| Show 1 BELOW ZERO Li A Romance of the i North Woods I s V Harold Titus 4 iJ W ac U 1 Sly y guess is tams ne tIt said The same people have been badgering badger badger- ing leg us for weeks weel s pulled this The They sent this poor pour devil de In lu here with a Jug of or gasoline He Ie shook hay liny out along the he barn floor poured the flue gas gason gason as ason on It and touched It ore oil Hed He'd naturally nat net start stort her to the rear first and as he bent hent over o to set It going behind Prince the old fellow got him match The sheriff scratched a and lighted his frayed ed cl cigar ar Im Pm goin to tell the curious Just what I everybody dy else out here but you ou seems to think he said Im goin goIn goIn go go- In to tell them that here was some bum burn walkin In for a Job no Ie gets to camp sees er e everybody's bo ys y's In the hay and knows know hes he's likely to catch h h J if It he wakes em ern up So he slips Into the barn which Is warm enough h for tor anybody to sleep In lights his pipe goes oes to sleep and ond there you are arc Ive been what went neat on here a long time I been you ou and what youve you've done since you rou took hold bold Its It's enough what Ive I've seen enough to Judge you ou and aud to make a pretty prett good guess nt at what else went on Your friend here jerking here Jerking his thumb towards tire e U figure ure beneath the blanket blanket- went to work for Burke at the Belknap Gorbel Corbel camp last Mon- Mon day The devil i devil Yeah He stripped the time foil from rom another cigar I guess Steele we understand each other r lie He winked winked a R bit grimly Go to to It John said under his breath II Sounds of ot saw and hammer filled the tire air Men moved methodically from place to place On the ashes of yesterdays yesterday's s barn a 8 new rough structure grew gre And Ellen Richards Rich Illch- ards as ns she stood on a stump and fil watched the framework grow 7 J watched the roof root go on watched sheeting slapped Into place and held and nailed home borne smiled with misted e eyes es Who wouldn't seeing your men work worl that way and seeing one of them move more about quiet ass assured I competent directing It all an for tor you ou 1 I IThe The barn would be habitable Corthe for Cor forthe the teams that nl night ht a 11 few tew hours of work by a dozen men tomorrow would complete It a n track problem at the crossing had become press press- pressing ing and John welcomed the chance to to ride that far with Ellen He would return on a speeder They were at the cros crossing ln a time while Tiny tinkered and John watched Ellen viewing the long strings of loads taxing tl the storage capacities of or waiting waltin to tobe tobe be moved Into Kamp est lie saw i her look at the short little train of ot her own logs the they had mad dragged ged up the grade and her shoulders slacked Blacked A feast for tor the them she commented comment comment- nt ed ed and for us famine 1 I IThe The look ook- ook In her e eyes es wrenched his heart Her hands closed on his tightly and then she was gone He lIe stood i I b I i I I 1 Guess Steele We Understand Each Other for tor a time watching the train rock 4 on towards Shoestring steam shut shutoff c off ort now as DS the they slid down lown the stiff t grades that led Into town Feast or a famine 1 Not his fathers father's lathers fa fu la iii ther's doing this Corbels Corbel's probably probably ably but the situation was real realand realand and acute and ho lie could not recover reco 7 er cr from the look on the girls girl's face tace He lie walked along a switch Oiled filled with loaded cars awaiting a removal to the Belknap G Corbel rhel Not since the blizzard had the branch been cl cleaned ned out onto Only enough cars cm'S were moved to niche o room for more coming coaling In from the Belknap Corbel Cor Gor- Gorbet bel bet camps I Even en a switch theretofore used only by the Richards empties had been commandeered Ho He counted the cars standing there Twenty Twenty- two there were seven Neven thousand feet to a load enough for tor a 8 four day cut If It those belonged to Ellen now The car wheels were blocked because the switch ran Into the Shoestring line on the down down He ne e eyed ed one of those charred chunks which supplemented supplement supplement- ed the hold of ot set hand bl brakes kes as ns though h he had never ne seen such a device de used before Then he be bevent went vent wenton venton on whistling tunelessly to himself He laughed after a moment and said aloud Fire fires fire's best fought with Ore fire He talked with the crossing tender tender ten ten- der of ot the track difficulties outlined temporary repairs The man asked for the next night of oft off apologetically his wife wanted an evening of or movies mo John told him to plan plon It a bit more heartily than even he was wont ont to grant favors to men He lIe had a n plan had John He had noticed that the Belknap Corbel Gorbel man who had lead ridden In Inthe Inthe inthe the caboose was hanging about the crossing He Ue walked with a pronounced pro flounced limp and as John Jolin and the tho tender started for the little house where the thc gas car was stored he approached ap ap- Jim Jim aint they making a run from this evening he asked No uNo had trouble In the yards the tender said My l hard luck then the man said Id ou ought ht to ve ye e telephoned and found out He lIe looked at JohnIs John Is Ills there an any chance getting back to camp comp tonight Ride In on the speeder with me me If It you want pc That was n agreeable to the stranger A mile out of ot the crossing as they rolled through the twilight towards timber on the horizon hori his hits passenger put a hand band on Johns John's shoulder and asI asked ed Would you ou shut her off oft a n minute min ute I got something to talk about John threw off the switch the motor went dead and they rolled to a stop there In do the solitude of or snow blanketed eted Mr il Steele the passenger said the sheriff sherin told me about your our fire I 1 heard him talking to the train crew nb about ut It and how he thinks that the man thc they're re taking to Shoestring Shoestring Shoe Shoe- string wandered Into your our barn while he was drunk and set the place off oil trying to smoke He pa paused used I try tr try try-to Ito to be he a dece decent t citizen I Itry Itry Itry try to be lo loyal al to the man that hires titres and pa pays s 's me But I like Tike horses I like e em better hetter than I like humans m my wife wICe says I I used to be a n barn boss for hut but 1 l got this stiff leg and cant can't get around so much Tin Im filing for Corbel In camp now I dont don't like to bite the hand that feeds ee s me but hut Im I'm decent decent de de- de c cent nt I Something dogged about him then What Ive I've gut got ot to say Is this that a man who'll burn hurn horses alive e dont don't deserve lo loyalty he lie dont don't deserve deserve de de- de serve an anything but the worst he can get 1 That's why Im I'm 01 going to tell teU you ou what I know I That man under the blanket In your way car worked In our camp for three da days s He was no good Ho just made motions Instead of ot otI I working But yesterday afternoon Corbel came carne to camp lie He and this I I man stood outside the window ow of or orI my DIY shop for a n Iou tom long time 1 I went ent I out and then went bock back to get some some- thing It takes es me rue a long time lIme to walk a little ways as I 1 didn't aim RIm to spy but when 1 I got ot back there Mr Steele these two men were over o by bythe bythe bythe the gasoline tank which sets off oil by Itself drawing off oIT gasoline Johns John's heart henrt leaped They drew a n Jug of or It The man went out and walked down the track Corbel Gorbel went In and antI ate and androe drove ro e hack to that night Wo We haven't seen the man since since- 1 0 He ended culled with a grim rim nod We found a 8 broken jug In the ruins John said A 0 plain glass gallon Jug jag what they had 1 the other whispered John swore softly We Ve knew It was set set he said Were keeping still w were we're re going to try to run this thing down without any fuss Now If It you'll toll tell the sheriff what youve you've told me his Job would be easy The other hesitated then twisted his head In a n nod of assentI assentI assent I will he promised e I 1 dont don't like to get an any man Into trouble but Its It's the horses you see I uJ 1 understand Nobody likes to squawk k hut but In a n case like this Its It's almost mans man's a duty what I n figure ure too I I. I Id I'd made up HI u my mw mind to q quit t work work- l Ing g for Corbel Gorbel tonight but 1 mayEe It'll ItU be better belter If It I stay slay on on eu e even ItI if It I I I hate to take money from a man lIko that You stay on on John s said Ill pass your our story along to Ur Bradshaw and hell he'll see you OU sometime when it wont won't give his hand away Ill urn help all an I cap can even to on for tor Belknap Corbel Gorbel grimly My y names name's DeYoung When you want me send word vord CHAPTER VI VIA VIA GAIN CAIN something new for a ayoung ayoung A AGAIN young oung man mon to consider as he rolled roBed along towards camp Until now this had hud been a fight without the law now the he possibility loomed that a sovereign states state's authority might step In and help In thwarting the persecution which was being directed against Ellen Richards John was convinced con now that this whole affair was without old Toms Tom's knowledge e or consent His rage against his father tather was wholly gone before a feeling that the old man was peculiarly dependent on em him for aid In Ia clearing his name of ot the smirch that had been placed on itin It ItIn ItIn In this community Corbel Gorbel was the man he told him him- self This was Corbels Corbel's doing from Crom first to last Ills His father after atter years of ot wisely picking his men had at last Involved himself with a n rascal But nut setting opinions aright the releasing of this tills urge for tor Ellen Richards which was growing so enormously in do his heart henrt could not command his first attention paramount paramount para parn mount as ns they were ere Other things crowded In before them He must I above e all aU keep the Richards Lumber Lumber Lum Lum- ber company alive e until he could force torce matters matters to clear themselves es i He went at once to Jack Talt Tait and amI they stood outside the barn and I tall talked ed for long In the he beginning I the barn boss nodded mildly from time to time at the time end he lie was spitting tobacco Juice and und his old eyes were ablaze with wholehearted whole heart ed enthusiasm A team team team-a a white team came team came In Inoff Inoff off oil the Job at noon The teamster was put at nt other work The wood wood- butcher lied had chopped stove length sticks In two and had charred them in the blacksmith sho shop as car bl blocks are treated At two o'clock Jack fait Talt hitched the white horses to a light lIht sleigh h tossed the freshly made blocks In and drove ore oil chewing n John went out with the flue loads and antI when he dropped droppel off oft at the crossing crossIng cross cross- Ing Way Bill looked at him Jim and his wife here are goIn goIng going go- go In Ing to paint Shoestring tonight ht I 1 IJohn IJohn John Inn laughed hed I Just wanted to see that you got up the hump Jack Tails felts bringing illg In a n team learn and m Ill I'll ride buck back k with him bite Slon Slung I Have na a n good time Jim and buy huy the missus misses popcorn I Where do you hide the key In case I want to get warm On top the door casing to the left Jert Right Good luck He stood there as the train broke over to o the down grade g rocking In Inthe Inthe inthe the late Inte afternoon stillness towards Shoestring It was very quiet a n light sno snow was falling flakes large and feathery feathery feath teath ery blotting out the tracks mea men made not long before He strolled down the main line down over the break on for tor twenty rods Thieve There he paused looked right and left and nodded grimly grimily At dusk he heard Jack Talt coming coming com com- ing and walked out to meet him Well carry the blocks over he said This snow ml might ht stop runner runner run run- ner tracks wouldn't be so good Horse tracks are harder to trace While Jack fed his team John went Into Jims Jim's house and telephoned tele tele- phoned A private line this with no chance of ot a central operator overhearing He called for the rail mill foremans foreman's office said suld crisply Its Steele Roberts How do things stand Not so BO good I Weve We've only only got thirty thousand In the yards tonight and its it's snowing here Now listen and dont don't ask ques Ques- Get your our supper as soon as s you can come back to your our office and stand by the telephone O 0 K answered the man Steele and Jack ate a n cold meal hastily and went outside From the sleigh they carried arm loads of ot charred blocks and strung them there along the track down beyond the break In the grade This done Jack took the time evener ener from rom his sleigh hooked a n decking chain to it and drove his team across the tracks to the time long line of ot Belknap Corbel Gorbel loads waiting on the switch The wings of ot the plow hu lied had shoved the snow now back to give ample room Jack hooked his chain to the arch her bar of the first c cars car's rs r's front trucks I I while John knocked the blocks from the wheels and und mounted the car grasping the brake brako wheel I I All right he tie said and Jack spoke to his horses They rhey leaned Into the collars strained hung and then the car slowly started to move With the flue wheels once turning It was easy Out onto the time main line they trundled and John set the brake gradually ln driving the shoes shoei tI tighter against the wheels as the grade became pronounce pronounced Steady now She wants to roll J l He lIe WIl was straining on the wheel with all his weight Jack pulled In his till team until slack of tJ the e chain cluda e dangled an led in the tho snow unhooked seized a block and held It on the rail before the wheel I th tire fire n munched Into Its I I I I surface In Us its own length then the car came to a grudging halt baIt Quickly they thrust more blocks in pla place e and turned the team backward back Down they came carne with another car repenting repeating the process careful to let Jet It ease most gently against the first they had moved blocking It securely making the coupling fast Back again They spoke but little and then In undertones thou though h they were Vere miles from other ears cars Snow v fell fen faster taster Ankle deep shin deep light fluffy flurry flakes Oakes fell tell steadily The last car went Into place the final coupling was made Get your team back to the sleigh h I now now John whispered Ill call Roberts I In the house again he ran rang the I mill office and the foreman answered answered an an- 1 at once I Is the last yard switch open John asked I Ought to be Always s 's Is That's orders Yes I can cnn see the lI light ht from here Then stay In your office and keep your our e eyes es open And If Ir- Ir Iran an anybody body starts down that yard get em emback emback II back 1 1 Out they went carrying axes Up Upon Upon Upon on th the first car John climbed and released the brakes Jack knocked the blocks from the wheels Pack Back to the next repeating the operation opera opera- operation tion a n third and a n fourth were re re- leased The train stirred a bit as ns the freed cars took up slack Another Another An An- other wheel spun more blocks were knocked out The train was chucking groaning as ns the freed reed cars on the far tar end end strained ed at the time anchorage formed by those at the rear As John mounted the third from the last It stirred a n trifle trine He smiled to himself him him- self Snappy he |
