Show THE FIST TO felYB 1 IN There was war in MiKces logging l loggthgwo camp I opened the clay after the men came into the woods It toad grown in intensity every hour Now the loggers log-gers were divided into two hostile fac tions that Included every qne but the boss and cook Ned Simonds and Bill Keirstead began i I How How do most quarrels begin but by thoughtless or misunderstanding misunderstand-ing The cause of this was almost too trivial to talk about Simonds had I been sarcastic at Keirsteads expense before breakfast The tongue is an unruly member but does its worst mischief on an empty stomach Keir stead sunken in spirit by the influence of the cold gray morning retorted and I said things he had no right to say Si i I mondss face turned pale as he heard i and he started toward the other but I I stopped half way I Why dont you lick him Ned I Lick that little runt He don t lte weigh so much as I do by fifty pounds I No it would be too sneaking Ill sarve him out though The quarrel might have ended there I would have ended there had it not been for each mans friends They insisted on placing the trouble in plain sight placing it on exhibition as it were Simonds and Keirstead were in different diff-erent gangs They had no opportunity opportun-ity to do each other those involuntary services that companion must by whose help coldness is insensibly melted melt-ed They listened to their friends all day At night they went unwillingly back to camp to sit and scowl at each other across the table nurse their bitterness bit-terness with their pipes and dream aboutrevenge Hatred envy malice and all un charitableness evil companions these for a long lonesome winter in the woods The trees fell and the days slipped slpped by In spite of all Christmas morning came No named it one i The loggers rolled out of their bunks a little later and took their pipes instead of their axes Their faces softened a little ltte the cook but that was as far as it perhaps when they glanced toward went When Bill Keirstead tramped through the snow at the doorhe had business in town there were greetings from his friends and sullen looks from Simondss men as there had been all along al SOme spark of Christmas kindliness might have been smoldering in the crowd If there was Jim Parker put I out He was one of Keirsteads men and the worst by all odds Goln ter bring Simonds a Christmas Christ-mas keerd Bill he asked Likely Keirstead answered brief ly Look here Keirstead I was Sam Smart meanest of the Simonds men who spoke Thes snow in the air Best not git drunk terday Simonds men laughed Oh no I d want ter lose all my wedges an git in the watchhouse sames you did in SL John last spring Keirsteads men laughed JCeirstead trudged off down the whitened road The slur rankled even I though he had paid it back with in terest Every man in the camp knew that he was pledged to stop drinking I was base he felt to revive the memory of his past recklessness I suppose Simonds put him up to it he muttered I ought to git square He was mistaken Simonds had not been one who laughed Smarts words disgusted him made him furious To say so however would sound as though he had backed down He looked at Smart for a moment wonder ing what stuff his heart was made of then wandered off into the silent woods trying not to think The rest of the men went into the camp One party took one side of the room the other the other When a man crossed the Invisible boundary line everbody lookeS at him The cook was a professor and he saw it all with unspeakable sadness i this is Chrismas day he muttered The Lord help us mutered Somehow the time wore on The sun went out of sight Gray clouds ob scured the sky and a certain warmth and softness filled the air Snow the loggers said When the boss came in at 3 oclock he shook a few clinging flakes from his heavy coat Wheres Simonds he aslced Oh I see Say Ned did you look at the logs I was tellin you about Clean fergot it Dont you want ter run down there now I aint better1 a mile you know an the snow wont amount to much for an hour yit Id like to have your opinion before we tackle em Ill go right down Welcome action of any kind he felt fel to break the monotony of this dreary day He started off at the word drear A long storm was brewing Looking around with the practised eye of the woodsman Simonds quickly made up his mind to that The wind was ris ing too The snow would drift as it drif fell That was good for work so far as I went I a cold snap only fol lowed i it would be a good deal easier to get out the cut Thinking of these things in aimless fashion he reached the Iogstrees I I that the boss had mentioned He mentned walked around and between the giant trunks decided on his report He gat been none too soon The snow was coming in a blinding whirl by this time The landscape was a drifting sheet of feathery white The branches above him were beginning to bend and settle under their load The path was blotted out Glad I aint got fur to go he mut tered He turned up his collar and colar settled his hands in his pockets wish ing his pipe were still alight He took a step toward home or i The least bit uncertain of the direc tion he cleared his eyes impatiently j and cast a sweeping glance around i What was that a little farther back at the place where the path had been II Surely a man Who the blazes would be comin away off here to gut lost He went up to the prostrate figure I and stooping close peered into the face ofBill Keirstead his enemy He rose again on the instant and broke away walking so rapidly that his walk was almost a run Soft bed hes got He wont want to turn out wheji the gang does to morrer mornin He shopped short twenty rods away Wonder if the fellers drunk 1 wouldnt take pity on a drunkard He turned a little and tried to look > back At that distance he could not see Bill How fast the snow must be covering him Koirsteads got a family He started to retrace his steps but very slowly his feet dragging lifelessly his head hanging low All at once he stood still trembling He smote his hands together and lifted his face to the unseen sky I aint so mean he cried as if In I answer to a spoken word I do take I all back I am glad Ive seen him He waited a moment like one who expects a reply nom n he ran to that I wmtemounded heap in the road and raised i to his shoulder and began the long fight back to the camp I Bill wants ter see ye Ned said the cook crossing to where Simonds sat elbows on knees staring at the floor I Simonds followed him You saved my life Ned said Kier stead weakly stretching a hand from his bunk I crawled two or three mile after I twisted my ankle but I couldnt git no further Ef it hadnt been fer you I guess Id been there yit Thank ye Ned Yere welcome Bill Simonds answered an-swered quietly I got some news for you Ned the other went on They told me at the store that your little girl wuz sick an the folks wanted ye ter come home if ye could I Thank ye Bill Hold on Ned J want tot own up l < 1 L C ter yer I acted sneakin about that r Storekeeper asked me ter tell ye said he couldnt send word otherways before be-fore tomorrer noon and maybe not forth enan I said I wouldnt tell ye th-I Iwo uld though i Id got back all right I got so shamed thinkin i over Thats all right Bill Their wo-hands m handset again I guess I wuz bout the fust one ter give in that I wuz a fool No Bill protested weakly I give in fust Walter L Sawyer in II YouthS Companion |