Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-03-29

| his fault if he is tardy on the 1st of
May. But it's you and O'Mara from
now on, Archie. III be a spectator
now And, by CAD. don't you ever
come near me again with a request
that I-don't you ever let me hear you
| threaten that you
Allisons face was suffused before he
| finished and Wickersham, astounded
past utterance slid from his chair
away from that fourishing hand which
| had become a fist. 1t was no scene
to take place between 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. It'll be watching, don't doubt
that And 1 know how much you
want to win. It's bigger stake than
most folks realize!
The same day that more than half Of
| OMara's men went on strike and de-
serted to the reserve company's pay
| roll the news reached Allison that a
| trainload of labOrers had been shot
in to 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
a. Inv nj
| ica! DroWess, rs Fat Joe had ruled,
but Just as surely and all because, as
Joe himself put it. 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 at 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" ice told Steve
one night after prolonged scouting
"trip. ''They are turning their atten-
ton to their foat dams now"
And when that news was relayed to
the big man who never ceased to
watch he understood why there had
went on strike.
1t was the bitterest 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 off the last of March
that spring, and the gorges could not
carry away the water The sun turn
ed summer hot. 1t burned the higher
ridges dry While the valleys still lay
hidden in flood. It was August tenn
perature the third Sunday in April,
when Stephen O'Mara 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
|
dirty and lean as hungry hounds but
they were the men whom Steve had
once hidden Hardwick Elliott to
watch, once they had begun to scent
| combat. Fat Joe was no longer plump.
| Steve was worn down to actual thin
ness. And it would have taken a care
full eye to have selected the chief from
their ranks that Sunday.
The huge timbers had dropped into
place like bits Of jig sawed puzzle. At
3 in the afternoon, too tired both in
body and soul for citation, Steve watch
ed them drive home the last spike and
heard their hOarse effort at a cheer
He had turned to start toward his
shack, not like a man who knows that
the end Of a well nigh hopeless task is
in sight, but like beaten man The
LIST Of May meant more to Steve than
any clause of the East Coast compa-
ny's contract could convey. He had
not had even one letter since he put
| her upon her train. Wickersham's ap-
| pearance on horseback at the head Of
the valley, picking his way around the
flooded meadow, halted him in his
heavy footed climb whistle shrill-
| ed far to the south of them, down the
completed track. And then, after ten
years and more. they were face to face
again.
"That bridge will have to go DOWN."
Wickersham was breathing hard, for
all that he had been riding Il am
going through with my drive to-
day.
He had dismounted. Steve smiled at
him.
You're whole week previous.
Wickersham," he said YEARLY. 'Tn
ho Siona1inp for vo,1r fret loo1 ~ lorc