Show T T BELOW ZERO A Romance of the L North Woods a oc s J 4 I I t Harold H a o I d i i 3 Titus Tt 1 uS r J w ss v T r 1 of the country savoring in to use pur-use and Inflection of ot the timber She was a daughter of ot the camps for certain sprung from the same stock which had given him birth Out to the northwest vest they tolled up mile after mile of ot stiff stier grade grude and after seven se miles they crossed the main-line main branch with Its water water wa wa- ter tank and tenders tender's house From the crossing they rocked r. r and clanked down long grades towards to wards the distant timber stopped at the Belknap Corbel camps t. t spotted cars and then went on another an Wr r. r other three miles to Richards Camp r Sixteen woods headquarters He Just followed ved 10 her around He Ie Hemet Hemet f met men Saunders the foreman r Jack Tail Palt the barn boss hoss the cook I ii the scaler sealer the clerk Jerry Tubbs fat tat and asthmatic He heard her talk to these men us he himself f would have ha talked to men In his cm- cm r L ploy plo directly tersely In their own language But now and again ho he heard Items which Indicated the f j sorry deficiencies In her experience for such a task as ns that confronting f her He kept his e eyes ejes ns as well as ns ears open he lie asked questions of oC Ellen occasionally an and of a man here dud and there but all the time lime he was I restive up on the bit growing hourly hourly hour hour- ly more provoked with a ft girl who needed him but who would woul l keep him waiting 4 But In late hate afternoon when she J led the way WHY Into the office deserted for tor the moment she changed ceased to be the assured young business businesswoman woman filling a mans man's shoes more or less competently i The cru crude e officE was silent and J John olm closed the door She dropped Into a chair as though su suddenly enl weakened and her mouth worked Then she looked up upA A wIth a wry little smile an and asked Well Nell what do you think of It wire Hay I 1 he exploded explode Its slow v costly a Joke No wonder won won- 9 J der youre you're In trouble with a woods Job run like this one I Well Nell Well what would you ou do she asked trying to put some I tone of ot challenge into Inlo the words and falling failing He stood there and told her what he would do and why item by item told It t emphatically almost as though she were disputing him told It with a thoroughness and his agility of ot Interpretation She watched him lips parting as ashla his hla conviction carried him awa away and when he stopped again standing before before before be be- fore her saying ing Those are a few v of ot the things Id I'd do until I dug up more to do she turned turne away nY Into the sunset filtering through the naked tops of ot maple waple and birch and beech and her e eyes es misted Im glad giad you youre you're re looking for a ahard ahard hard Job John Steele l' l she said I calmly I think 1 I think Im I'm Imi i going to depend on you ou from now on He laughed then as a man will who Is coming corning out of a fright Ill do my best he lie said Now when a young oung man wholly mad Is Ie out to show what he can cando cando do and who has had an opportunity of ot displaying his capacities dangled 7 A before his eyes tantalizingly for a aday ai I i day that seem seemed like a week he Is bound to go fast once started j Ellen Richards Richards' new boss went r lure like the wind like Uke fire like a wild wildhorse I horse by day he drove dro his crews by hy night he lie sat In u the office once at camp campor or In town and laid plans for further further further fur fur- I ther driving The winters winter's operation had hud been i confined to a long narrow ravine t. t E- E Into which because of ot the contour of ot the country steel could not be f laid at Justified expense The fhe haul was along the bottom of or this sharp del depression to Its lower loner end and nod thence up a hill hUl where a tow team worked every hour get getting ling loa loads s to the top From there the sleighs doubled back on the high land paralleling par par- paralleling I the first part of the haul to liy reach rench the landing t. t Over three miles It was and at atone r. one point the steel came within ln W forty Corty ro rods s of ot the rim of the tile ravine ra jo We should be dumping right there I 1 l John exclaimed to toSa Saunders n ers t when he ho saw sawn the place Yeah Yenh But nut we wc dont don't haul by air air- airplane f p plane yet et I 1 the he foreman growled John said no more mor but his mind I was gas bus busy In the yard mill ard was nn old steam loader long long discarded ed It lt was gas not In bad shape and three r. r days daya later It was In the woods men J J. t. t were building n a road rond through the i deepening snow straight up the lie side of that pothole pot and on to the adjacent adjacent adjacent ad ad- jacent steel The jummer was set down skidded to the brink of the steep Bleep pitch and a cable coble b bent nt to the drum Teams left off the lie long journey Journey Jour jour- ney hey by Iced roads took their sleighs down the pitch to the i brought them loaded to the foot of oC t the le Incline unhooked and came up ahead while the power of the RapIds RapId's Rapids Rapid's Rap Rap- Ids Id's steam m engine snaked the lie lo loads da 1 t to the Top fop The tow team was liberated berated for tor forthe forthe the haul each sleigh was able to move an extra edra thousand a day costs were cut Dally the size of ot the decks at the new landing increased Increased Increased In In- creased log production was stepping stepping step step- ping up a fundamental shortcoming ing was being overcome o and as he hitt stood on the third afternoon following following follow v. ing the Initiation of ot his new v plan John muttered tightly see what Im I'm wound on I Tom 1 See what Im I'm wound on yet Yes the Richards operation had bad new life new vigor as long as ns John I had his fingers on each phase but buta a n man cant can't be In more than one place at a time each day has only its allotted hours He lie had had the train crew with him from the beginning and did not need to worry about getting the best out of oC what equipment he lie ha had there Tucker er the was spry enough eager enger enough It seemed but there were times tiDies when John felt that he could not holly trust the man Nothing he could put his finger on no delinquency he could point out Just Intuitive e distrust He won Jack Talt Falt the barn boss as a u stalwart friend b by sitting up through one bitter night to help minister to a n sick horse The horse died but Its distress had not been Johns John's primary motive In going without sleep He needed the thc staunch support of ot his men as any executive needs the faith and lo loyalty loyalty loy loy- alty of those at his command No business will succeed unless divisional divisional di dl visional heads are behind the management management management man man- heart and soul the backbone backbone backbone back back- bone of an arm army Is s Its non non-coms But the uphill pull commenced to show progress Forty thousand a ada aday day da John Jolin must put to the thc mill to keep the saw band-saw fe fed He began to do better than this by holiday time the reserve decked In the yard had crept up a trifle a two-day two cut was there waiting for Cor an emergency emergency emer emer- gency genc a three enough for tor four days I I Not time yet et for a long breath but time to let yourself hope a trifle show v you ou what Im I'm wound on I he lie growled between set teeth as he watched a load going on to the deck I Instead of directly Into the hot Not time yet for a long breath though The night watchman at the mill reported that In making hI his hla rounds an unidentified had bad run out of ot the locomotive stall A wrench was found dropped In the doorway and John put on a special l man to guard TIny's s old relic their only hope Three da days s 's la later ter running for one of ot the stiff stilt grades with four loads of logs bound for Tiny Temple looked hack back to see a car carleu leu leave ve the rails ralls to see sec the splintered ends of ot ties pop up through the snow to see the car take tale the ditch and go over oyer before he could stop It t. t Wrecking tools were In Shoestring Shoestring Shoestring Shoe Shoe- string and It t was necessary to make the run In for Jacks and They hot got ot the car back on and the track repaired but a day was lost and the margin of safety for the mill shrank Instead of growing Wa Way Bill lII and Tiny came to JohnA John A brake beam on that card been with the conductor said You could see the fresh wrench marks marls on the nuts What do you ou make of oC that lint I They know were we're gain too well Fixed to spill ns us to make trouble They care a d n d-n n about getting their logs moved The yards yard's full and If we keep on the main line wont won't be able uble to clean out the switches nt at the crossing More dirty work I lit IJohn John called culled Tucker Into the conference conference con con- ference terence but the road muster smiled and shook his head doubtfully Fairy story stor- lit he lie sol said You couldn't tell within two weeks when that been repaired Way Bill spat and anel big Tiny eyed Tucker with a look that was not Just pleasant John wondered f feel l. l log Ini a bit uneasy Thereafter he kept wrecking equipment In the way And now Corbels Corbel's Is I's men c com commenced com com- m- m enc d dumping at tv two o lan landings which meant that It would be necessary necessary necessary sary to spot two strings of emp empties es dull dully daily more minutes taken fr from m the time lime of Ellens Ellen's train crew A man must take It and grin thou though h. h John lohn knew that he lie had rend read r UlI the ol old contract contract contract con con- tract by which Richards agreed to transport those lots logs Ellen talked to him Limn In detail of or orthe the company finances to point out the necessity of going ra faster Cars of dried air-dried lumber rolled out of or Shoestring piles plies of green lumber grew New Now l Mans loans with lumber as security were n negotiated In Milwaukee kee to care for the tho curt demands of th tine I t bank hut But were we're only one one Jump ahead I of ot disaster she said s. These Mil Milwaukee I waukee bankers ers have been so decent decent docent de do- cent with us up to now but theres there's no telling when their good nature will give out If It we should shut shutdown shutdown shutdown down It would bring them up here hereIn In a n hurr hurry If It we can cnn Just keep goIng goIng go- go Ing lag I Th They y had not got abreast of ot the tho situation again as ns yet A four day up tie-up would leave the mill hungry Luck Lock Is with us Ellen sal said that night Weve had hind no blizzards since you en came me You seem to be able to checkmate their moves but you cant can't bent beat bad weather Cross your fingers lingers he said grimly Right he lie was The next afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon the placid western vestern sky hazed up and the temperature which had been moderate for days dropped suddenly A restive puffy wind began began began be be- gan to to blow and settle towards dusk to a moaning breeze which carried fine stinging snow before It Tiny Temple brought the train In an nn hour late locomotive e plastered plastered plastered plas plas- with snow festooned with Icicles and John who had been bu busy y yIn In town nIl all da day clay was there to meet him Get your suppers he told the crew going to be a buster Well lied run the plow tonight ht the way to lick it 1 a brakeman said Two hours for food for the lie men and coal conI and water for the engine r and to couple to the lie wing plow that stood ready on Its siding Men were there n a dozen of them armed with shovels els sitting In the tie heated way-car way waiting to give battle Tucker and find John and two section men were In n the plow the first brace to ride In the lookout and watch ahead the others to man manthe manthe manthe the big wheel which manipulated the wings They were nearing the first bad point and John leaned forward to see better Rend Ready there Open your our wines s 1 I he called colled and the men be be- low bent on the wheel turning It to force the wings outward so they would toss the displaced snow v far farto farto farto to either side An Immense up-en up upending ending cataract came over the front of the plow shutting of off their view cO completely John felt their speed diminish as though velvet faced had gripped the wheels and Tuc Tucker er bawled Let em fem In 1 A mn man mariat at the wheel kicked the trip the wings were squeezed back bad against the sides of the plow they held field their pace a moment longer and then came to a stop Johns John's snow fences had functioned functioned functioned and some of ot the lie cuts were easy to traverse because of oC these barriers which caught and held the lie snow to windward but In to other I places the going was Impossible A dozen times the were out tossing aside and waiting to shovel the plow free tree when Tiny wedged It into the drift At five In ILl n the morning they gained the mainline crossing Atop the ridge as ns It was the snow had bad mostly mostly most most- ly y blown away awny but Tucker held the wings open until they approached the last switch Tiring Bring em om m In lit I he called and chewed briskly as ns they bumped across the points It was the only I place on the lie line where caution must be used with the wings theone the theone I Ione one standard switch stand on the whole line Une was located there and I to pass It with wings extended might mean menn derailment John had arranged for tor breakfast at the crossing ten tenders tender's ers er's house by telephone before they left lett town and andas andas andas as he watched the men fall tall to the steaming food tood he grinned The battle battle bat bat bat- tle tIe wasn't over yet but he had held his own so tar far He Be had checkmated checkmated checkmated check check- mated old Toms Tom's ruthlessness he was wresting an even eren break from the weather He would not Dot have been so easy of mind would not have ha taken such a fierce glory In the conflict with snow had he known that lute yesterday afternoon afternoon after atter- noon In the shadow of a car of logs Tucker had listened to Paul Gorbel Corbel while the man talked slowly at first as ss one feeling his way rapidly later Inter as one who has hns achieved his end And now on Into camp hours of oC battle through the barren chop chop- pings until they gained the shelter of timber Tiny must tinker for half an nn hour with his engine men must rest Fresh could be taken on at nt camp cump but the engine engine engine en en- gine crew could not be replaced As day waned the wind dropped and snow thinned The temperature tempera tempera- ture fell too but the lie back of ot the storm was broken All that remained now was to reopen the road roud from the crossing on Into Shoestring seven miles and all aU down grade John opened the plow door waitIng waltIng wait walt Ing lug for hut stop stol The wings were spread and he could hear the fluff of snow they lIlly shoved cd out to either side Up above alone now Tucker grasped cd the llie hand rail lightly nud and braced his feet One Oue of or the he men menat menat menat at the wheel spoke to his mate Hn and looked upward u bit hit puzzled That standard switch stand was Just ahead From the engine came cume a n muffled Illumed toot Brakes set sharply They slowed but It was too tuo lute From Irom the he right u a thud nm and a u raspIng rasping rasp rasp- ing lag rattle as ns the lie will wing caught the switch stand tearing if Ii from frum Its an nu chor A J Jolt und and u a clank dauk from Crom the tie moving switch Just us as the plows plow's rear truck met the |