The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-02-19
ANGUS NORTH'S
RETURN
BY LLOYD ROBERTS


It's back IN Cross Creek settlement. |
Two Of them Immediately skunk into
the encroachlng 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
ly cut boards before the door. paused
to wipe his brow as the stranger ap-
preached.
saint the drive in YETI" inquired
the latter sharply.
"Most of II. The last o. the cut will
he In the booms erlong erbout dark, I
guess. Looliin' for some one2"
"You bet | ami'
The fierce tone in which this was
uttered stirred the youngsters curl
oslty.
Maybe you're stranger mere
aboutsl" he suggested
"Maybe | am" was the unsatisfac-
tory retort as the other walked of.
When the whistle blew for the mid.
day meal he presented his sinister
face at the cookhouse door and accept
cd the cooks Invitation to dinner in q
surly. matter manner that
| did not include thanks. nor afterward
encourage questioning.
The shrleks OF the tortured saws
had long been stilled; the new moon
was gllmmering palely through the
budding poplars' and blrches when Nc
knights loggers finally came slouch-
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.
There commenced Gathering din OF
steel on tinware. and conversation was
confined to such gruff commands as
"Chuck the bread. Samr' "Rush the
sow this way. Bobby" and "Don't hog
all the beans, yer dern alligatorl"
Bobby's phonograph was the pride
Of his heart. II was supposed to be
! his one line of dissipation-for he
neither smoked. chewed. drank. moi
fell IN iove-and INDUCED In II al
every opportunity and on all occasions
Presently the feet Of the loggers begar
to mark time to rolllcking back
woods chantey as fiddle and me
tallic voice struck up with:
Jack has got scarlet rag strung eroun'
,, Bill, has lost his dollar watch In tn,
DEVILS Vat
squint-eye Murphy bust the jam-jumpin
Z like cat.
!. Sunday III see us eatin' on a table"
l. The audience Joined In the choru
! with a roar and humping OF toe
that shook the tins and sent the dus
{ into the air to mingle with the cloud
D Of plpe-smoke.
'Blrl a log, blri log, blrl log. boys.
. Ram log. cram a log, slam a log. boys
a There's lots OF time for loafin' when tn
. saws begin their noise.
! And the gals come troopin' down besid
d the mill"
The stranger leaned back with fold
ID arms and half-crossed eyes. Al
day the sights, sounds and smells of
past existence had been struggling (
awaken some response In his infiexibl
y soul-blotting out the unclean mem
ories of his exile and telescoplng tim
4 until II seemed as though he had neve
" been absent from the settlements. An
. now he was back with his old con
q rades OF woods and rivers-Redd
t Jones, Polite Williams. Big John Ne,
ers and many more-lncluding his bo,
9 hood chum. Hugh Mcknight.
But things had changed considerabl
= In five years. From the most popula
II man on the river. he had become a
Q outcast of civilization, unrecognizabl
= to his old associates, and the swor
enemy OF the burly woodsman opp,
i site him who so complacently sucke
> on his black cigar.
Well. he was glad that Mcknight al
y pcared so prosperous and content. Ev
{, IDENTIFY life meant something wort
= while to him-something worth cllni
4. ing TO as long as ne could-just as hi
" would have been II Madge had fol
I. given. Robbing him OF II would b
" even more satisfactory than he ha
. imagined; and now that vengeanc
o was so sure and imminent, he coul
4 afford to goat few minutes longe
j. before he gave II rein.
!. "sardy's boppin' lively. for he's left kl
at home
Davey's heart is achin' for a pesly gran
( myphone.
|, For It ain't In human nature for man
live alone
Q When the drive is lyin' idle sunda
mornin."
. And once more the camp vlbrate
u with the roar of the chorus.
. There was no music In the bltt'