Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-02-15

Saunders were busy trying to figure
a way through the complications
which confronted them.
Burke had put on ever more saws
at the Belknap X Gorbel camps.
The switches at the CROSSING were
plugged with loaded cars bound for
Kampfest equipment breakdown on
the branch had delayed movement.
but when John had called this to
Burke's attention. arguing that It
achieved his employers nothing to
keep insisting that their logs were
moved TO the crossing as soon as
loaded, the man only grlnned.
"Orders are orders; contracts are
contracts I've got mine: go read
yours, Steele !"
And so John buckled down In
earnest to the uphill pull.
Through supper and for a brief
time in the Office afterwards. the old
trapper's voice held Its sustained.
shrill gable. Then. abruptly. he
rose, and. divestlng himself of his
outer clothing with rapid jerks.
jumped into the bed assigned TO
him. and within seconds was snor
Ing.
Jack TAFT came In to talk to John
who sat beenre the stove, smoking
and going owe plans with Saun.
ders. He vas there a few minutes
and went out. Saunders yawned
rose and stretched. He rid himself
of his chew and unbuttoned his
shirt.
The light was turned out, and su
perintendent and foreman lay In
their beds, still talking lowly.
II feel like q fella at the edge OF
a big dropof In the dark" Mark
said. and stirred In his blankets.
'Everything's rosy so long 8 we
keep the ground under our feet, but
any step ahead's likely TO send ms
tail over ears down to the rocks yon
der. Somethin' might happen here
in the woods to slow us down :
Tiny's old coffee-pot may go all to
HI In a heap and then where are
wei"
lover the edge said John morose-
iy, and rolled over on his side.
For a long time he lay sleepless.
He dozed and suddenly saw his fa-
Their pursuing someone who fed to-
wards him, screaming for his help.
and this other. suddenly revealed
was Ellen Richards.
He woke with a start and rolled
over, muttering to himself. He did
not dream then that the time would
come "'' Il the girls voice would be
liftet screams as shrill as those
he hearo In his dreams. He
dreamed of stamping his foot
stamping his foot on a resoundlng
floor and demanding of Paul GorbeJ
that he come into the open and
fight. OF stamping, stamp
Ing and when he stopped
stamping the sound continued.
He sat up. The sound continued.
and he looked around for Its source.
b%ewildered by sleep.
Sounds, yes; coming from outside.
Heavy thuds. Horses kickIngl A
number of horses kicking, and a
shrill nickering.
His feet hit the cold floor and he
lunged to a window.
Turn outi" he croaked, as he
whirled back to grope for his pants
''Turn out. you'll The barns afire I"
Saunders vas up; Jerry was roll
ing out, babbling as sleep added to
his panic. Wolf Richards chartered
shrilly.
"FireW John yelled, as he ran
outside and buttoning his coat over
his underwear made for the mems
shanty. Fire pas he burst
In the door. "Out you DULLES !
Fire 7"
He went on, Saunders hard after
him.
Horses we're s~quealing now, and
kicking more furiously. He heard
wood spllntered under a hoof and
could see. through the partially
opened doorway, the low cavern of
the barn lighted by angry flames.
He was into 1t, throwing an arm
| over his face to strain smoke from
the air he breathed. He caught a
distant odor. though, and through
his mind went one word:
Gasolinel
A windrow of hay along the CEN
ter of the building burned. Flakes
of the bales, half torn apart, were
strewn there. II seemed. and they
blazed brightly. orange fronds of
flame leaplng upward to find hold
on cobwebbed rafters as the draft
Of the ventllators sucked the gases
through the roof. Smoke swirled
about the floor and he stumbled as
! he ran m. striving to gain the rear
stalls first.