THE MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, ORUOpy, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12:1, 1!)0D.
The Riverman
By Stewart Edward White
Author of "THE BLAZED TRAIL"
A Story of a Strong Man in the Lumbering Camps of the Great North
west All the Strength of a Rex Beach Story, all the Excitement of a
McCutcheon Story, yet with the Touch of Nature that Only Stewart
Edward White Can Gire.
iRIPPING from BEGINNING to END
onw of lmiiliormcn finingou' nlmut two
tiros ut tin upper end of tin' poml--UlU'
because of tlit' strong adverse
wind tn:d tln unexpected weakness of
t!n current, wliMi litttl,-arrested tin
IVogless I'f tin r Miousitids of logs,
Suddenly n nHir usiiiy appeared
nnmiid n rt"er I i-int. Ill i p'crcss was
Jerky nml i' urn-en rlsfas mvonl
Ins as t'te I I i, l.v i "m slion
runs, lirif v n rhott.rti g ie
Finally tie stt'iii.tl nt'i 'iv Hi t lu'l'iw
Pilio camp, stumped ij ret ls n iH.v
fnn of water nml nppi"i lied tin
group nnmiid tlie cooking tire
The newcomer was. n uutn some
where about thirty yours of ago.
toilunly liullt. big of bono, compact Ju
'hulk. Ills fueo whs tnirlvr Jolly mul
reddened rather thnti ti. M ly long
exposure, pair of twinkling blue
eyes ami n humorously oiiirked mouth
redeemed, his oouutonnm'o from com
nionplacono.ss. "Well. Imjs, ho ro;
marked ut Inst In a rolll'klnu bis
voice. "I'm glad to see the situation
hasn't spoiled your appetites"
Tom North. In ehar.e of the lutnbwr
men. rose, lie nml the uewoimii'r. who
was Jack Onle. hl prlnelpal, saunter
ed to the water's edge, where they
Mood for n m unto ooktnc at the loss
mid the rutlled expanse Of water lie
low. "It's a pity that old niosjbuck
had to put In n mill." said Onle. "Tito
water was slack eiioush before, bur
now there seems to bo no current nt
nil."
"Case of wait for the wind." nsreod
Tom North. "Old Only will bo red
headed. Ho must bo about out of loss
at the mill, und I expect Johnson's
drive will bo down on our roar most
any time."
"ltrs there nlready. I.et'8 go take a
look." susses toil Onle.
They picked their way around the
edge of the (Kind to the site of the
new mill.
"Sluice open all right," commented
Onle.
Onle walked out on the structure
and looked down on the smooth water
rushing through.
"Ought to make n draw," he reflect
ed. Then ho laughed. "Tom. look
here," he called. "Climb down and
take n squint at this."
The sluice. Instead of beddlns nt the
natural channel of the river had boon
built a good six feet above thai level;
so that, uvea with
the gates wide
open, a "head"
of six feet was
retained In the
slack water of tho
pond.
"No wonder wo
couldn't get a
draw," said Ordo.
"Let's hunt u p
old W h a t's hta
name and bare a
powwow."
"Ills name U
plain Heed," ei
plained North.
'Ton (nimi'' ." "There he comes
I'iwn, mlil hrxif now."
The owner of the dam Napped Into
view ni a lank and lengthy white hair
ed Individual dressed In loose, long
clothes and wearing atop a battered
old plug bar.
"You haven't been square." said
Orde. "You nren't letting us get our
logs out."
"How so?" snapped tho owoert bis
thin Hps tightening. j,'
followed by the reluctant North, h '
walked away I
Chapter
2
T
UK next uturnlng dawned clear
and breathless As soon as tin ,
wind died the loss hud begun I
to drift slowly out Into the open
water The surface of the pond was
Covered with the scattered timbers
tloatlns Idly. After a few .tnoniotils
the clank of the bars and ratchet vvns
hoard as two of the men raised tho
heavy sluice gate on the dam.
Four more had by this time Joined
tli" old man.
"Well, Mr. Heed, stop nml think what
this means," returned Onle. "No logi
iiumuis no lumbur. Tlint Is bankruptcy
for a good many who liavo contracts
to fulllll. And no logs means tho mills
must close. Thousands of men will bo
thrown out of their Jobs, mid a good
many of them will go hungry. Ami
with the stream full of the old' cutting,
that moans less to do next winter In
the woods-umio men thrown out. (lot-
I tins out a season's cut with the Hood
water Is a pretty serious matter to a
groat many people, ami If you Insist
on holding us up hero In this slack
water the situation will soon become
alarming."
The old man brought to earth the
front logs of his chair with a thump
"Ami If the whole kit nml caboodle
said he. "It
Mm !., ,.. lw, Im.l mU.xl flu. -n., 1 " je "Wineu "UUIKlHi
and all together, armed with Ions pike ! h" x" lw 'wini"Whp word
, ,r . .. , . 7 . of thy prophet who says: 'So will I
jh1os. walked ou on the funnel shaped I )(, J v
booms that should concentrate the tog
Into tho chute. Here they prodded
forward the few timbers within roach
and waited patiently for more
Jack Orde wandered back and forth
over the work, his hands clasped be
hind his back, a short pipe clinched
iK'twoon Ids tooth To the edge of tho
drive he rode tho togs, then took to the
bank and strolled down to the dam.
Meeting Tom North's troubled glance,
he grinned broadly
"Told you we'd have Johnson on our
nocks." ho remarked. Jerking bis thumb
up river toward a rapidly approaching
figure,
Thli soon defined Itself ns n tall In
dividual with a choleric blue eye.
"What In hades Is the matter here?"
he yelled. "We're right at your rear,
and they shall bereave thee, and pes
tilence mid blood shall pass thi-oiiuh
thee, and I will bring the sword upon
thoc. 1 tho Lord have spoken It!" An. I
don't forset that Ye that nuiko of
Hod's smllln' laud waste pluses ami a
wilderness by your own folly shall ye
perish."
Orde whirled on Ills heel.
The young man, who sat an Interest
ed spectator, anise and Joined him
Ho was a very slender youus man.
with a shrewd, thin face, steel graj
eyes.
"Walt n minute." said the young
fellow. "Have you any objections to
my hnnslng nroiiml a little to watch
the work My name Is No wmark Jo
soph Newmark. I'm out In this coun
try a good deal for my health. This
thing Interests mo."
".lure." replied Orde, putxlod, "Look
all you want to. The scenery's free,"
"Yes Hut can you put me up?"
"Oh. as far as I'm concerned."
agreed Onle heartily "Hut," with one
of his ciuitasloiis chuckle. "I'm only
river Imihs Yoifll have to tlx It up
Uojllfcd hi plate ami walked across
ton vacant place Hero he found liliu
e,ir ii'ikt to Nowumrk.
"Hollo!" ho greeted that young man,
'Tlxcd II with the doctor all right?"
"Yes," replied Nownmrk. "thanks, I
think 1 ought to toll you that the slier
Iff In not nt Spruce Itaplds, but tit the
village-expecting trouble."
Orde roared In delight
"Hoys." he called, "old Plug Hat's
got tho sheriff right utimly Has ho
n pose'" Inquired Onle of Nownmrk
"I didn't see any, but 1 hoard that
the governor hud been advised to hold
troops In readiness,"
At last Orde's face cleared, and he
slapped down his tin plate violently
"I have It I" he cried aloud
Ho Instructed n half dozen men to
provide themselves with saws, axes,
picks mid shovels nndunrch toward
the milt,
When near the structure tho river
man saw the lank, black II sure of the
mill owner mount a bony old horse
ami clatter away Into the forest.
Onto rapidly designated ten uieu of
his crew "You niako things hum.
Hot ns much done as you can before
tho sheriff comes, ami when that slier
IT ciiinos I want you to go peaceably.
Understand?"
"Cave In? .Not uiucli!" cried l'urdy.
"See here," and Orde drew them
aside In i-irnest conversation. When
he had Mulshed he clapped each of
them on the back, and nil moved otT,
hiuuliltig, to the dam.
"Now, boys," he commanded tho
others, "no row without orders. If
there's going to bo n light I'll give
the word."
The chopplnc crew descended to the
bottom of tho sluice, the gate of which
had been shut, and began Imuicdlately
to chop awsy at the apron,
The work had continued nearly an
hour when Onle commanded the fifty
or mon' Idlers bsck to camp
The sheriff will bo hero pretty
quick now,"
"And leave them to fight alono7
with the doctor-the cook. I mean." he ( (jness not." grumbled a tall, burly In
explained, as Newmark looked puxsled. j dividual,
When a rough, sturdy, man
mastering lumber driver, boss of
the lawless "river jacks," starts
eat io win the heart and hand of
mn aristocratic young woman of
eastern wealth and fashion, in
teresting things are apt to hap.
jwn. They do happen, as read
era of this story will agree. Jack
Orde is the type of man who ha
gone into the American wilder
nesses and reclaimed them from
themselves, from lawbrcaking
and debauchery. The brilliant au
thora descriptions ot tho battles
between man and nature and
between man and man in the tum
tetncje of the great north
west set one's blood a-tingle.
They show that man is superman
when courage swells his heart.
1 And the wooing and winning oj
j Carroll Bishop by Jack Ordo
supply captivating romance that
cannot Jail to charm,
T
IIE time was
and tho placo
river above a
tnlnatlng In a
the year 1872
a bend In the
long pond ter
dnm. Beyond
this dam and on a Oat lnwer than It
stood a two story mill structure A
"That sluice Is a good six foot too
high."
"Is that spr cried the old man ex
cltedly. "Well. I'm giving you nil the
Jaw gives you, and that's the natural
flow of the river, and not a thing more
will you get."
Somewhat nHtonlshed at this out
break, the two rlvermon stood for a
moment staring nt the old man. ThulJ
a steely glint crept Into Ordo's fnmk
bluo eye And the corners of his mouth
tightened.
"W want no trouble with you. Mr.
Reed," said Ordo. "But this Is the
only dam od the river wth sluices built
up that way. and I do know that we'll
never ge those logs out ff we don't
get more' draw on the water. Good
day "
"By tour oicn folly htll Vt pcrtii.1
and you ain't even made a start get
tLn' through this dam! We'll lose the
water next!"
"Keep your shirt on." advised Onle.
"If you want these logs pushed any
faster, do It yourself"
"If yon can't get out logs, why do
you ti!:o the Jub'-" manil Johnson "If
you hang my drive, blank you. you'll
catch It for damages! I toll you our
mills need logs, and, what's more,
they're a-goln' to git them!"
He departed In n nimble of rltupera
tt?u, Orde found tho old mill owner occu
pying a chair tilted back against ths
wall of the building. Ills milled plug
hat wue thrust, as usual, well away
from his high and narrow forehead.
He was whittling a pine stick, which
he hojd pointing down between his
spread liHAos, anu conversing animat
edly with n young fellow occupying an
other chair at his side.
"I want to talk this matter over,"
Orde legan. "We can't afford to hnng
up the drive, and the water Is going
down every day We've got to hove
more water. I'll toll you whjjt we'll
do: If you'll let us cut down the new
bIH we'll renla'-e It In god shape when
we gel all our logs through."
"No, sir!"
"Well, we'll give you something for
the privilege. What do you think Is
fair?"
"I tell you I'll glvo you your legal
rights and not a cent more," replied
"You'll find him at camp."
In the center of the stream the work
had been gradually stowing down to a
standstill with the subsidence of the
(lrst rush of water after the sluice
galu was oncd Tom North, leaning
grscefully against the shaft of a
oavy. looked up eagerly as Onle op
pnisohed "Is It peace or war?"
"War." replied Onle briefly.
Chapter
5
"Am I bossing this drive?" demand
ed Onle ,
The riverman growled.
.Smack, smack, sounded Ordr's flits,
The man went down In n heap, tiut
immediately rebounded to hi feet.
Onto sclgcd n peavy and stood with
the murderous wcnMu upraised.
"I.le down, you hound, or I'll brain
you!" he roared at the lop of his great
Voice.
The man crouched, breathless.
"Man h!" commanded Orde "You're
through."
The man sullenly arose and slouch
ed away.
Tho other men turned to the trail,
leiivliii flu, ln nt Hit- liili-.t WIiimi
' wtthln the fringe of the brush Orde
I called n halt.
"Now. boys," be commanded, "squat
down nml lay low. If tight would do
any good you know mighty well I'd
I tlslit, And the boys won't be In Jail
this moment tho cook stepped " lBer than It tukos to gel n wire
into vuw and sent ..cross, the , '.t "fi
water s long, vrelrd and not un- T n,., ,helr nine, and settl.nl
musical cry The men at once,llrtwa to on nj0nient of the sltua
begun slowly to drift In the direction (Ion.
of the camp. There, when the tin ( a half hour elapsed beforo thrt slttl-
A
plates had all hcoh tilled. Orde addrese
ed them,
"Hoys," said he, "the old mossback
has built up the sill of that gate until
we can't get a draw on the water, and
he refuse to give, lend or sell us the
right io cut her out. Now, we've got
to got those logs out Johnny 81ms,
what's the aniwer?"
"Cut her out." grinned Sims
"Co'rrect, replied Orde. with a
chuckle, "Hut It's against the law to
Interfere with another man's prop
erty." This was so obviously humorous In
Intent that It only reception consisted
of more grins from everybody
"The nearer sheriff's nt Hpruce
Itapld," commented some one philo
sophically
"W" have sixty men, nil told." said
Orde "Wo ought to be able to carry
It throiish,"
of Ion developed further. Then Tom
North's friend Jim, who had gathered
his long figure on the top of a stump.
uiiclasHsl his knees and remarked that
old Plus Hat was back.
Th men peered cautiously through
; the brush They saw Heed, nccompa
, nlcd by the sheriff, approach the dam.
The working crew stacked their tools,
resumed their Jackets and departed
with the sheriff.
"Well, I'll be denied:" ejaculated one
of the concealed rlvermen. "That's the
first time J over see one lonesome slier
, IT snther lr 'en rl'-cr hogs without the
nld of a Oafllu"1
I Onle watched them (IMfippear.
''.Mm," said lie. "and you. Kills, and
you, and you. and you. ami yoi(, get to
work on that dam. And rementjier
thls-lf you are arrested, go peaceably,
Any resistance will spoil the whole
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