The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-02-01

The setter, too, was mediocre. The
deck man loafed and let the bull chain
fill up and stop even when his deck
was half empty.
The mill crew was not happy. They
appeared to be men working for a cause
they felt was lost.
Ben went with Butler, then, from
man to man and watched each do his
work.
In the yard they passed logs rolled
to one side.
"Much veneer stuff good as that?
Ben asked, cycling them.
"Not much coming In now, but
there's a lot of it standing" Butler
answered. Buyer in here ten days ago
looking up bird's-eye maple and veneer
birch. Harrington was saving 1t as it
came in; some of it. He had too many
things to think about, Harrington did.
The buyers due back any day, though.
Markets up, guess. He'll probably
pay fancy figure for what we have
to offer him."
Then he went to the particular prob
lem confronting them. With the loco
motive laid up the steady supply of
logs from camp to mill would be cut
off. Snow was falling lightly, now,
but sleighing might be days distant.
To log the mill by trucks was imprac-
tical, he declared, and unless the rail-
road equipment could be put in work
ing condition they might be forced to
shut down. Fortunately a reserve log
supply of sort was on hand, decked
high beside the pond.
"We'll have to break out this one
deck now," Butler said.
He whistled and waved to the pond
man. Picking up {. peavey he led the
way toward that high bank of maple,
beech and birch logs. Ben followed,
watching the foreman as he surveyed
the face of the deck and shook his
head obviously.
"Try the big birch first" Butler said
to the pond man.
They engaged the hooks of their
peaveys; they heaved. The log rolled
away easily and numbered down the
incline to the water. Another and
still another, each coming away sep
arately and starting no movement of
others above them.
Butler spat. "That d-n beech butts
in tight" he said, tapping the log with
his peavey pick. "Try her, jim; now
be careful. When she comes, the whole
deck'll move in hurry"
They heaved to no result. With a
sharp ''Now" they heaved again, but
the beech, Nesting in the face of the
deck at the height of a mans hip, re-
fused to bulge.
Hold on! Give you hand" Ben
picked up peavey and approached.
''Here, take this end, Elliott" the
foreman said, moving in toward the
center which was under the towering
facade of the deck.
mo, go on back. I'll do the risk
taking for this layout for a while"
Butler made no reply but grinned.
The pond man looked at Ben approx
ingly and spat on his hands. Peavey
hooks bit the logs ends again; a pea
vey point, with all Ben Elliott's
strength bearing on 1t, pried beneath
the center Of the reluctant beech. /.
"Now. Together!"
He lifted his weight from the ground.
His peavey handle bent.
'Look out!" Buffers voice was shrill
on the warning as movement sent Ben
Elliott swinging to the right. The key
stick popped out, all but upon Ben.
The logs above settled with a heavy
mutter and then with that thunderous,
ringing, booming sound of hardwood
in motion, they rolled upon him.
Elliott had dropped his peavey,
leaped nimbly over the beech as 1t
struck the ground and bounced ON its
way to the water. He hoped to the
first log and spurned it with his one
foot, landed on the following with
both, hesitated a split instant and
stepped to yet another. Arms spread,
balancing carefully, watching those
logs as a boxer watches his opponents
blows, he went up that looming, BOOM
ing avalanche as 1t came down. He
danced to the left as the end of one
stick swung out to clout him to pulp.
He ran rapidly over three that lum-
bered down beneath him and paused.
Two came riding together. one atop
the other, moving barrier as high as
his waist. Butler opened his lips in a
cry of warning but thrusting out one
hand, touching the -topmost Of the pair
ever SO lightly, Ben vaulted over, land
ing on another that rolled and grum-
bled behind the two. Crevasses be-
tween logs opened and closed before
him. Sticks popped out of the tremen-
dous pressure and rolled down slant
wise. imperiling him. He did not run
rapidly. At times he seemed to move
with painful, with dangerous delibera-
ton. But he was watching the logs
and his chances and did not make a
move until he was certain of where
he was going.
Slowly the deck settled. Half of
what had been piled logs now bobbed
and swayed and rolled in the pond.
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