Show BELOW ZERO A Romance of the 1 North Wo I y Harold r Tt Titus i uS other other- workers were tu nus cusy 7 AHU na n nu around the end of the pond came John Belknap walking swiftly s pike pike- pole over his shoulder Ile Lie was abreast the cpr car now and the prowler prowl prowl- er hands on the trips bent Jent low to look b beneath neath saw his legs A hiss of breath a Jerk jerl with great reat and logs were careening down upon the man beneath Jeneath them On the first stir John looked sharply He lie had n a glimpse of a smooth beech lo log bursting from the chains that had held It hurtling at him through the air outrider of a score of others rolling bouncing leaping towards him No place to go there 1 I Eight feet ahead would put him In the clear eight feet backward and he lie would be safe But nut eight feet are arc two strides es It takes tales a man time timeto to get un under er way One other place then the pond I Before the pike pole pile pole which had been Jeen on his shoulder hit lilt the ground k he dived for a n gap gnp between two J 1 logs In the thee pom pond To strike them to have hn that rolling Umber timber come on him would woul crush life Ufe out He Ile had to make It Eyes Eres open han hands s extended he cut the water water His hip brushed the log I and as he went un under tinder er swimming mightily he felt the first of the down rolling down rolling deck eck touch his le leg Touch It I That was all He had found an nn opening He lie had missed catastrophe b by Inches Ole had seen With a cry he saw v John dl disappear He lIe gauged the dis dis- tance He swung his pike pole He brought his weight to bear benr on a riding high log an and shoved it with I Ii i J I V V vs The Excited Swede Tried to Drag Him Out all his strength crowding it away with his pole shoving the one on which he lie stood In the direction tion with his feet HI BI he yelled Iii HI John I IA IA A bulging a swirling An arm shot through a face showed and John Belknap grasping a log was choking and gagging for breath The excited Swe Swede e tried to drag him film out All right Let me breathe I he be gasped and Ole stood up as ns others came running What happened Anbo Anybody hurt Who was It Chattering ha then as us John still panting slinking shaking with cold dragged ragged himself out I All right I I he lie gasped d and then to Ole Much obliged I Seemed to swim an nn hour lookIng lookIng look- look Ing lag for a hole I Py gosh John Johan you come by a n afire afire fire now said lId Ole as ns water si stream stream- ream reaming I lug ing from his woolen clothing John male made his way 3 to shore hore across the logs He lie was sh shivering but he shook his Ills head Not ot now Ole Not yet Got Cot something something some thing to do first As he lie troll trotted traded around the pond under the sll slide e load and inside made for the car from t which r fo four r thousand feet of lo lugs logs s had rumbled down n to menace menace men men- ace lice him Ole put pat lilt down his Ills pike pike- pole and followed Careful Ole Old I the boy cautioned cau can teeth chattering Dont step stepIn I In his tracks Got a mn match P r Edging r along g so that his feet would nut not obliterate away any of the lIle there In the newly fallen snow the tile tiler r older man drew matches from frow his V pocket und lighted one e. e lIe He came cane In from frum yonder on cl John said lId pointing to lumber piles idles lie He 5 stood there behind that truck awhile u Ii while squatted down ll see sec Heres Here's J where his weight rocked up UI on the balls of or his feet Came over a. a here and afterwards s went out that way war See ee wHere he ran rau rani r. r Who l' l olin 7 Ole asked puzzled nuzzled i Whoever cr tripped llie stukes to let letl l 4 s the to lu load down on ot me 1 I John Juhn laughed laughe harsh harshly I You dl didn't lIt think the they Just let go dl did you ou Ole OleT f breathed hr his companion I Hustle with the light now Lets Let's s see e what we can s see sec Together they the bent low over the trucks tracks while Ole str struck ck a fresh match New rubbers see Ole See that star brand In iii the heel Ol Old ones woul wouldn't nt leave a clean mark like that looks like the work of ot a adie adie adie die Heavy y big bah bl Ulan matt Quickly he be spanned the footprints I with spread fingers lingers to gauge the dimensions dl di i of or the footmarks Long stepper er too See how far he stepped when he lit o out t for cover cr Tall as us I Iam Iam Iam am Ole The fhe Swede was speechless I until John Johan st staring ring oft off Into the shadows of the lumber yard Involuntarily moaned mO with the cold up Py gosh bosh onn you OU come ome by a afire afire fire tIre now quid quick lie Ie went then standing before open fire-box fire in lu the boiler room undressing undressing un dressing there staring nt at the roaring roaring roar roar- ing IlIg orange mass Ulass of or blazing wood which drove e the col cold rum from his bo body y und and set his garments steaming The Tile tl lighting fighting light lIht in his e eyes es was something something some sume- thing to behold and s s he later Inter changed change from his half dried clothing In his room rubbing his great bo body y briskly to drive drle o out t the last lust of the chill ch his movements mo were quick and sharp possessing a distinctly vindictive yin vin quality He lle di did not eat He went instead from store to store where footgear was sol sold In 1 In the third nn and last place piece where he might Iliad find a clew the proprietor a advised alse lse one to bet his life he had rubbers John did not listen as the man wan extolled extolled ex ex- ex tolled the virtues of his wares He held a rubber in his hand han gazing at atthe atthe atthe the raised ruise star in the heel Sold many Well not many man Only two pairs yet You ask the buys bus though They'll he ll tell you the they fit fine around the foot Try fr one on and If Not now Who bought The merchant scratched his head an and told him the names of his purchasers pur pur- chasers The last man mentioned the suspicion that had been In Johns John's min mind The recreation hall was accommodating accommodating Iti Ju usual evening e throng when John entered Baxter Buxter was sitting sitting sit sit- ting tins the wall a pimply faced Ia lad grinning at him from one sl side e another loafer loufer sitting bent far forward forward forward for for- ward elbows on ou his knees syco syco- He Ie looked up perhaps a trifle trIne warily as ns John approached His han hands s were In his pockets one foot crossed over the other knee Put Iut up lip your our foot Baxter 1 John sal said sharply coning coming to a halt bo boo fore Core him The maul man started Who says so sn he asked aled truculently I do Put It ap up The Tune man laughed If It you want my foot up he growled drawing his hula hall hands s from his pockets you ou go down and git It Itan an and and John went down II with a swoop and anda a crouch a swing of his one hand han fastening on the mans man's ankle a backward sway dragging Baxter from his chair with a thud a n crash an nn oath One leg In the tile air hel held there by that hand seated on the tile floor for fora a split second the man ga gawped while his face 1100 flooded ed with ugliness John stared shared down at the sole sale big JIg star little stars crepe rubber on the sole Thought so EO sol I he lie said with a I sharp nod an and let the tile resisting g le leg I go Baxter had started to turn over o with a mighty might heave hea of his great body as ns John relinquished his grip grin His Ells foot dropped and upset upset him again but he came up with an agile scram scramble le cursing clenching his fists But Hut a man even en n a fighting man a n bullying fighting man mun doesn't wo wade e In an and crush a n man who stands before him mind on something other than fighting so completely that he heas pays as no attention to the drawing hack buck of your fist Baxter remained poised ready rendy to strike but Jilt not lint ff faring the thin torrent of words from frog young oung Belknap Belk- Belk nap who stepped closer one hand hund palm upward extended In a businesslike buts buts- busi sl sideways gesture If lilt you'd oud put It Il up It It'd saved ed you ou being set et down on your our lull tull flax nax- tea tor I 1 to see the hot bottom turn of If your new rubber cause because I 1 found a track in hi the snow a couple of hours u ago ugo o and put alongside e of other things I found out I figured your our rubber ruillier made mule that print Dont get ready to light fight yet I 1 IJohn John went eat on as he might have ha talked to an au enraged eura cd child there therell hi h be some lighting fighting between us us but not until youve you've ha hud had your our chance chane to get out of It IL It I Chancel Chance I Baxter shouted Say Suy you ou g gut got l a a Tot lot of r guts t of r gT l' l me a u chance to get et out of fighting you ou 1 V John nodded Yes I have Enough guts so BO you dont don't scare me very much Baxter And And- plenty to tell fell you what Ive I've come to tell Baxters Baxter's eyes eyes swept u a seg segment lent of or orthe the circle about them he tie swallowed quickly This was something newin the way of an encounter Tell What you got to tell teU me he demanded This Probably youve you've heard the boys saying that I came pretty near getting mine this evening out at the mill A load let go and I had to take taketo i to the pond Id I'd trusted those stakes Baxter They're the best patent stakes mn made e. e I didn't think they'd let goMy go My ty guess seems to ve ye been pretty prett good In the fresh snow fresh snow behind behind behind be be- hind that car were a mans man's tracks He stood for quite u a time In n the shadow of the trucks he stooped down there to see sec what was going on on the other side sille o o. o the car When the thing happened that hed he'd waited walled nn and watched for he tiptoed to the trips nn and let em cm go Then he hue ran run He paused a moment and his eyes ees for the first time smoldered ere He didn't get me Baxter I got out and found his tracks In the snow I 1 measured his foot Coot I saw the print of stars on the heel and a n crepe sole They were new rubbers So So are yours your our Yours ha have hae e the I stars stillS and the sole soie I haven't meas mens I urell yours ours yet because 1 I want to give you ou a u run for your our money money Ive e got this proposition to make It If f you O weren't the man In those rubbers rub bers ers stay right here lucre In If t youre you're oure here tomorrow night ut nt this time line Im I'm coming In here hele un und and take your our rubber off oft und measure It and If f Its It's the same size as ns that worn by bythe bythe the he man who tried to make pulp of me with saw logs Im I'm going to make muke pulp of or you ou with the only things I know mow how to fight with 1 These I 1 He extended his hands s then turned turne and In n an amazed silence made his way toward towar the door Baxter hitched at his pants and turned looking Into the faces about him ilm But now he read there not the sniveling admiration of the admittedly admit admit- edly inferior not the apprehensive glances of ot men who feared him lie He saw only contempt and rising smiles He knew well enough what th they y were vere thinking that at l last st he ha had encountered fear by O finding a man who vho had no rear fear He fe fell Into a amorose amorose amorose morose silence from which he rouse roused now and again to mutter threats of what would happen If John so ranch much us as stuck his face Insl Inside that door tomorrow tomorrow to to- morrow n night But he was afraid this Baxter caught between two wo fires From Prom behind Corbel Gorbel with witha a n club over o his head was goa goading beyond waited a youth who dis missed his threats as casually as he heI I would woul brush at a buzzing O. O fly And when the way freight went through at t two vo the next morning a heavy henvy man with a grain sack over his shoulder boarded the caboose Where you want to go Jack the con conductor asked Any place Out of ot this dump I Baxter growled CHAPTER X XIT IT JT T WAS at noon the next da day that the mill mm foreman hailed John as ns he returned from dinner din din- ner Got a new Job for tor you he said Barn boss Ever run a barn before before be be- fore tore N Never ever whittled off orr a chew of ot plug before he lie spoke again Well he lie said dryly I guess youre you're barn boss anyhow He Be stared through the dusty window a moment and then turned troubled eyes ees on the boy You most got yours ours last night son I heard you youlay youlay ou layout lay out Baxter He lie hauled between days but I got Jot just this to grimly say say grimly Watch your step Until lately Ive I've figured I 1 was for a n white man but hut things change seem to Or else wolves are oJ off their sheep sheep- I skins And An you ou dont don't yant ant to to talk because because be be- I be-I cause youre you're just playing a hunch That's fine Mac Ill I'll watch my ray I step I That night a letter was waiting wafting for Cor John postmarked Shoestring I Within was a n single sheet of paper I and written on It the lords cords i Meet me In the same place I n N. N B. B The sheriff was was' there before him driving his team to keep them from I cooling too rapidly News he whispered Here 1 Heres Here's telegrams and a flashlight John spread the sheets on his knees and snapped on on the beam I Yeah That come first Bradshaw Bradshaw Brad- Brad shaw shave muttered leaning forward to see John read North Star Lumber Co subsidiary subsidiary iary to Mid West Mid Forest Forest Products i stop Latter LaUer Incorporated year rear ugo ago In Michigan stop North Star statement statement statement state state- ment excellent and curries com comfortable comfortable comfort comfort- tort tort- able ablo cash balance loc locally Now when I got that Nat said I telegraphed right down to Ian Ian- sing Head read what they say I I MId West Mid Forest Products articles articles articles arti arti- cles Incorporated show Deman Hill Bill pres Paul Corbel Gorbel vice pres Agnes Hill secy seey and trens treas The paper shook In Johns John's hand Now Hill sal said Nat Nut Is Corbels Corbel's brother in law This N North rth Star company seems to be nil all In the fam faro il II ily thi how lo low down if It its it's ri Tiny any y of ot my r rny business I John told briefly brie what Marie had told him and the sheriff sheriF whistled your our father all ways from the Jack I r If he aint a crook Poor old Tom I John muttered hurt If Ie there has been anything any anything thing he lie prided ed himself on It was picking men This Is the first time I I. I know of that hes he's gone away wrong wrung FIn Finding It be like lile poison polson poi pol- son to him It lilt looks son like mee you ou were doln Join a It whole lot to drain that poison polson out What's happened here since you had bad your talk with this stenographer rapper Tile The boy related yesterdays yesterday's happenings hap und and his change of work and the sheriff grumbled In a rage Do you think theres there's a chance Gorbel Corbel might get scared and Jump j J John aIm aske asked The sheriff pondered a n moment I INot Not much mach chance he said lies Ites got too ton much at stake to jump before before be- be beI I I fore hes he's sure trouble Is on ou his heels No he wont won't jump u ur I IJohn J JJohn John Itc itched ae to be he ut at the bunk bank records records rec rec- r i Dreis to know what the they ml might ht reveal reveal re veal enl but Jut he could no move mo In that direction without exposing his entire hand bund So he waited performing per per- performing forming his duties about bout the barn spen spending lug his evenings c In the lion hall It was Saturday night another week eek was down lie |