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About Weekly coast mail. (Marshfield, Coos County, Or.) 1902-1906 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1904)
PWPfPPP" wm Jsqs4diiiH- .4JftM4u.,W..k.m.. .AtA4AVS-J..- Si' '-V'"-. vA m.""! . Wii hi ,MKiVflI!1 ....2l ... J.-.. - wl)WI)iliNP jsses- "" "" " - .,, i- -v -,,-... r ' PWHPWRHH mmmmmmm i fff nfflfrfteifrffistf WISKIIHf'SJTOIHWBaWlff'CTPw WWT ' iH swvStmc nr vM-ijppv.:,wf".'Hrfc i : 5 'I ! J: f i r : E I T 15 he pi Trail K Copyright. 1902. by e Ha 4$$-1$-t-1$ . . ,r... UUIUil-ll &! "1 rlnXT tiny tlio articles of partner- V I ship were drawn, and Cornea . ter save Ills note for the neces- J nary expenses. Then, In nn- fewer to a penciled card which Mr. Morrison lmd evidently left nt Thorpe' hotel In person, both young men called at tho lumberman's place of business. They were ushered Immediately Into Iho private office. Mr. Morrison was n smart llttlo man. with an ingratiating manner nnd a flshr eve. lie rrcoted Thorpe with marked geniality. . "My opponent of yesterday," ho cried Jocularly. "Sit down. Mr. Thorpe. Al- though you did mo out of some land I J had made every preparation to pur chase, I can't but admire your grit and ; resourcefulness. How did you get hero ahead of tta?" "I walked across the upper peninsu la and caught a boat;" replied Thorpe briefly. "Indeed, indeed!" replied Mr. Morri son, placing the tips of his fingers to gether. "Extraordinary! "Well, Mr. Thorpe, you overreached us nicely, and T' suppose we must pay for our care lessness. We must have that pine even though wc pay stumpage on it. Now, what would you consider a fair price for iT' "It is not for sate," answered Thorpe. "We'll waive all that Of course It is to your Interest to make difficulties and run the price up as high as you can. But my time Is somewhat occu pied Just at present, so I would bo very glad to hear your top price. We will come to an agreement afterward." 'You do not understand me, Mr. Morrison. I told you bo pine is not or.saIc. and I mean it" "But surely What did you buy It or, then?" cried Mr. Morrison, with ivldences of a growing excitement "We intend to manufacture it" Mr. Morrison's fishy eyes nearly pop ped out of his head. lie controlled himself with an effort "Mr. Thorpe," said he, "let us try to be reasonable. Our case stands this way: We have gone to a great deal of expense on the Ossawluamakco in ex pectation of undertaking very cxtcn E clvo operations there. To that end wo i t.ccn bursts of prosperity. In the have -cleared the stream, built three J flrst 0f these Thorpe was helped ma dams and have laid the foundations of , torirl'y in his vague and uncertain a harbor ana boom, this nns neon very expensive. Now, your purchnso includes most of what we had meant to log. You have, roughly speaking, about 300,000,000 in your holding, in nddltlon to which thcro are several millions scattered near It which would pay no-, body but yourself to get in. Our hold- ings aro farther up stream and com-, vsmXmn sn1 nluilf tlin Atlint r? Vrtlir-B "' "Three hundred millions aro not to be sneezed at," replied Thorpe. "Certainly not," agreed Morrison suavely, gaining confidence in the sound of his own voice. "Not in this country. Tlut you must remember that a man goes into tho northern peninsula only because bo can get something bet ter there than here. When tho firm of Jlorrison & Daly establishes Itself now it must be for the last time. We want enough timber to do us for tho rest of tho timo we are In business." "In that case you will hare to hunt up another locality," replied Thorpe calmly. Morrison's eyes flashed, but ho re. talned his appearance of geniality and appealed to Wallace Carpenter. '"Then you will retain the advantage of our dams and Improvements?" said he. "Is that fair?" "No, not on the face of it," admitted Thorpe. "But you did your work in a navigablo stream for private pur poses without tho consent of tho board of control Your presence on tho river is illegal. You should have taken out a charter as an improvement company. Then as long as you attended to busi ness and' kept tho concern In repair we'd have pajd you a toll per thousand feet As soon as you let it slide, how ever, tho works would revert to the state. I won't hinder your doing that yet, although I might Take out your charter aud fix your rate of toll." 'In other words, you force us to stay thero nnd run a little two by four im provement company for your benefit or else lone the valuo of our improve ments?" . "Suit yourself," answered Thorpe carelessly. "You can always log your present holdings." J'Very well," cried Morrison, so sud denly Jn n passion that Wallace started back. "It's war! And lot me tell you this, young man yon'ro a new concern, (ulwe're an old one. Wolll cruBh you like that!" Ho crisped an envelope vin dictively and threw it in tho waste basket "JOrujft aheI a-''9frorp with friat'aeod bi$tr. '"Geoaby, Mr. Mori ." Ai tU tw WMt mt .4c-mtt-mtfffffft?Y .M-M"frtTTr a w 1 1 tl 1 By STEWART ' EDWARD $$; WHITE - Ttetvart Edtar XObttt . nuns wiui nerous t-xciii-iui-m. u was one of those temperaments which required action to relievo the stress of a stormy Interview. Ho wanted to Ho somcthlug nt once. "Hadn't wo better see a lawyer?' ho asked. "Oughtn't wc to look out that they don't take fome of our pine? Oughtn't wo" "You Just leave nil that to me," re plied Thorpe. "The first thlug wo wnut to do is to rustle some money." "And you can leave that to me," echoed Wallace. "I know n llttlo of such thing, ami I have business con nections who know more. You Just get the camp running." "I'll start for Hay City tonight," sub mitted Thorpe. "There ought to bo n good lot of lumber Jacks lying nrouud idle nt this thus of year, nud it's a good place to outfit from, because we can probably get freight rates direct by boat We'll be n little Into In starting, but we'll get In some logs this winter anyway." CHAPTER XV. lOW, In August, however, tho first N turmoil had died. The "Jam" had boiled Into town, "taken it apart" nnd left the inhabitants to piece It together again as they could. The "roar" had not yet arrived. As a consequence Thorpe fouud tho city comparatively quiet Although his Ideas were not ns yet formulated, he hoped to be able to pick up a crew of first class men from those who had come down with the advance, or "Jam," of the spring's drive. They should havo finished their orgies by now and; empty of pocket, should be found hanging about the boarding houses and the quloter saloons. Thorpo Intended to otter good wages for good men. Ho would not need more thnn twenty at first, for duriug tho np prqachlng winter he Intended to log on a very small scale indeed. The timo for expnusion would come later. With this object in view he set out from his hotel about half past 7 on the dy of his arrival to crnlse about in the lumber Jack district The hotel clerk had obligingly given him the names of a number of the quieter sa loons where tho boys "hung out" bo- quest by encountering an old acquaint- ance. Jackson nines. The old man peered at Thorpo. "Don't you know mo?" Inquired Thorpe. "Know you? You bet I do. now RrQ Harry? Where have you been kce.,,n. yourself? You look about ns fat M a gta rea knlttln' needle." I "I've been land looking In the upper peninsula," explained Thorpe, "on the Ossawinamakec, up in tho Marquette country." "Shol" commented Jackson in won- ler. "Way up there where the moon shangesl" "It's a fine country," went on Thorpo to every one could hear, "with a great cutting of white pine. It runs, as high as twelve hundred thousand to tho forty sometimes." "Trees clean an' free of limbs?" ask ed Jackson. "They're as good as tho stuff over on 'seventeen.' You remember that" "Clean as a baby's leg," agreed Jack son. "Havo a glass of beer?" asked Thorpe. "Dry as a tobacco box," confessed Jackson. Bo they all drank. On a sudden inspiration Thorpo re solved to ask tho old man's advlco as to crew and horses. It might not be good for much, but it would do no harm. Jackson listened attentively to tho other's brief recital. "Why don't you see Tim Shearer? no ain't doln nothln' sluco the Jam camo down," was his comment "Isn't ho with tho M. & D. people?" nfckcd Thorpe. "Nope. Quit" "now's that?" " 'Count of Morrison. He's been fllln' JiIb teeth for M. (c D. right along. Bomethln' behind it all, 1 reckon." "Wherc'll I find him'" asked Thorpo. Jackson gavo tho namo of a small boardlug house. Shortly After Thorpe left him to amuso the others with his unique conversation and hunted up Shearer's stopping place. The boarding house proved to be of the typteal lumber, Jack cluss-n nar row stoop, a hallway nnd stair in the center and an oJJico and bar on either sfde.' Bbearer nnd ahalf dozen other men about his own ago sat, their chairs on two legs and their "cork" bdbtx on Oie rounds of., the cljalw, moking placidly. in the tepid evenlpg air. -He approached" and attempted ari UinV(r,a mntija. The mep. wttfc tho taciturnity pt their etas id iho presence of ,a stranger,, said nothing. "Well, hh." finally i drawd a voice from the corner, "blowcd that atako you mndo out of ItadVay yet?", "That you, Shearer?" inquired Thorpe, advancing. "You're lnjuan I'm looking for." "You've found , me," replU the old roan dryly. ( Thorpo was requested elaborately to "ahnko bauds" with tho owners of. fix names. Then ho had a chance to inti mate quietly to Shearer that ha wanted a word with him alone. Tho river man rose silently and led the way up tho straight, uuenrpoted stairs, along a nar row, uuearpcted halt, to a square, uu- carpeted bedroom. Tho walls nnd ceil ings of this apartment were of uu painted planed pine. It contained n cheap bureau, one chair and a bed nnd washstand to match tho bureau. Shear er lit the lamp and sat on tho bed. "What Is It?" ho asked. "I havo a little pine up in tho north ern peninsula within wnlklug distance of Marquette," said Thorpe, "aed I want to get n crow of about tveuty men. It occurred to mo that you might be willing to help me." The river man frowned steadily at his interlocutor from under his bushy brows. "How much plno you got?" ho asked finally. "About 300.000,000,,, replied Thorpe quietly. The old man's bluo eyes fixed them selves with unwavering steadiness on Thorpe's face. "You'ro Jobbing some of it, oh?" he submitted finally ns the only probable conclusion. "Do you think you know enough about it? Who does it beloug to?" "It belongs to a man named Carpen ter nnd myself." The river man pondered this slowly for an appreciable Interval, and then shot out another question: "How'd you get it?" Thorpo told him simply, omitting nothing except tho namo of the firm up river. When ho had finished Shear er evinced no astonishment nor ap proval. "You dono well," he commented final ly. Then, after another interval: "Have you found out who was the men stcalln' tho plno?" "Yes," replied Thorpo quietly, "it was Morrison & Daly." The old man flickered not an eye lid. He slowly filled his plpo and lit It "Til get you a crew of men." said he, "if you'll tako me as foreman." "But it's a little Job ut first." protest ed Thorpe. "I only want n camp of twenty. It wouldn't bo worth your while." "That's my lookout. I'll tnko tho Job," replied the logger grimly, "you got 300.000,000 there, nfn't you7 And you're goln' to cut it? It ain't such a small Job." Thorpo could hardly bcllevo his good fortune in hnvlng gained so important a recruit With a nractical man as foreman, bis mind would bo relieved of a great deal of worry over unfamil iar details. Ho saw at once that ho would himself be able to perform all the duties of scaler, keep in touch with tho needs of the camp and supervise tho campaign. Nevertheless he answer ed the older man's glance with one as keen and said: "Look here, Shearer, If you tako this Job we may ub well understand each other at the start. This Is going to be my camp, nnd I'm going to bo boss. I don't know much about logging, nnd I shall want you to take charge of all that but I shall wuut to know Just why you do each thing, and if my Judg ment advises otherwise, my Judgment goes. If I want to discharge a man, ho walks without any question. I know about what I shall expect of each man, and I Intend to get It out of him. Apd in questions of policy mine is tho say so every trip. Now, I know you'ro a good man one of the best thero is and I prcsumo I shall find your Judg ment the best, but I don't want any mistakes to start with. If you want to bo my foreman on those terms Just , lay so, and I'll be tickled to death to j havo you.'' For the first timo tho lumbering man's I face lost, during a slnglo instant, its mask of immobility. His steel bluo eyes flashed; his mouth twitched with some strong emotion. For the first time, too, ho spoko without contempla tive pause of preparation. "Tbat'B tho wuy to talkP he cried. "Go with you? Well, I should rlso to remark 1 You'ro tho boss, and I always said it I'll get you a gang of bully boys that will roll logs till there's skat ing in Tophet" Thorpo left, after making an ap pointment at his own hotel for tho fol lowing day, more than pleased with his luck. None tho less, he anticipated his next step with shaky conlldonco. Ho would now bo called upon to buy four or ilvo teams of horses and enough feed to last them tho entire winter, and he would havo to arrnngo for pro visions in abundauco and variety for his men; ho would havo to figure, on blankets, hnrncss, cook camp utensils, stoves, blacksmith's tools, iron, axes, chains, cant' hooks, vau goods, palls, lamps, oil, tnutqhcs, all sorts of hard ware In short, all the thousand nud one things, from' needles to court plus Ut( -ofy which a"selfV'Bufllchig comidn nity might como in' need. And ho would havo to figure, out his require- T ?"" TT-TTi ..- 1 hftVlfUon doti coukl import not, lug more. Docp in these thoughts h wandered on at random. He suddenly came to himself in tho toughest quarter of Day City. .Through tho nuramer night thrilled the sound of cachlnnations pointed to the colors of mirth. A cheap piano rattled nnd thumped through nn upen window. Men's and women's voices mingled in rising nud falling gradua tions of luirshuow. Ughts streamed irregularly across tho dark. i Thorpo became uwaro of i figure crouched in the doorway almost ut his feet Tho flickering rays of n distant tttfi-et lamp threw into relief tho high lights of a violin and a head. The fnco upturned to him was thin nud whllo nnd woltlsh under n broad white brow. Dark eyes gleamed nt him with tliu expression of a fierce nnlmal. Across tho forehead ran n long but shallow cut from which blood dripped. The creaturu clasped both arms nrouud u violin. Ho crouched thero nnd stared up nt Thorpe, who stared down at him. "What's tho innttor?" asked tho lat ter finally. The ereaturo made no reply, but drew his arms closer about his instru ment Thorpo mado n sign to the un known to rise. "Come with me," said ho. "nnd I'll havo your forehead attended to." Tho eyes gleamed Into his sudden savnge concentration with n 'Alien their owner obediently arose. Thorpo now saw that tho hotly he - fore him wna of a cripple, short legged, hunchbacked, long armed, pigeon breasted. Tho largo head sat strangely top heavy between oven the broad shoulders. It confirmed tho hopclcBs but sullen despair that brooded ou tho whlto countenance. At tho hotel Thorpe, examining tho cut, found It more serious In nppenr nnce than in reality. With a few pieces of stlcklug plaster ho drew its edecs together. Then ho attempted to interrogate his find. "What Is your namo?" he asked. "Phil." "Phil what?" Silence. "How did you get hurt? No reply. "Were you playing your flddlo in one sf those houses?" Tho cripple nodded slowly. "Are you hungry?" asked Thorpe, tvlth a sudden thoughtfulness. "Yes," replied tho cripple, with a Jlghtnlug glcnm in his wolf eyes. Thorpo rang tho bell.' To tho boy who answered it he said: "Bring me half a dozen beef sand 'fetches aed n glnss of milk, nud bo quick nbout It." "Do you play tho flddlo much?" con--ilnued Thorpe. Tho cripple nodded ngaln. "Let's hear what you can do." "They cut my strings." cried Phil, with a passionate wall. The cry came from the heart, nnd Thorpo was touched by it Tho price or strings' wus evidently a via m..u. "I'll get you more in the morning," said he. "Would you like to leave Boy City?" ""Yc'sl"' cried tho boy, with passion. "You would havo to work. Yon (would have to bo chore boy in a lum ber camp and piny fiddle for tho men when they wanted you to." "I'll do it," said tho cripple "All right; then I'll take you," re plied Thorpe. The cripple said nothing nor moved n muscle of his face, but tho glearn of tho wolf faded to glyo place to tho soft, affectionate glow seen lu tho eyes of a " "" wV "" " "7 chance buvhvu iuviu vuvj uuu uiuuu uu tutu- A knock announced the sandwiches' ; ,BnlB" "fL1"1!0 ?!JL?' and milk. Tho cripple fell upon them I ch,cf dnnscr really was lest they bo with both hands in a audden ecstasy. fn,e fflt,f I o Protective ntU- of hunger. When bo had finished, ho looked again at Thorpe, and this time there were tears in his oyes. A llttlo later Thorpo intcrvlowed tho 'proprietor of thp hotel. "I wish you'd givo this boy a good cheap room and charge bis keep to me," said ho. "Ho'a going north with mo." Thorpo lay awake for some timo aft pr retiring. Phil claimed a share of his irtiiiht In an hour or so bo dozed. Ho dreamed that the crlpp'le had grown to enormous proportions and was over shadowing bis life. A slight noise out side his bedroom door brought him to his feet Ho opened tho door and found that in the stillness of the night tho poor doformed ereaturo bad taken tho blan kots from his bed and had spread them across the doorslll of tho man who bad befriended him, CHAPTER XVI. nilEH weeks later tho steam bargo Polo Star nailed down tho reach of Saginaw bay. Thorpo had received letters T from Carpenter advising him of n credit to him ut n Marquetto bank nud inclosing a draft Hufllcleiit for current expenses. Tim Shearer had helped mako opt tho list of necessaries. In timo everything was loaded, tho gang plunk hauled in, and tho llttlo batid of argonauts set their fuccs toward 'tho point when tho Big. Dipper swlngH. Tho weather was beautiful. Each morning tho sun roso'out of tho frosty blttelake wale nnd set lrrh ,8&bf' deep purple.' Thb moon, onco again at -iltn nil. Ipaut tirnarl tintfia iinna tli. wttieiMsu,. Mim,wumn . . ....... a . . a blow dally the lake traded, to dl nt; sunset nnd then to redirn in tho soft still nights from tho west. .... ........... ...,.. Tho ten horses in tho hold munched their hay and oats as peaceably, as though at homo in their own (fables, Jackson lllncs had helped select them from tho stock of firms changing local ity or go)ng out of business.. Ills Judg , ment la such matters was infallible, but ho had resolutely refused to tnko f tliu iiniilttnti of lmrn tna which Thnriio offered him. "No," mild he, "sho's too far north. I'm gottln' old, nud tho rheumatics ain't what you illicit cnllKnlmndonlu' of me. Up thero it's colder than hades on a stoker's holiday." So Shearer lmd picked out n bnrn boss of his own. This man was im portant, for tho horxes tiro tho main stay of logging operations. Ho had se lected uIho a blacksmith, n cook, four toumt(tcrt, half a dorun cant hook men and as many handy with ux or saw. "Tho blacksmith Is also a good wood butcher (carpenter)," explulned Shear er. "Four teams Is all wo ought to Keep going nt a clip, if we need a fow nxmeu wo can pick 'em up nt Mar- quutte. I thlhk this gang 'II stick. I (licked 'em." There was not n young wan In tho lot. They weru most of them in tho prlmo of middle life, botween thirty and forty, rugged In appearance, I "cocky" in manner, with tho swagger nnd tho oath of so ninny buccaneers, hard as unlit. Altogether Thorpo 1 thought them about as rough a Bet of ' customers as ho had ever seen. Throughout tho day they played cards ou deck nud Hpat tobacco Juice abroad and sworo Incessantly. Toward him self nnd Shearer their manner was nn odd mixture of independent equality and n slight deference. It was ns much as to say, "You'ro tho boss, but I'm ns good n man as yqu any day." Constituting tho ellto of tho profes- nlnn ii m Mini' dlil. Thnrno. tnltMit linvn ",w - -,.., ........ . wondered nt their consenting to work J 'or an obscuro llttlo camp belonging to a greenhorn. I.oynlty to and prldrf In tho Arm for which ho works are strong characteristic of the lumber Jnck. For this reason ho feels that ho owes it to his reputation to ally him self only with firms of creditable slzo nnd clllclcucy. Tho small camps arc for the youngsters. Occasionally you will sea tw'o or three of the veterans In such n camp, but it Is generally a case of lacking something better. The truth Is Shearer had mannged to Inspire in tho minds of his cronies nn Idea that they wore nbout to par ticipate In u fight. Ho retold Thorpo's Htory nrtlsticnlly. The men agreed that tho "young fellow had sand enough for a lako front." After that thcro needed but n little skillful maneuver ing to Inspire them with tho idea that it woultl be n great thing to tnko a hand, to "mako n camp" In sptto of the big concern up river. Shearer knew that this nttltudo was tentative. Everything depended on how well Thorpe lived up to his repu tation nt the outset But Tim himself believed in Thorpe blindly. So ho had no fears. A llttlo incident nt tho beginning of the voyage did much to renssuro him. 'Thorpe had given orders that no whisky was to ho brought aboard. Soon after leaving dock he saw ono of tho teamsters drinking from n pint flask. Without a word ho stepped briskly forward, snatched the bottlo from tho man's lips nnd (brew It over- board. Then ho turned sharp ou his hcol nud walked nway without trou bling himself ns to how tho fellow was going to tako It The occurrence pleased tho men, for u .1 -.1 t,- .. ,.! w..1 ...I- tilde. As they took it, they were about. gpod nnturcdly, to help along a worthy grpenboro. ' This they considered ex ceedingly generous on their part, nnd in their own minds they wcro inclined to look on Thorpe much as a grown "" would look on, a child., Flno weather followed them up tho long blue reach of Lako Huron, into tho noble breadth of the Detour pas sage, past tho opening through the Thousand islands of the Oeorglaa bay, Into tho St. Mnry's-ritr. -Tbr were locked through aftor'some delay on ac count of tho grain barges from Dulutb and at last turned tholr prow west ward in tho Big Sea water, beyond which lay Hiawatha's Fo-no-mab, the JUIU VL IIIU iiun.-iiiu.-i. , Noxt morning by daybreak cvory man was at work. Tho hatches wcro i ' ' ' opened, rind soon betwccn-dccks was cumborcd with boxes, packing cases, barrels nnd crates. In tholr impro vised stalls tho patient horses seemed to catch a hint of nhoro going and Whinnied. By JO o'clock thoro loomed against tho strnugo coast lino of tho Pictured rocks n shallow bny nnd what looked to bo u dock distorted by, tho northern mirage. "That's her," sold tho captain. Two hours later tho steamboat slid botween tho yellow wntcro of two out lying reofB nnd with slackened speed moved .slowly toward tho wharf of Wi cribs filled with atone. Thorpo know very woll that tho Btructuro had been erected by and, bo longed i,to Morrison & Daly; but the ;?6j4Ug,4n4u !)& ha tbo, foresight Ufc purchase tho land lying oil the deeo' .water side of tho bay. He therefore MMMSMwmmibf&il tviillo "Morrison xinijr owneu tow iw jt,u)f tll0 jnnd ou WUC, jt nbuttinl bo longed to hint. From l0 nnnH or (IIU imy ,10 C0HjU IWM, mU n (,0Ml flRUnm ,,,,, ,10Hr From tho arms of tho bay ho cou)d tho cud of tho whnrf. When, with pro poller rcvorsud, tho 1'ole Blnr borp slowly down toward lior mooring, Tliorpa recognized Dyer nt tin bond of eight or ton woodsmen. It looked sus picious. ' "Catch'thls lino!" sum: out tho mate, hurling tliu coll of ft hnnd lino ou tho 1 Wllttl'f. No ouo moved, nnd tho llttlo ropo aft er a momont slid ovorbonrd with n upliish. Tho captain, with n curse, signaled nil speed iittUini. "Captain Morse," cried Dyor, ntep( ping forward, "my orders aro that you' aro to hind huro nothing but M. & D, morclinndlso." "I havo a right to land," nnsworcd Thorpe. "The shoro belongs to mo." "This dock doesn't," retorted tho oth er Hharply, "and you can't nut foot on her." "Vnll linvn tin Incrnl liitun. Yntl hnil f nobuslnoss building In the first plnco" j hegan Thorpo, nnd then stopped with n I choko of angur at tho futility of argu- lecallty In such n case, J 'r,'o men bad gathered Interestedly In t''0 wnlst of tho ship, cool, Impartial, wvorely critical. Tho vessel swung her tw In toward tho dock. Thorpo ran I Bwuuy lorwnru nnu miring mo instant ' ot nibbing contact leaped. Hu alighted nminrolv nnou his foot. Without an Instant's hesitation ho rushed on Dyer and with ono full, clean ln-blow stretched him stunned ou tho' dbek. For n moment thero was a pnuso of astonishment. Then tho woodsmen' closed upon him. Duriug that instant Thorpo had be come pojwesscd of a weapon. It cnm hurling through tho air from abovo to fall at his feet. Shearer, with tho coot calculation of tho pioneer, bad seen that It would be Imposslblo to follow, bis chief and so bad dono tho next best The men uxre on him (main. thing, thrown him a heavy iron Delay- lug pin. Thorpo hit with all his strength and quickness. Ho was conscious onco of being on tho point of defeat Then bo bad cleared a llttlo spaco for himself. Then tho men wcro on him again more1 savagely than over. Ono fellow oven, succeeded lu hitting him it glancing' blow on tho shoulder. Then came a sudden crash. Thorpe,' was nearly thrown from bis feet The noxt Instant a score of yelling men leaped bohlnd nnd all around him., Thero ensued a moment's scufllo, tho, sound of dull blows, nnd tho dock was clear of all but Dyer nnd three othcra , who woro, llko himself, unconscious. Thonptaln, yielding to tho cxcltomcnt, , bad'run'hls proplumpaaTn't the wharf. Homo of tbo crew received the moor ing lines. All was ready for disem barkation. Bryan Moloney, a strapping Irish Amorlcnn of tho big boned, red cheek ed type, throw somo water over tha four stunned combatants. Slowlythey, camo to Hfo. Thoy woro promptly yanked to their feet by tho irate river men, who commenced nt once to be stow sundry vigorous kicks and shak ings by way of punishment Thorpe interposed, ."Quit it," ho commanded. "Lot them go." Tho men grumbled. Ono or two woro Inclined to bo opouly rebellious. "If I hear another peep out of you," mild Thorpo to theso latter, "you can climb right aboard and tako tho re turn trip." Ho lookod thorn In tho oyo 'until they muttered nnd then went on: ' "Now, wo'vo got to got unloaded and our goods nshoro boforo thoso fcllowH report to 'camp. Oct right moving nnd huutlol" " So Dyor aud bis mon picked them- ' Bolves out of tho troublo; sullenly' uWv' dopnrted. Tho oxHcalcr'lind nothing to say ns long nB ho wan within reach, 'but whon he bad i gained tho ohorO be 'turjaed, - , ... Contlnuoa on Third Page.) -r- '? jfL- -'f-"frf'rfr aiv&Jtx 'trKw.-t- n "r"-!jsnri,"5?e,2i",,sa