the night was
many hours older Allison. too. In Man
haitian, would have learned by wire In
less picturesque phraseology that
Archie wickersham was missing no
chances.
They have now finished hauling
their logs TO the river" Joe told Steve
one night after a prolonged scouting
trip. They are turning their atten.
ton TO their float dams now"
And when that news was relayed to
the big man who never ceased TO
watch he understood why there had
been no violence when the rivermen
went on strike.
II was the bltterest January that
the hill country had known In twenty
years, but mile by mile that month the
twin line OF steel crept steadily into
the north under the urgings OF Garry's
smooth voice. The snowfall for Feb
ruary broke all records for half that
period. but Steve. with his handful OF
men at Thirty Mile. put his piling
down. And then It rained-it rained
until small brooks ran torrents and
the river tumbled white and thunder
Gus its entire length.
The snow went OF the last OF March
that spring. and the gorges could not
away tht ut Suh
ed summer hot. II burned the higher
ridges dry while the valleys still lay
hidden In food II was August tenn
perature the third Sunday I'm April.
when stephen OMara stood and
watched beneath the glare OF kero-
sene torches his bridge at Thirty Mile
go into position between dark and
dawn.
There was no man among them that
day who did not show upon his face
the strain they had been under They
were few. they were unshayen and
dirty and lean as hungry hounds. but
they were the men whom Steve had
once hidden Hardwick Elliott 10
watch, once they had begun 10 scent
combat. Fat Joe was no longer plump.
Steve was worn down TO actual thin
ness. And II would have taken a care
ful eye 20 have selected the chief from
their ranks that sunday