a two-hundred-footer and
couldn't get her into the mill. Are you sure it wasn't a wind-blown
log?"

"I saw the butt had been freshly cross-cut," declared Thurston with an
ominous glitter in his eyes. "I understand you are pretty slack just
now. As a favor, would you hire your chopping gang to me for a few
days? I'll tell you why I want them later."

"I'll decide in a few minutes," he added, when Davies had told him what
the cost would be. Turning towards Summers he said: "There may be
several more big red firs growing handy beside the river, and I mean to
prevent any more accidents of this kind in future. If your employer
will not reimburse me, I will bear the cost myself. I would sooner
spend my last dollar than allow any of these loafers to coerce me."

The workmen stood still, all of them curious, and a few uneasy.
Raising one hand to demand attention, Thurston said: "A red fir was
felled by two or three among you to-day, and launched down stream after
darkness fell. I want the men who did it to step forward and explain
their reasons to me."

"You're a mighty bold man," remarked Summers--who knew that, although
few were actually dangerous, the malcontents outnumbered Thurston's
loyal assistants.

Among the listeners nobody moved, but there was a murmuring, and all
eyes were fixed upon the speaker, who, either by design or accident,
leaned upon the haft of a big ax.

"I hardly expected an answer," he went on. "Accordingly, I'll proceed
to name the men who I believe must know about this contemptible action,
and notify them that they will be paid off to-morrow."

A tumult of mingled wrath and applause started when Thurston coolly
called aloud a dozen names. One voice broke through the others: "We're
working for Julius Savine, an' don't count a bad two-bits on you," it
declared defiantly. "We'll all fling our tools into the river before
we let one of them fellows go."

"In that case the value of the tools will be deducted from the wages
due you," Thurston announced calmly. "After this notice, Julius
Savine's representative won't pay any of the men I mention, whether
they work or not; and nobody, who does not earn it, will get a single
meal out of the cook shanty. I'll give you until to-morrow to make up
your minds concerning what you will do." Aside to Davies he said:
"I'll take your lumber gang in any case. Go back and send them in as
soon as you can."

The assembly broke up in a divided stat