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About Weekly coast mail. (Marshfield, Coos County, Or.) 1902-1906 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 1904)
wfc ..-,j.j...iw: .: :.iu.1 ji.. .... ... .. '..-v '" rfTniJ:a...iStS:-:...:.?,,.'ry,,T ''.v. r"V, V X'V- ""(WdwMi. WssjsWtsBi J u t IS if 'T v gmiim?jmimmmi ;-" ' She Trait C6pyrijfn, eeeeet'eeei 1003, by Vfrv'tlr OIIAITKIt VII. R"""lAm'AY returned to camp by tlto 0th of Jauuiiry. Ho went oti wnowshoc over tin ciitlro Joli J mid Hum xat silently In tint r. ilco smoking, Tho Jobber looked older. Tlio Hue of dry good humor nhriul 1iIi eye bnd nitbtly changed to nti exprc. Blou of imtliotlc utixloty. Ho nltuchcd II . i -......... .... ,...,,.. ,., Hiijrwiiuy, mil row uio noxt morning nt horn blow, nnd tlio mmi , found thntthey bnd n now master over, "?" , .Now It Iiccaiiiq necowary to put tlio road In shape for hauling. All winter tbo blacksmith had occupied hi lime lit Mini: tint Iron woflc oii eight log; sleigh wblcb tlio carpenter bud bowed, from solid stick of timber. They were treuiuiidou nfTalro, with runner six foot apart nnd hunk uliio feet In width for tho reception of log. Tho carjKjnler had aim ho built two lin. mciiHo laukx on runner, holdlnu each coiho oventy barrel of water nnd with IlOlCN Ml armilKcd that Oil tlio With, dniwal of plutt tho water would flood tlio entire width of tho road. The niiniiKior wore filled by horno jkiwc, A cbulu ruuuliiL' tbrotiL'h MooUh at tnchetl to n nolld upper framework, like the open bolfry of an Italian inon. OHtcry, dtnuged n barrel up u wooden track from a water holo to an opening In tho prlnkler. Wlion In action tlilit forinhlrtblo machlno weJghetl nearly two toll and resembled n moving bonne. Other men had felled two big hemlock, from which they bad hewed bcainu for a V plow. 1 Tho V plow wn now put In action, pit hore drew It down the roncj, each pair uperlnteiidcd by n driver. TJto machine wa weighted down by n mini J'r of log laid aero tbo arm. Men Kjtded Jt by lover and by throwing their vclght ngnlnt tho faiiH of tho plow. It wn a gay, unlimited hcoiio, thl. full of tio uplrlt of wlntQr-tho ploSldlug. Mtralulng hofBe. tlwbrllllan; ly drenHcd, Mruggllnft" men, tho huIIoh yielding wiiow thrown to either lde, tU Nbout, warning nnd commnndii. To right and left grow wblto bank of now. JJoiiind Hlrotchcd u broad wblto path In which a Meant Incli hid tho baro earth. I-'or omo dltanco tho wny letl along comparatively high ground. Then, hklrtlug tho edge of a lake. It Pluiiced Into n deep creek bottom botwecn bill. Hero earlier In tho year cloven bridge had been constructed, nnd perhnp nu mnny swampy place had been "cor duroyed" by canwtlng them with loug parnllel toles. Now tho first dllllculty beghn. Homo of tho bridge had sunk below tho lovel, mid tho approaches had to lio "corduroyed" to a practicable grade. Other again wcro humped up llko tom cat nnd had to bo pulled apart en tirely. Still Hint sort of thing wnn to bo ox pocted. A gang of men who followed, tho plow .carried axes and cant hook for the purposo of repairing extern poruneouNly, Just such defect which never would huvo been discovered oth crwlno thnn by the practical experi ence. Jtudwoy himself accompanied tlio plow. Thorpo, who went along ns pno of tho "rood monkey," naw now why Hiich euro had boon required of Mm In smoothing tho way of otubs, I knots nnd hummocks. Vhcn tho road had boon partly cleaned Hudway started ono of hi sprinklers. )Vntec hojea of suitable sjzo bnd been blown fix the crock bnnk by dynnmlto, Thorn tho machines wore filled. Htrntton ottached his homo to the chain nnd drove film pack nud fihth, hauling tho barrel up aiid'dowt) thn ulldo u-iiv. At Mm i..ftnm if umu capsized and filled by tliomm of n long ' polo shackled to Its bottom and mnnlp Ulnted by old man Heath. At tho top it turned over by It own weight. Thus seventy odd tlmeti Then Fred Groon hitched hi team on and tho four horse drow tho creak ing, cumbrouH vehlclo spouting down tho road. Wnter gUHhed In fan from the openings on either sido nud bonoath and in streams from two holes behind, Not for au lustiwt h loug as tho How rontlnuod da,rod thu teamster breathe fl.iulr horsca, for a pauso would frcczo jlho runners tight to tlio ground. A tougtio at cither end obviated tho no . cctfslty of turning around, . That night It turned warmer. Tho chango was heralded by n shift of wind. "SIio'h goln' to rain," nnhV old ,3itck on. "Tho nlr I kind o holler." "Ilollow?'' said Thorpo, laughing, "IIow is that?" "I dan know," confessed Hlnos", "but isho Is. 8ho Just feels that way." In tho morning tho lclclea dripped from tho roof, and tho snow boenmo pockmarked on tho surface. Uodwny was down looking nt tho road. . ftyasi- t-oMJp' -Mjr.owq,'! .ftttth. Kb "T "4 ' I .if' I .111 ..$ i.i , . ..1. "Blazed m . By STEWART J'? EDWARD WHITE "Ti . .A . .A w SUtoart ZdtoarA Wttt ... . ... tarn f.A "Ml"M"Ii! "but theiu nln't iiny uso putting mure wnter on her, HIw nln't freezing u mltc, We'll plow lior out." Ho they finished tlio Job nnd plowed her out, leaving exported tlio wot. Jinmliy nurfneo of tlio creek bottom, oil A'lileli nt night n thin criint formed. "Hlit-'ll freeze n Hide tonight," said (nuniti iivjm;iiiij juii p jiikiui i,0y get nt her nnd wot ber down." Until a o'clock In (lio morning tlio four tenuis mid tbo six men ereiiKed back mid fortli spilling Imrdly gnth- wed wnter. Tben tboy crept lii nnd nto sleepily tlio food tbnt n sleepy cooUeo net out for tbeui. lly nioriilng tho mere r.urfnce.of the fprlnUlcd water bud frozen. Ithdwny looked in despair at tho sky. Dimly thrsilgh (he gray ho caughrthc tint of blue. Tho Nun came out. Nutlintclies and woodpeckerH ran gnyly up tho warm ! Inc trunk of the ireeH: bluo Java Huff. wl and perked and acienmed In the liimlu'vul lnm n mi'iiv at irrttimn vi.n. tured from the hwiiiiii and ittrutted vainly, n pauno of contenitilnllon bo- (ween each tep, Itiuhvay, walking out on tho tramped road of tho miirmi, cracked tho artificial klu and thruxt hi foot through Into Icy water. That ulght tho Nprluklor tnycd In. Tho devil seemed In It. Men were lying Idle; team were doing the sumo. Nothing went on but the dayH of the year, and four of them hail already ticked off the calendar. The deep nov of the uiiunually cold autumn had now dlKappeared from tho top of the Ktunip. It even Htoppcd freezing dur ing tho ulght. At time Dyer' little thermometer marked a high aa -JO de grees. "I often heard thl wo a iort 'v Mtmmcr renort," observed Tom Hroad head, "but hanged If I know It wn n summer rtxort nil tho year round!" My and by It got to bo n enso of look lug on tho bright sldo of the affair from jiuro reaction, T don't know," nald ltndwoy; "it won't bo so 1 ad, after nil. A couple of daya of zero weather, with all thl wn ter lying around, would fix thing up iu protty good shape. If sho only freeze tight we'll have n good solid bottom to build on." Tho Inscrutablo goddcx of tho wll- demon smiled and calmly, relentleujly, moved her noxt pawn. It wa nil so unutterably simple and yet so effective. It snowed. All night nnd all day the great Hake zigzagged softly down through tho nlr. ltndwoy plowed nwny two feet of It. Vho surfneo wn promptly covered by a second storm, ltndway doggedly plowed It out ngnltt. Thl tlmo tho goddess seemed to re lent. Tho ground fror.o solid. The sprinkler became nmldiioim In their lubor. .Two duys Inter tho road watt ready for the first slclglf. Its surfneo of thick, glnssy ico beautiful to bo hold, tho rut cut deep ifnd true, tho glade sanded or sprinkled with re tarding hay on tho descent. At the rlvop tjio (mailing ground prpvjed .solid. Iludway breathed again, then sighed. Kprlng wn eight dnyH nearer. Ho was eight day more behind. Ah Hoop as loading began tho cook served breakfast at a o'clock, Tho men worked by tho light of torches, which wore often incrcly catchup Jug with wlcklug in tho necks. Nothing could be more plcturcsqtio than a teamster conducting ono of bin great pyramid leal load over the llttlo IncquulltloH of tho road, In 'tho ticklish places stand ing atop with tho bent kneo ot tho Ito man charioteer, spying nud forestall ing tho chances of tho way with a fixed ovo and nu liituuso concentration that relaxed not ono inch in tho mile of tho haul. Thorpo jind bocomo n full ueiiKuu cam hook man. Ho liked tho work. Thoro Is about It n skill that fnsqluatcs. a nmn g.rlp.1 suddenly with tho hook of his strong Instrument, stopping one end that the other may ulldo. Ho thrusta tho short, strong stock between tho log and tho skid, allowing it to bo overrun. .Ho Btops the roll with n sudden miro grasp npplled nt Just tho right moment to ba effectlvo. SotnutlineH ho allows himself to be carried up botltly, clinging to tho cant hook llko an acrobat to a bar. un til tho log has rolled once, when, hln woupon looaoned, ho drops lightly, eas ily to tho ground. And It Is exciting to pllo tho logs on tho sleigh, first a layer of five, say; thon ono of four snlallor, of but three, of two, until nt tho vory npox tho Inst is dragged slowly up tho skids, poised and Just as it 1 about to plunge down tho other sldo la 'gripped nud hold lnoxorably by tho llttlo tuon lu bluo flannel, shirts, Chains bind tho loads. And If over during tho loading or afterward whon -tho nlolgh Is lu motion tho weight of tho logs causes tlio pyramid to break down and squash out, then woo to tho Ojiyar orwJWT hppB..9.b.PW, .jiMM.M. Tor this rwwori Gw'feaaew are pfcW K V pan J the'vlHa, out twnt nnffl csreful men. - - I ,, T,.0 th r,m lw"' ' At to banking grounds, which He nnfl nbout tJie bed of tlw river, tlw to J,t"'l ikl scow iHuldJrd up nt it piled Jnfo a jrlgRtitlc skldwur to IV" npnrcli. nit of rotten Ice decs nwait Ufa uprlng freh6li, -wlilch will "I0"""' wlrlea dowit the diminishing curry tliom down Btrenm to (lie "booai." "lron'' Around every bend Thorpe In Hint incloflure tljey reatoln uatil J.0,0,0? for "mo ot "ndwny' crew sawed jh the will, driving" the log down the current. Thorpe, in common wltlf th other IIe k,l.tr chance encounter with men, had thouRht Itftdway'ii vacation f,ovcra' ot tho n,pn ,n m ai? ' nt Chrhdma tlmo r rnWake. Ho could tnrr.nT wa hIIII In camp, which not but admire tho fercrlBh nnfrtomi nt,ot coure, that the scnon' orwr- thnt now characterized tlie Jobber, I3r- cry xniflclmnco w iim quickly repfllred nn aroused expedient could do tba work. Ksprit do corps Awoke. The men sprang to their Uwku with alacrity, gave more than nn hour oxcrtfon to each of tbo twenty-four, took a pride In repulsing ansaulU of tlio great en emy whom tlioy personified under the generic "She." One morning in February Thorpe wn Iielplng load n big butt log. He wn one of tho two men who stand nt either end of tho skid to help tho as cending log keep straight and true to it bed on Uio pile, Ilia assistant's end caught on a sliver, ground for a necond and slipped back. Then the log ran slanting across tho skids in stead of perpendicular to them. Ta rectify the fault Thorpe dug his cant book into the tftztfccr ifnd threw his weight on tho stock. lie hoped in ttl manner to check correspondingly the ascent of hi end. In other word, he took tho place on his sldo of tho pre venting silver, o equalizing tlio prea nurc and forcing tho timber' to it prop er position. Iuntead of rolling tho log olfd. The stock of tho cant hook was Jerked from hi hand. Ho fell back, nnd tho cant hook, after clinging for n moment to tho rough bark, snapped down nud hit him u crushing blow on the top of tbo bend. ' They took Thorpe up nnd carried him in, Just n they had carried Hank Paul before. Men vl) had not epoken 11 dozen word to him in as many day gathered Ills' few belongings nud stuff cd them awkwardly into hi satchel. Jackson Hluc prepared tho bed of straw nnd warm blanket in tbo bot tom of "tho sleigh that was to tnko him out. "lio would have mado a good boss," said tho old fellow. "He's a hard man to nick." CHAPTER VIII. III3N Thorpo Anally carao to himself he wa in n long, bright, clean room, and tho sunset wa throwing splnshc of light on tho celling over his head. Ho watched them idly for a time, then turned on hi pl)low. At onco he perceived a long, double row of clean white painted Iron bed, on which lay or sat figure of. men. Other flgurca of women glided hero nnd thero noiseless ly. Tlioy woro long, spreading dove gray clothes, with a starched whlto kerchief drawn over their shouldcra and across the breast. Their head were quaintly whlto-gnrbed In stiff wlngllko coifs, fitting clow about tho oval of tho faco. Thou -vfliorpo sighed comfortably and closed hi eyes nnd blessed tho chance that ho had bought a hospital ticket of tho agent who hnd Visited camp tho month before. For theso wcro sister, and tho ypung man lay lu tho hospital of St Mary. Llko a great many other, cbarltlea built on n common sense, self support lug, rational basis, tho woods hospitals' are under tho Roman Catholic church. From 0110 of the numerous agent who periodically visit tho camps tho lum ber Jack purchases for (8 a ticket which ndinltH him at any tlmo during the year to tho hospital, whero (ho is privileged to remain freo of further charge until convnlebceut. So valuable oro theso Institution and so excellent ly nro they maintained by tho sisters that a hospital -agent Is always wcl como oven lu thoso camps from which ordinary peddlers nnd lusurnnco men nro rigidly excluded. In ono of theso hospitals Thorpo lay for six weeks suffering from a jovero concussion of tho brain. At tho cud oi tho fourth his fover had broken, but ho was pronounced as yet too weak to bo moved. Tho roofs M'oro covered with snow. Ono day Thorpo saw it sluk into itself and gradually run away. Tho tlnklo tlnklo tank tank of drop sounded from his own caves. Down tho faroff river shmclsh reaches of ico drifted. Then In n night tho uiuo'uisnppcarvu i:.-. tho stream. It beenmo n menacing gray, nnd oven from his distance Thorpo could catch tho swirl of its ris- lug waters. A dny or two later dark masses drifted or shot across the Held of his vision, and twlco Jio thought ho distinguished inch 'utanumg upngUk and bold on single logs ns they rushed down tho current. "What Is tho dnto?" ho asked of tho fltstor, "Tho clovent' of March." "Isn't It early for tho thaw?" "Listen to '1ml" exclaimed tho sister dollghtodly. "Early, Is ltl Sureitth' froahot co't them all. LooV, darllut; yo can seo tlio drive from here." ' "I boo," said Thorpe wearily. ''When con I got out?" "Not for wan week," replied tho sis- At tho end of the week Thorpe sal Koodby to his attendant Ho took tw aid w'fJ days of tramping the llttlo town to rot gain tho uso of his logs and boarded Uu Manias traU f Kmku take, . He I fa "7 "" me irau,.uy tne nver. t,ons Wore not AnWicd. I-'ivo miles ifllf, f T,in?o Ixsgan to wonder wlietli- " l"" ,n" wjcmion migiu not no cr " tee," ifd I7orp wearily. roncouj. The Caw branch had shrunk en almost to its original limits. The drive must have been flnlshfd oven this early, for the stream in It present con dition would hardly float saw logs. Thorpo, puzzled, walked on. At tho banking ground ho fouud empty skids. Evidently the drive was over. And yet oven to Thorpe's Ignorance it seemed Incrcdlblo that tlio remaining million 4 nd 'n half of log had been hauled, banked and driven during tho short time he had lain in tho liay City hos pital. Mora to boIvo tho prdhlcm than in any hope of work he set out for the logging road. Another three miles brought him to camp. It looked strangely wet and sodden and deserted. In fact, Thorpe found a bare half dozen peoplo in It Had way, tho cook and four men who wcro helping to pack up tho movables. Tho Jobber showed strong traces of ho strain bo had undergone, but greet ed Thorp almost Jovially. "Hello, young man!" ho shouted at Thorpe's mud splashed figure. "Como back to, view the remains? All Well ugaln, heigh? That's good!" j "I didn't know you woro through," explained Thorpe, "and I came to sco if I could got a Job." "Well, now, I am sorry!" cried Rad way, "You can turn in nnd help, though, if you want to." Thorpo greeted tho cook and old Jack son Illncs, the only two yrkotn ho knew, and act to work to ti up bun dles of blankets and to collect axes, Iienvlos and toolsof all descriptions. That eYonina- tho seven dined together nt oiip, cad ot te kmg tauie. TOe tug room, exnaieu already the. atmosphere of desertion. "Not much like old times, is sho?" laughed Radway. "Can't you Just shut your eyes and hear Baptiste say, 'Mak' hccin dc aoup one tarn more for me? She's pretty empty now." Jackson Hlnea looked whimsically down tho bare board. "More room than God made for geeso in Ireland," was bis comment After supper tboy sat outside for a little time to smoko their pipe's, cbnlr tilted against tho logs of tho cabins, but soon the chill of melting bhow drove .them indoors, Tho four team Bters played seven up In tho cook camp by the light of a barn lantern, ,whi,lo Thorpe, and tho cook wroto' letfers. Thorpes was to his slater. "I have been in the hospital for about a month," ho 'wrote. "Nothing serious-a crack on the head, which Is all right now. But I cannot get homo this summer, nor, I am nfraid, can wo nrraugo about tho school this year. I am about $70 ahead of whero I was laBt fall, so you seq It is slow business. This summer I am going Into a mill, but tlio wages for green lapo' are not very high thero cither,'' uud so on. When Miss Helen Thorpe, cgrfl sev- entecn, received this document sho stamped her foot rilraodt angrily. "You'd think ho wasa duy laborer!" sho crlod. "Why doesn't ho try for a clerkship or something In tho city .where he'd hnvo a chanco to uso his orahM?" , And thus sho, came to feeling rebel' llously that her brornor nan Been a m tlo seifl8h in ,hls clkdco of an occupa tion; that) be had sacrificed her inclina tions to his own. j After finishing the letter Thorpe lit his pipe and strolled out into the dark ness. Opposite the little office he stoppod niua'xed. I Through' theTuirroWwlnaow ho could Bee, Radway; aeated In froiit of the move, xte nau iBunu down into his chair until he rested on alinoat the I small of bto back, his legs were stuck nlst.Mfc.lsi faoat k. kiMi.J feh ' rested da iits Dressfana hi two arms hung, UsticM at bta side, a pipe half fallng front the fingers ot one hand. All te, facetious lines had turned to pathos. "Wliafs the matter with tim boss, anyway?" asked Thorpo in ti low vplce ot Jackson Illncs when the scvctl tin gnmo was finished. f "Hain't yo heard?" inquired tlie old man In surprise. "Why, no. Wliatf "Busted," said tho old men scnten tlously. "How? What do you mean V "What I ssy. He's busted. That freshet caught him too quick. Thcy's moro than a million and a half logs left in the woods that can't be got out tills year, and as hi contract calls for a finished Job ho don't get nothln for what bo's done." "That's a queer rig," commented Thorpe. "lie's done a lot of raluablo work here. Tho Umber's cut and skid ded anyway, ami he's delivered n good deal of it to tlio main drive. The M. & D. outfit get all the advantage of that" "They do, my son. 'When old Daly's hand gets near anything it cramps. I don't know how tho old man como to make such a contrac, bnt he did. Re sult is he's out his expenses and time." The exceptionally early break up ot the spring, combined with tho fact that owing to the series of incidents and accidents already sketched the ac tual cutting and skidding bad fallen so far behind, caught Radway unaware. Ho saw the rollways breaking out while bis teams were still hauling in the woods. In order to deliver to the mouth of the Cass branch tlio 3,000.000 already basked he was forced to drop everything else and attend strictly to tlie drive. This left still, ss baB been stated, a million and a half on skid- wuys, which Radway knew ho would be unable to get out that year. In spito of tho Jobber's certainty that his claim was thus annulled and that be might as well abandon the enter priso entirely for all bo would ever get out of It he finished the "drive" con scientiously and saved to the company tho logs already banked. Then he had interviewed Daly. The latter refused to pay him one cent The next day Radway and Thorpo walked tbo ten miles of the river trail together, while the teamsters and tbo ok drove down tlie Ave teams. Un er tbo Influence of tbo solitude and a certain sympathy which Thorpe mani fested Radway talked a very little. "I got behind; that's all there la to It," ho said. "I bit off moro than I could chew." Thorpe noticed a break in the man's voice and. glancing suddenly toward him, was astounded to catch his eyes brimming with tears. Radway per ceived the surprise. "You know when I left Christmas?" be asked. "Yes." "The boys thought It was . mighty Door rle my leaving that way." Ho paused rfgaln In evident expecta tion of a reply. Again Thorpe was si lent "Didn't they?" Radway Insisted. "Yes, they did," answered Thorpe. The older man sighed. "I thought so," he went on. "Well, I didn't go to spend Christmas. I went because Jim my brought me a telegram that Lida was sick with, dlDhthcrla. I sat up nlglrta with ber for eleven days." "No bad after effects, I hope? In quired Thorpe, "Sho died," sold Radway. simply. CHAPTER IX. ADWAY," said ho suddenly, need money, and I need It bad. I think you ought to get something out of this job ot the M. & D. not much, but some thing. Will you glvo me a share of what I can collect from them?" "Surel" agreed the. Jobber readily, with laugh. "Surd!. But you won't get anything. I'll give you 10 per cent quick!" "Good enough!" cried .Thorpe, "Now, when we get to town I waut ypur ppw er of attorney and a few figures, .nftcr which I will not bother you again, , Tho noxt day the young man called tor the second: time at the llttlo red painted ofllco under tho shadow of tho mill and for the. second time Stood be fore tho bulky pWer of tlio Junior member of the firm. "Well, young man, what can I do for you?" asked tho latter. "I have been .Informed," said Thorpo Without preliminary, "that you Intend to pay John Radway nothing for tho work done In tho Cass branch this winter. Is tlmt true?" Daly studied his antagonist zncdita tlvoly. "If it Is' truo what Is It to you?" he asked at length. "I am acting In Mr, Radway's inter est" "You are ono of Radway's men?" "Yes," "In what capacity havo you, been working for him?" "Cant hook man," replied Thorpe briefly. T see," said Daly Blowly. Then sud denly, with, an Intensity of energy that startled Thorpo, ho cried: "Now, you get out of herel . Rlgbtoff I Quick!" , Tho younsr man recoenlxed tho com- polling. and(flU,tocrntIo bosa addressing a member of tho crew. . "I shall do nothing of the kind!" hd milled.' with a flash of flta. ThatUiIll owuer. leafed, to his feet. TJw Miid Jialiwt. AclMI'MeM ec Yieienee-, wa jm m tained I1J4 pbjfct, wkk'wdi k,f the other, , . "t have $Anvrlt power bf atter ney," he added. Daly sat down, controlled Meaeelf ' with an effort and growled out; "Why, didn't you say so?" "Now; I wfculd like to know your po sition," went on Thorpe. "I am wot here to mako trouble, but as an asso ciate of Mr. Radway I have a right to understand tlio case. Of course I have his side of the story," he suggested, an though convinced that a detailing of tho other side might chapge his view. Daly considered carefully, fixing hl flint blue eyes unswervingly on Thorpe's face. Xvjdently his scrutiny advised him that the young man was a force to be reckoned with. t "It's like vhfc," lie said abruptly; "wo contracted last fall with this roan Radway to put In 0,000,000 feet of our Tlie mill owner leoptd to Mt fet. timber, delivered to the main drive at the mouth ot tbo Cass branch. In ihl.4 he was to act Independently, except aM to the matter of provisions. Thoso ho drew from our van and was debited with the amount of the same. Is that clear?" "Perfectly," replied Thorpe. "In return we wcro to pa)' him, mer chantable scale, $4 a thousand. If," -however, be failed to put In" the whole Job tho contract was void!"' 'Tliat's how I understand It," com mented Thorpe. "Well?" "Well, he didn't get In the 5,000,000. There's a million and a half -huug up ty- ,the woods." ""But' you have la your hands' threa million and a half,, which under tho present arrangement you get free of. "Arid ivn nnrlif to put It." Xrlrwl Tlolt- "Great guns! Ilere wo Intend to saw tltls sdmmer and quit We want to get in every stick of timber we own so as to bo able to clear out of here for good and all at the close of the 'Fcason, nnd now this condlgned Jobber tics us up for a million and a half.' " "It i exceedingly annoying," con ceded Thorpe, "and It la a good deal of Radway's fault, I am willing to di mlt; bat If a your fault too." "To be Burr' replied Daly, with tlie -accent of sarcasm "You had no business entering Into any such contract It gave him no shqw." "I supposed that was mainly his look-, out, wasn't It? And, as I already told yoU, we bad to protect ourselves." "You should have demanded security for the completion of the work. Under, your present, agreement, it Radway got In tho timber, you were to pay hhi) a fair price. If ho didn't, you appro printed everything ho had already done. In other words, you mado, hlu) a bet" "I don't caro what you call it," an swered Daly, who had recovered his goodAumor In contemplation of the se curity of his position. "The fact at and) -aH right" "It does," said Thorpe unexpectedly, "and I'm glad of it. Now, let'B oxamlmj a fow figures. You owned 6,000,000 feet of timber, which at tho prlco of' stumpage" (standing trees) "was wort! "Well?" "You como out at tho end of tho sea. son with tbrco million and a half of saw logs, which with the ?i worth of logging added aro worth $21,000." "Hold on!" cried Daly. "Wo paid Radway ?1. Wo could hayo doue l( ourselves for less." "You could not havo done It forono cent less than four-twenty in that coiin try." replied Thorpe, "as an expert will testify." ..,. "Why did we glvo it to Radway nt four then?" "You saved tho expense of a salaried overseer and yourselves some bothMVl replied Thorpe. ''Radway .'coulcfdo'it for lees because, for sotae, strange rea oon which you yourself! do nt under stand,, a jobber can always log for less than a company." " "Wp could hayo done1 it f or four," Ju.' slated Dalv stubbornly, 'But j&t oM i CeqtiBtd.oa GtlUFag mmmmmimammnmmmmmmmm 1 1 .. '- 4 , ' T . t) . I , , ' I1 9 It I' -1 II !l ,a6Mw p