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I,, Copyright 1902. hy
CHAPTEK X
Fr-kOU more than n week Thorpe
IS! bad Journeyed through the for
g j est. Ills equipment wns situ-
' pie In the extreme. Attached to
it heavy Ifiitlicr bolt of cartridges hung
a two po'tnd ax ami a sdieath knife. In
Ills pwket reposed u , compass, an nlr
tight tin of mutches nud a map drawn
on oiled paper of n district divided Into
Sections. Some few of the sections
V'cre colored, which Indicated that they
Iielonged to private parties. All the.
rest wag state or government land. Ho
carried In liia hand a repeating rifle.
The pack. If opened, would have been
found to contain n woolen nud rubber
blanket, fishing tackle, twenty pouuds
or so of Hour, a package of tea, sugar,
a slab of bacon carefully wrapped lu
oiled clUb, salt, a suit of underwear
and several extra pairs of thick stock
ings. To the outside of the pack had
been strapped n frying pan. a tin pall
and n cup.
lie had not met a human being or
Btn any Indications of man execptlu
nlways the old blase of the govern -
ment survey. Many years before, otll-
dais had run careless lines through
the country along the section bound-,
nrlc?. These latter stated always the
fcectlon, the township and the range
vuni v nrai uy uuiuucr. aii inorpc
iiad to do was to nud the same figures
on his map. Up knew Just where he
was.
The map he bad procured at the
United States land office lu Detroit,
lie had set out foe the purpose of
"looking" a 'suitable bunch of pine In
the northern peninsula, which at the
time was practically untouched. Ac
cess to the interior could only be ob
tained on foot or by river. The South
Shore railroad had as yet penetrated
only as far as Seney. Marquette, Me
nominee and a few smaller places
ulong the coast ivere lumbering near at
home, but they shipped entirely by
water.
Thorpe, with the farsightedness of
the pioneer, had perceived that the ex
ploitation of tbe upper country was an
affair of a few years only. The north
would not- prove as accessible as it
now seemed, for the carrying trade
would epmc day realize that thu en
tire waterway of the great lakes of
fered an unrivaled outlet "With that
discover- would begin a rush to the
new country. He resolved to antici
pate it and by acquiring his holdings
before general attcntiou should be turn
ed that way to obtain the best.
Ho was without money nnd practi
cally without friends, while govern
ment and state lands cost respectively
$2.50 and $1.23 an ncre, cash down.
Hut he rcllM on the good sense of c.q
itnllsts to perceive from the statistic
which his explorations would furnish
the wonderful advantages of logging
now country with the chain of great
lakes ns shipping outlet nt Its very
door. In return for his Information
he would expect a half interest in ths ,
rntcrprlse.
Thorpe was by no means the first to
tee the tnoner in northern Dine, Our-
pldo tho big mill district) atrcady
pained cuttiqgs of cousldcrablo sizo
were already under way, tho logs from
which were iwually sold to the mills of
Marquette and Menominee.
, Hut work was on n small scnlo and
with nn eye to the iiumedlnto present
pnly. It wus accompllshWHy purchas
ing one forty nnd cutting a dozen.
Thorpe's map showed often near tho
forks of an Important stream a section
wIiom coloring Indicated private pos
rcsilon. Legally the owners bad the !
rliiht oulv to the nine Included In thu !
........ '....I .. ...(!.... '1.... It 1....1 '
marked section, but if any one had
taken the trouble to visit the district
ho would have found operations going
ou for miles up and down stream. The
colored squares would prove to bo noth
ing but bo iiirtny excuses for being on
tho ground. The bulk of the plno was
stolu from unbought state or govern
ment laud.
This lu the old days was a common
enough trick.
Thorpo was perfectly conversant with
this state of affairs. Ho knew also
that In till probability many of thu col
orcd districts on Ills uiiu ronrescnteri
firii3 engaged in steals of greater or
less mngiiitiule. Ho was further awaro
thnt most of tho concerns Btolo tho tim
ber because It was cheaper to steal
thatt to buy. but that they would buy
readily .enough Jf forced to do so In or
ier to provont.its acquisition by onoth
t. In his exploration, therefore, lie do
i Mod to employ tho-utmost clrcumspec
ion.' ;IIc would bono us a hunter and
ishcrmnn.
For d week ho Journeyed through
uagnlllceit timber, working always
nioiy undfUibre td U0 north;, until final
ly ho stood )bk tho MthoKA tit Superior.
ili rWve4 Jtj .ftltt M ffafo iveat
B
'?
lazed I
By STEWART
EDWARD
WHITE
Jv
Ttttenrt Edtoartt tOAttt
have to upend the summer and perhaps
part of Hie fall lu that district, lie
wild hrirdly expect to escape notice.
Uv the Indications oti the river he
Rise, land nlruntiy taken, b'lt Thorpe
hoped to tlnd good timber near the
mouth. After several days' hard walk
ing with this object In view he fovltnl
hlnwlf directly north of n bend In the
liver, so he turned through the wood
duo south, with ;he intention of strife.
lng lu on the stream. This he succeed
rd lu nccomplMiing .oine twenty mil".
In.Vtul. where also he dlseovcvd n well
'Upn.WI'hnJ 'recently used trail leading
up the river. Thorpe camped one night
nt the bend and then set out to follow
the trail.
It led him for upward of ten miles
nearly due south, sometimes approach
ing, sometimes leaving, the river, but
keeping always In Its direction. The
, country in general was rolling. Low
pamll.'I r.'dgtM of gentle declivity gild
nl contnnly ncro.i hts way. their
Veil 7 doping to the river. Thorpe
had never seen, n grander forest, of
1 pine than that which clothed them.
At the ten mile point he came upon
! a dam. It was a crude tlitm. built of
logs, whose face consisted of strong
Luttresses slanted up stream and whose
sheer was made of unbarked timbers
I,l,u s.uuoiuiy sine y sine ni lue re-
quIrcU angle. At present Its gate was
open.
The purpose of the dam lu this new
country did not puszlo him lu the
least, but its presence bewildered him.
Such constructions nre often thrdwn
acros locg'ng streams nt proper In
terval In order that the operator may
be Independent of the spring freahot..
The device la common enough, but It
is cxprimlve. People do not build
dams except In the certainty of some
years, of logging, nnd quite extensive
logging at that. If the stream happens
to be navigable the promoter must llrst
get an Improvement charter from a
Ixinrd of control appointed by the
state. So Thorpe knew that he had
to deal not with a hand to mouth lum
ber thief, but with a great company
preparing to log tbe country on a big
scale.
He continued his Journey. At noon
he came to nnoth?r and similar struc
ture. Here he left his pack nnd pushed
ahead in light marching order. About
eight tulles above the first dam and
eighteen from the bend of the river
he ran into n "slashing" of the year
before. The decapitated stump were
nlready beginning to turn brown with
weather; the tangle of topo and limbs
was partially concealed by poplar
growths and wild raspberry vines.
To Thorpe this particular clearing be
came at onco of the greatest Interest
He scrambled over and through the
ugly debris which for n year or two
after logging operations cumbers the
ground. IJy a rather prolonged search
ho found what he sought the "section
corners" of the tract, on which the gov
ernment surveyor had long ago marked
the "descriptions." A glance at thj
map confirmed his suspicions. The
slashing lay some two miles north of
tiio sections designated as belonging to
private parties. It was government
land.
Thorpe sat down, lit a pipe and did a
little thinking..
He had that very morning passed
thrqugh beautiful timber lying much
rienrer the mouth of the river than
either this or the sections farther south.
Why had these men deliberately ascend
ed the strenm? Why bad they stolen
timber eighteen miles from the bend
when they could equally well have stol
en Just as good fourteen miles nearer
tho terminus of their drlvol
Thorpe suddenly remembered the
two dams and his idea that .the men In
charge of tile river must bo wealthy
aMl tnti't lit-ml operating on n large
heal". He thought ho glimpsed It. Aft
er another pipe ho felt sure.
The unknowns were indeed going In
on a large scale. Thoy Intended even
tually to log the wholo of tho Ossa
wiunmnkco basin. For this reason they
had mado their first purchase, planted,
their first foothold, near, the hendwa
tors. Some day they would buy all the
standing government plualn tho basin,
hut in the meantlmo they would steal
all they could at a sufficient distance
froi tho ,nUe to nilnlralso tho danger
vt "veiy. Kvery stick cut meant
bo much less to purchase later on.
''Thorpe know that 'men occ'up'lcd In
ro precarious a busluoss would bo keen
ly ou the watch. At tho first hint of
rivalry they would buy In the timber
they had selected. 'Hut the situation
hud set his lighting blood to radix;.
They undoubtedly wuuted the tract
down river. Well, so did he!
He purposed to look It over carefully,
to ascertain Its exact boundaries and
what sectlous.tt would be necessary' to
buy .lfi 6rdr to i&clude lb.sAd.pfruuri
' '
.
"f
"Tl
"T
T
oven M esftuinto It tiV n rough way. In
the ncoomnllfthmeut of lts he would
to tlie moilth of n fairly lnrgo river
called tbe Ossawlnnmakee. It Allowed
In common with most streams of Ita
judged that a crew or men una snortiy
before taken out n drlvu of logs. After
the timber had been rafted and towed
to Marquette they would return. He
might be nblo to hide In the forest, but
sooner or later, ha was sure, one of tho
company's laud lookers or hunters
would stumble oti his camp. Then his
very concealment would tell them
what ho wan after. Tho risk was too
great, for, above all things, Tborpa
needed time. Ho had, as has been said,
to ascertain what ho could offer. Then
ho had to offer it. Ho would bo forced
to interest capital, and that Is a matter
of pcrsu.islon and leisure.
Finally his shrewd, lutultlvo good
scu!e dashed tho solution on him. Ho
returned rapidly to his pack, assumed
the strops nud arrived nt tho llrst dam
about dark of tho long suiumor day.
There ho looked carefully about him.
Somo fifty feet from the water's edgu
a uircu Kitou supported, besides tlio
birches, a single big hemlock. Vlth
his belt ax Thorpe cleared away tho,
little white trens. Ho stuck tho sharp-j
cued end of otio of them lu the bark of
the shaggy hemlock, fastened tho otlicr
end in a crotch eight or ten feet dis
tant, slanted tho rest of the saplings'
along one sldo of this ridgepole and
turned in, after a hasty supper, leaving
(he completion of his permanent camp
to the morrow.
In the morning bo thatched smooth
tho roof of tho shelter, using for tho
purpose the thick branches of hemlocks,
placing two green spruce logs sldo by
side as cookiug range, sluug his pot on
n rod across two forked sticks, cut
and split n quantity of wood, spread
his blankets and called himself estab
lished. For some days he made no effort to
look over the pine, nor did he intend
to begin until he could bo sure of doing
so In safety. His object now was to
glvo his knoll the appearance of n
trapper's camp.
Toward the end of the week he re
ceived his first visit Evening was
drawing on. Thorpe was busily en-'
Kaged In cooking a panful of trout.:
Suddenly he became awaro of a pres
ence at his side.
"How do?" greeted tho newcomer
gravely.
The man was an Indian, silent, sol
emn, with the straight, unwinking
gaze of his race.
"How do?" replied Thorpe. I
The Indian without further cere-'
mony threw his pack to tho ground, '
nnd, squntting on his heels, watched
tho white mnu's preparations. When
the meal was cooked he coolly pro
duced a knife, selected n clean bit of ,
hemlock bark and helped himself.
Then he lit a plpo and gazed keenly
about him. !
"What you do?" ho Inquired nftcr a j
long silence, punctuated by the puffs,
of tobacco.
"Hunt, trap, fish," replied Thorpe, (
with equal scntentlousness. i
"Good," concluded the Indian after
a ruminative pause,
That nluht he Blent on the trround.
Next day he mado a better shelter than I
'
"Jou doT' greeted the ricucowicr.
Thorpe's ki less than half tho tlmo and
was off huutlni: before tho sun wns nn
notir nigii. no Was armed wltn nn
old fashioned smooth boro muzzlo load
er, and Thorpe was astonished after
lie had become better acquainted with
IiIh now companion's method to find
that he hunted deer with fine bird shot.
1 Tho Indian never expected to kill
op
even mortally wound his game, but ho
would follow for mllca tho blood drops
caused by his llttlo wounds until tho
animals in sheer cxhnustlou allowed
him to approach closo enough for a
dispatching blow. At 2 o'clock he ro
turned with a small buck, tied scientif
ically together for toting, with tho
waBto parts cut away, but every ounco
of utility retained.
''I show," said tho Indian, and ho did.
Thorpe, learned tho Indlrtti tuu.
"'ho Indian nnncarcd to intend tnak
(ng tho birch knoll uls iwrunnqritliead;
quarters, Tborpo Wits ftt flrat i HtUo
VL uk. !VjnMr1sB4r(MBBBBiBBBiVkBKI lrikv
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M3ywXT$&
Wm&r li
tuVpfcVuaT e IiIh now companion, but
tho mnn appeared scrupulously honest,
was novcr Intrusive nud oven seemed
genuinely dosUouu of leaching tho
white llttlo tricks of the woods brought
to their porrection mj um inman alone.
Ho ended by liking lilnx. Tho two rare
ly spoke. They merely sat near each
otlicr and smoked. Ono evening tho lib
dlAii suddenly remarked:
V'You look ,um treoV
yVWhnt'a tlmtV cried Thorpe, star
tled. ' "You no huntor, no trapper. You look
mn tree for innko 'urn lumber."
"What mukea you think that, Char
ley V ho asked.
'You good man lu woods," replied
Injun Charley sententlously. "I toll
by way you look nt him plno."
Thorpe ruminated.
"Charley," said he, "why, nro you
staying hero with mo?"
"lllg frlcn'i" replied tho. Indian
promptly.
"Wliy uro you my friend? .Whnt havo
I ever done for you?"
"You got uiu chief's eye," replied his
companion, with simplicity.
Thorpe looked at tho Indian again.
There seemed to bo only ono course.
"Yes, I'm a lumberman," ho confess
ed, "and I'm looking for pine. Hut,
Cluirley, tho men up tho river must not
know what I'm after."
"They jrit 'utu pine," interjected tho
Iudlutt like u Hash.
' "Kxnctly," replied Thorpe, surprised
afresh at the other's perspicacity.
"Good!" exclaimed Injuu Charley nnd
fell silent.
With this, tho longest conversation
tho two had attempted in their pccullnr
nentiitlntniMV. Thorno was forwil in tin
content.
Three days lator ho was intensely
thankful thu conversation had taken
place.
After the noon meal he lay on his
blanket under the hemlock shelter,
smoking and lazily watching Injun
Charley busy over tho maklug of n
birch bark canoe.
. So idly Intent was Thorpe on this
ptoco of construction thut he did not
iio t Ice the approach of two men from
,u """" D,iV"" ,T.. ,v' ,T.
or ' a,e1rt ",c"' -'''"ff "? with
41... .U,..., ,..... -I.1 SIM..... .........
in v.- mh.-l-ui.-iii. iviaiBii'iii-j ui lllU' wuvmi
walker, dressed lu broad lints, tlauiiel
shirts, coarse trousers tucked lu high
laced "cruisers" and carrying ditch it
' bulging meal sack looped by n cord
across the shoulders and chest, lioth
, were armed with long sleti ' v scalers'
rules. The first ltitiuiatlou Thorpo re
I celved of tho presence of thcao two men
: wns the sound of their voiced.
"Hello, Charley!" said one of them.
"What you doing here? Ain't seen you
since the Sturgeon district."
'Mnk' mn canoe," replied Charley
1 Irnther obviously.
"So I see. Hut what do you expect to
xot In this God forsaken country?"
I "Heaver, mtiskrat. mink, otter."
"Trapping, eh?" the man gazed keen
ly ntTtorpe's recumbent figure. "Who's
the other fellow?"
Thorpe held his breath, then exhaled
It In a long sigh of relief.
"Him white man." Injun Charley
was replying. "Illin hunt too. He
"nIi' '' buckskin."
The land looker nroso
lazily
and
taiiutorcd townrd the group.
."Howdy?" ho drawled. "Got
any
ftnoklu'7"
"How nro you?" replied ono of tho
colors, eying him sharply and tender
ing his pouch. Thorpe filled his pljvo
deliberately nnd returned It with a
heavy lidded gluncu of thanks. To nil
nppenraiices he was ono of tho lazy,
shiftless hunters of tho backwoods.
Seized with an inspiration, ho said:
"What sort of chances Is they nt your
camp for u little Hour? Mo and Char
ley's about out. I'll bring you meat, or
I'll make you boys moccaslmf. I got
vomc good buckskin."
It was tho usual proposition.
"rrctty good, I guess. Como up and
see," advised tho scaler. "Tho crow's
right behind us."
"I'll send Charley," drawled Thorpo.
"I'm busy now inaklu' traps." Ho
I wnved his pipe, calling attention to tho
pine and rawhide deadfalls.
They chatted a few moments. Thon
two wagons creaked lurching by, fol
lowed by fifteen or twenty men. Tho
last of these, evidently tho foreman,
was Joined by the two scalers.
Ynjini Charley was setting about tho
splitting of n cedar log.
"You boo," ho remarked. "I big
frlcnV
In tho days that followed Thorpo
cruised nbout tho great-woods. It was
slow business, but fniiclnatlug. Ho
know that when ho should embark on
his uttcmut to enlist considerable cap
ital m nn "unsignt, unseen" invest
ment ho would havo to bo well hui
pllcd with HtatlntlcH.
First of nil ho walked over tho coun
try at large to find where tho best tlm
bcr lay. This wus a mnttor of tramp-,
lng, though often on an elevation ho
succeeded in climbing u tall treo
Whence ho caught blrdsoyo vlows of
tho country nt large. Ho always car
ried his gun with him and was pro
pared at n moment's notlco to seem en
gaged lu hunting.
Next ho ascertained tho geographical
location of tho different clumps and
forests, entering tho sections, tho quar
ter sections, even tho separate forties,
in lils notebook, tnkinglu only tho "do
scrJoJIous" cqntalulu.g tho. best pipe.
, Finally hb.wroto accurate 'notes cori
cernlngf the topography i of pencil mud
trto DJa aUtrlct-tho ky of thgJsjKL
tho Tillts, rnvliiHi, swamps" nnd rnlloyTiJ
ihd distance' from the rlvor, the char-
actor of tho soil. In short, he ncctimu
luted all tho Information ho could by
which tho cost of logging illicit be on'
, tltnated.
For this ho had really too llttlo ox,
perlonce. Ho knew It, but determined)
to do lils best. Tho weak point of lilts
wholo schomo lay In that It was going
to uo iiupoasiiuo ror mm to niiow tun
prospective purchuHcr a chance to ex-
I initio tho plno, That uMlllculty Thorpe
hoped to overcoiuo by Inspiring per
sonal confidence in himself. If ho
failed to do no ho might return with a
laud looker whom the investor trusted,
' ami thu two could le-cnnct thu comedy
of this Bummor. Thorpe hoped, how
over, to avoid tho necessity. Ho Hut
about u rough estlmata of thu timber.
Gnu evening Just nt sunset Thorpe
wits helping tho Indian shapu his craft.
H'hu two men bout there at their task,
thu dull glow of evening falling upon
them. Ilohlud thorn tho knoll stood
out In picturesque relief against tho
darker pines. Tho river rushed hy
with it never ending roar and tltruloll,
through Its shouting otio perceived, as
through n mist, tho still lofty peace of
uvotilmr.
A young follow, hardly more thnn a
hoy, exclaimed with keen delight of tho
picturesque as his canoe shot around
the bend into sight of it.
The canoe was largo and powerful,
but well tilled. All Indian knelt til
the stern. Amidships was well laden
ttltli lllfHt nf aill iluMnOlltHnilM rPlifa
with dutllo of all descriptions. The
young fellow sat In tho bow. lie was
a bright faced, eager eyed, curly ialrcd
young fellow, nil enthusiasm and fire.
HI llguro wns trim and clean, but
rather slender, and his mdvcmciits
were quick, but nervous. Whcq ho
stepped carefully out on tho lint rock
to which hts guide brought thu cnuou
with a swirl of tho paddlo ono initiat
ed would havo seen thnt his clothes,
while strong nud serviceable, hnd been
bought from a sporting catalogue
"This Is a good place," lib unld to tho
guide. "We'll enmp here." Then ho
turned up the steep bank without look
ing back.
"Hello!" ho called In a cheerful, un
embarrassed fashion to Thorpe and
Charley. "How are you? Cnro If I
camp hero 7 What you making? Hy
Jove! I never saw a cauou made bo
fore. I'm going to watch you. Keep
right at it."
Ho sat on one of the outcropping
bowlders and took off his lint.
"Say, you've got a great place hero! '
You here all summer? Hello! lou vo
got a deer hanging up. Are there
many of 'cm around hero? I'd like to
kill n deer first rate. I never have. It's
sort of out of Bcariou now, Isn't It?"
"Wo only kill the bucks," replied
Thorpe.
"I like fishing too," went on tho boy.
"Are thero any here? In the pool?
John," ho called to his guide, "bring mo
my fishing tackle."
in a few moments ho was whipping
the pool with long, graceful drop of
tlio fiy. He proved to be adept. At
first tho Indian's stolid countenance
seemed a trlllo doubtful. After a time
It cluarcd.
"Good!" ho grunted.
The other Indian had now finished
the erection of a tent and hnd begun to
cook supper over a llttlo sheet Iron
camp stove. Thorpe nnd Charley could
smell ham.
"You've got quite a pantry," remark
ed Thorpe.
"Won't you cat with mo?" proffered
tho boy hospitably.
Hut Thorno declined.
In tho cdtirsc of tho evening tbe boy
approached tlio older men's camp ami,
with charming dlllldcucc, asked per
mission to sit awhile at their fire.
"It must bo good to live In tho
woods," ho said with a sigh, "to do all
things for yourself. It's so free."
"I Just do loVo this!" he cried ngaln
nnd ngaln. "Oh, It's great, nftcr all
that fuss down there!" And ho cried it
so fervently that tho other men present
smiled, but so genuinely thnt tho smllo
had lu It nothing but kindliness.
."I camo out for a month," said ho
suddenly, "and I gucqs I'll Hny tho rcHt
of It right here. You'll let mo go with
you sometimes hunting, won't you?
I'd lllto first rato to kill u deer."
"Sure," said Thorpe. "Glad to hnvo
you."
"My nnmo la Wallace Carpenter,"
said the boy, with a sudden unmistak
able nlr of good breeding.
"Well," laughed Thorpe, "two old
woods loafers llko us haven't got much
uso for names. Cliarley hero Is called
Gcezlgut, and mine's pearly ns had, but
I guess plain Cliarley nud Harry will
tin."
CHAPTER XL
II 13 young fellow stayed three
weeks nud wns u constant Joy
to Thorpe. Thorpo liked tlio
boy because ho was opon heart
ed, frco from affectation, assumptive
of no superiority In short, because he
wns direct and sincere. Wallace, ou
his part, adored In Thorpo tho free,
open nlr life, tho adventurous quality,
tho qulot, hidden power, the resource
fulnoBS nnd tho self sutllclchcy of thu
plouoor. Ho did anything' at nil. 'Ho
accepted Thorpo for what ho thought
li 1 in - to bo ruthor than for what ho
might think him to bo.
. Llttlo, hv llttlo tho eager .questions
of tiio youth extracted a iqll jitatqitlunt
of, tlw situation.';, no , icnnicu oi i tuo
mi I''
present oporatloim and tnor pronnuio
phuw, of thu vuluitblo pluo lying sllll
miulnlmod, of Thoipo'rt utonlthy raid
lnto tuo onuij'H country.
viiy, H'n gmitl ltrt liottnr tlinu nny
b00i x over readl'
n0 Wftulcd to know what ho could do
(0 iiolp,
"Nothing except Iccep qulot," replied
Thorpe. "You inuijtnt try to net any
different. If thu moil from up river
como by, bo Just as cordial to thorn ns
you can and don't net mysterious aim
ImiKirtaut."
"All right," agreed Wallace, bubbling
with oxcltomont. "And thun whnt da
yob do-nftor you get tho timber est
mated?"
'I'll go south nnd try, quietly, tq
rnlso somo money. That will no mm
cult because, you see, pcoplo don't knowi
me, and I am not In a portion to lot,
them look over tho timber. Of course,
it will bo merely a question of my
Judgment, They.. can go themselves to
tiro laud oiilcu" iuuf pny their "money.
There won't bo any ehtiucu of my mak '
lug way with that. The investors will
jiccomo possessed of certain 'descrip
tions' lying In this country, all right
enough. Tho rub Is, Will they havo,
enough confidence In mo and my Judg
ment to believe the timber to bo what
I represent It?' i
"I hoc," commented Wallace, sudden
ly grave. '
"Hurry," said ho that o veiling, witn
, lIccWoll M0VV , i, Volco, "will
I ...
you taku a llttlo walk with mo down
by the dam? I want to talk with
you."
They strolled to tho edgo of tho bunk
nnd stood for n moment looking at Uiu
twirling waters.
"1 want you to toll mo all nbout log
ging," began Wallace. "Start from the
beginning. Suppose, for Instance wlin
would bo your first move?"
They sat sldo by sldo on a log, and
Thorpe explained. The excitement of
war was lu It. Whon ho had finished,
Wnlhtco druw n deep breath.
"When I am home," said ho simply,
"I llvo lu a big houso ou tho Lako
.Shore drive. It I heated by steam and
lighted by electricity. I touch a but
ton or turn a screw and at onco I nm
lighted and warmed. At certain hours
"Oh, yltauV cried the hoy.
meals are served mo. I don't know,
how they nro cooked or where the ma
terlnls come from. Slnco leaving col
lego I havo spent n llttlo tlmo down
town every day, and then I'vo played J
golf or tenuis or ridden a horso lu tlio
park. Wo do llttlo Imitations of tho'
rcnl thing with bluo ribbons tied to
them nud think wo nro camping or
rotighlngjt. This llfo of yours 1a glo
rious, is vltnl; it means something Id
the march of tho world."
The young fellow spoko with unex
pected nwlftuess nud earnestness.
Thorpo lookvd ut him in surprise.
"1 know wuat you nro uuiiuiuk,
said tho boy, Hushing. "You aro sur
prised thnt 1 ciiu bo lu earnest about
anything."
Thorpo wntched him with sympa
thetic eyes, but with lips that obsti
nately refused to way one word,
"I left college nt nineteen becauso
my father died," Wullnco went on. "I
am now Just twenty-one, A largo es
tato descended to me, nud I havo had
to euro for Us investment nil nloiio, I
havo ono ulster; that Is nil."
"So havo I!" cried Thorpo and stop
ped. "Tho cstatoH havo not Hiifforcd," went
ou tho boy Hlmply. "I havo douo well
with them. Hut," ho cried florcoly, "I
hato HI It Is petty nud menu and wor
rying and wigging. Now, Harry, I
have u proposal to innko you. It Is this:
You need $;j(),l)0O to buy your hind. Lot
mo supply It nnd como lu as half part
ner." An oxpreuslOn of doubt crossed tho
laud looker's face.
"Oh, ploaso!" cried tho boy. "I do
want to got In Homothlng real. It will
bo tlio untieing of me," ' '
"Now, soo hero," liitorpoHcd Thorpo
Biiddonly. "Yon don't oven know my
nnipo."
,"I khow you," replied tho boy., .)
"M? nnmo Is Harry Thorpo," pursued
tho other. "My, father was1 Henry,
'I"!.. bmbqz,lor," .
""Continued on 6:h pouo,
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