l ones. It was said that Paul could spin a log till
the bark came off and then run ashore on the bubbles. He once threw a
peavy handle into the Mississippi at St. Louis and standing on it, poled
up to Brainerd, Minnesota. Paul was a "white water bucko" and rode water
so rough it would tear an ordinary man in two to drink out of the river.

* * * * *

JOHNNY Inkslinger was Paul's headquarters clerk. He invented bookkeeping
about the time Paul invented logging. He was something of a genius and
perfected his own office appliances to increase efficiency. His fountain
pen was made by running a hose from a barrel of ink and with it he could
"daub out a walk" quicker than the recipient of the pay-off could tie
the knot in his tussick rope.

[Illustration]

One winter Johnny left off crossing the "t's" and dotting the "i's" and
saved nine barrels of ink. The lumberjacks accused him of using a split
pencil to charge up the tobacco and socks they bought at the wanagan but
this was just bunkshanty talk (is this the origin of the classic term
"the bunk"?) for Johnny never cheated anyone.

* * * * *

HAVE you ever encountered the Mosquito of the North Country? You thought
they were pretty well developed animals with keen appetites didn't you?
Then you can appreciate what Paul Bunyan was up against when he was
surrounded by the vast swarms of the giant ancestors of the present race
of mosquitoes, getting their first taste of human victims. The present
mosquito is but a degenerate remnant of the species. Now they rarely
weigh more than a pound or measure more than fourteen or fifteen inches
from tip to tip.

Paul had to keep his men and oxen in the camps with doors and windows
barred. Men armed with pike-poles and axes fought off the insects that
tore the shakes off the roof in their efforts to gain entrance. The big
buck mosquitoes fought among themselves and trampled down the weaker
members of the swarm and to this alone Paul Bunyan and his crew owe
their lives.

Paul determined to conquer the mosquitoes before another season arrived.
He thought of the big Bumble Bees back home and sent for several yoke of
them. These, he hoped would destroy the mosquitoes. Sourdough Sam
brought out two pair of the bees, overland on foot. There was no other
way to travel for the flight of the beasts could not be controlled.
Their wings were strapped with surcingles, they checked