Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1916-01-06
CHAPTER x.
The FIGHT in the Timber.

The Fight in the Timber.
When Sandry awoke next morning
the gray day was alight outside his
pane and he could hear the rumble OF
the dinkey as 1t rocked up from the
Tower rollway. By this he knew that
breakfast was over and the crews out
in the hills. Therefore he got into his
clothes in double-quick time, swung up
to the cookshack, 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 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 fight,
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
to the kitchen. She, too, was watching
her.
Mrs Daily" he said suddenly. what
Is SIetz?"
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 a 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
huSHCu plllCo WIN NhC obliiiho SoA
pet of needles at their feet, and it was
some time after the first sounds from
ahead had come to him dimly that he
Weakened to the loud voices of men in
quarrel. AS he broke through the wall
Of dripping waist-high fern he came
full upon a sight that stirred his blood,
and fired his wrath, in spite of his ef-
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,
Rs If they had been picked purposely,
bare-armed, open.throated. wet with
the constantly falling. soft mist.
Those of Hampden were armed with
mixes and peavies to a man-and these
are deadly weapons. Dailys crew car
ried. axes. and several had cant
hooks
Il told your Johnny Eastern to stay
of this here land" cried the owner
Of the Yellow Pines, his voice running
up on the last word in a squeak of
rage, an I'll see I he does! An you
an your river hogs that you pass as
loggers, Rotten outfit, We are! You'll
git oil an stay of! This land belongs
10 me by right of good money paid
an you tore down O'Connels home
steader's 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-eoing, 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 whoop
Rotten are we! Live clean to tn
heart"
And with lightning pass he slapped
Hampden square in the face, leapine
backward like q cat. In flash the
two groups of men had mingled and
the silent woods rang with conflict
that was delight to every heart II
the mixup, with the exception, perhaps
01 Hampden, who was too small anc
Saean OF nature to love anything FOL
ItR own sake.
Sandry on tine outskirts beheld u
with CONSERVATION.
Mem" no shouted. jumping up on
stump. "HGmpd0n! Hampden! Daily
aIARDdaRI"