Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1920-01-20
ANGUS NORTH'S
RETURN
By LLOYD ROBERTS
lcopyright.)

-
(Copyright)
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. tall. angular man with shifty
eyes, ambled lazily toward the sawmill
on the lip of the bank. A freckle-
faced lad, who was stacking the fresh
~ cut boards before the door, paused
to wipe his brow as the stranger APP
preached.
"Ain't the drive in YETI" inquired
the latter sharply.
Most Of it. The last o. the cut will
be in the booms erlong erbout dark, /
guess. Lookin' for some one?"
"You bet / ami"
The fierce tone in which this was
uttered stirred the youngsters Curl
osity.
Maybe you're a stranger here
abouts?" he suggested.
Maybe / am" was the unsatisfac-
tory retort as the other walked off.
When the whistle blew for the mid
day meal he presented his sinister
face at the cookhouse door and accept
ed the cooks invitation to dinner in a
surly, matter-of-course manner that
did not include thanks, nor afterward
encourage questioning.
The shrieks Of the tortured saws
had long been stilled; the new moon
was glimmering palely through the
budding poplars and birches, when Nc
Knights loggers finally came SLOUGH
ing up from the dam for their last
meal of 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.
Bobby's photograph was the pride
of his heart. 1t was supposed to be
his one line Of dissipation-for he
neither smoked. chewed, drank, nor
fell In love-and INDUCED in 1t at
every opportunity and on all occasions.
Presently the feet Of the loggers began
to mark time to rollicking back
woods chantey as a fiddle and me-
tallic voice struck up with:
Jack has got scarlet rag strung Ground
his hat
Bill has lost his dollar watch in the
DEVILS Vat
Squint-eye Murphy bust the jam-jumpin'
like a cat.
Sunday Ill see US eatin' off table"
The audience Joined In the chorus
with roar and a humping of toes
that shook the tins and sent the dust
into the air to mingle with the clouds
of pipe-smoke.
"Birl log, birl log. birl log boys
Ram log, cram log. slam 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 q
past existence had been struggling to
awaken some response in his inflexible
soul-blotting out the unclean men,
cries of his exile and telescoping time
until 1t 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.
Well, he was glad that Mcknight ap-
peared so prosperous and content. Evil
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.
"sandy's hoppin' lively. for he's left kid
at home.
Davey's heart is achin' for pesky gram.
myphone,
For it ain't In human nature for a man to
live alone
When the drive is lynn idle Sunday
mornin'.'
And once more the camp vibrated
with the roar of the chorus.
There was no music in the bitter
heart of Angus North, and yet one
foot was involuntarily beating out the
measure. His mind was concerned
only with the deed that had brought
him back. 1t had been well arranged.
He had only to throw open the door
and let events take their course. Lefty
and Bud would spring in with cooked
pistols and hold up the campi
What was that blasted tune they
were playing? 1t had been knocking
upon his ear-drums with persistence
that had forced him to give heed. "Mul-
vorneyl" Another association Of his
dead life. He hadn't heard 1t since
that terrible occasion when she had
turned him adrift to founder upon the
rocks. AS wildly as scene Of yes
terday, 1t fiared before his closed lids.
1t was such q night as this; he had
just returned from the drive, as they