Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1920-01-16
ANGUS NORTH'S
RETURN
(CopyTight.)
By LLOYD ROBERTS


.4A~~<~~~~<~~~<~>~N< ~<<~e~~~~~~sS~Ses
(Copyrfght)
Three men dropped from an empty
box car as the morning freight turned
its back On Cross Creek settlement
Two of them Immediately skunk into
the encroaching underbrush, while the
third. a tall, angular man with shifty
eyes, ambled lazily toward the sawmill
on ihe lip of the bank. A freckle-
faced lad who was stacking the fresh
ut boards before the door, paused
&C. is brow as the stranger APP
e drive in YETI" inquired
Sharply.
IT, The last O. the cut will
Iaooms erlong erbout dark, /
cckin' for some one?"
Il 7 ami"
zee tone in which this was
Eirred the youngsters curl
Yyhe you're a stranger here
So he suggested.
ybe I am" was the unSatisfac-
effort as the other walked off.
Neyr~the whistle blew for the mid
meal he presented his sinister
ke at the cookhouse door and accept
the cooks invitation to dinner in a
,lv matterof-cOurse manner that
not Include thanks, nor afterward
oGfa4se questioning.
The shrieks of the tortured saws
xong been stilled; the new moon
limmering palely through the
bud poplars and birches, when Nc
KING - loggers finally came SLOUGH
ing N from the dam for their last
meal bf the drive.
Shouting uproarious greetings TO the
fat-faced cook. they crashed their
peaveys and pike-poles upon the floor
and, tumbled on the benches that lined
the long deal tables Hunger is never
kept in suspense in the lumber camps,
and the steam was already rising from
hills of potatoes and pork, flats of
johnny-cake, and lakes Of black coffee.
There commenced a Gathering din of
steel on tinware, and conversation was
confined TO such gruff commands as
Chuck the bread. Sam - Rush the
sow this way, Bobby" and Don't hog
all the beans, yer dern alligator
Bobby's monograph was the pride
IF &c ri n hn
his one line of dissipation-fOr he
neither smoked, chewed, drank, nor
fell in love-and INDUCED in it at
every opportunity and on all occasions.
Presently the feet of the loggers began
to mark time to a rOllicking back
woods chantey as a fiddle and a me-
tallic voice struck up with:
"Jack has got a scarlet rag strung Ground
his hat
Bill has lost his dollar watch in the
Devils Vat.
Squint-eye Murphy bust the janl-Jumpin'
like a cat.
Sunday Ill see US eatin' off table"
The audience joined in the chorus
with a roar and a humping of toes
that shook the tins and sent the dust
fQto the air to mingle with the clouds
of pipe-smoke.
"Brl log birl log, bril- log, boys.
Ram a log, cram log, slam a log, boys.
There's lots Of time for loafin' when the
saws begin their noise.
And the gals come troopin' down beside
the mill
The stranger leaned back with fold
ed arms and half-crossed eyes. All
day the sights, sounds and smells of
past existence had been struggling to
awaken some response in his infiexible
soul-blotting out the unclean mem
cries of his exile and telescoping time
until it seemed as though he had never
been absent from the settlements. And
now he was back with his old COM
rades of woods and rivers-Reddy
Jones, Polite Williams, Big John New
ers and many mOre-including his boy
hood chum, Hugh Mcknight.
But things had changed considerably
In FIVE years. From the most popular
man on the river, he had become aD
outcast of civilization, unrecognlzable
to his old associates, and the sworn
enemy Of the burly woodsman oppo-
site him who so complacently sucked
on his black cigar.
Well, he was glad that Mcknight APP
peared so prosperous and content. Evi-
IDENTIFY life meant something worth
while to him-something worth cling
ing to as long as he could-just as his
would have been if Madge had for
given. Robbing him of it would be
even more satisfactory than he had
imagined; and now that vengeance
was so sure and imminent, he could
afford to gloat few minutes longer
before he gave it rein.
.'sandy's hoppin' lively, for he's left kid
at home.
Dayey's heart is achin' for pesky gram
myphone,
For II amt in human nature for man to
live alone
When the drive is lynn idle Sunday
mornin'.'
And once more the camp yibrated
with the roar of the chorus.
,,1,-zsa ha hfffnr~