FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60  
61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   >>   >|  
grade, solid in foundation, and smooth as a turnpike, the quarter of which would have occupied the average county board of supervisors for five years. And while he was at it, Orde kept his men busy and satisfied. Your white-water birler is not an easy citizen to handle. Yet never once did the boss appear hurried or flustered. Always he wandered about, his hands in his pockets, chewing a twig, his round, wind-reddened face puckered humorously, his blue eyes twinkling, his square, burly form lazily relaxed. He seemed to meet his men almost solely on the plane of good-natured chaffing. Yet the work was done, and done efficiently, and Orde was the man responsible. The drive of which Orde had charge was to be delivered at the booms of Morrison and Daly, a mile or so above the city of Redding. Redding was a thriving place of about thirty thousand inhabitants, situated on a long rapids some forty miles from Lake Michigan. The water-power developed from the rapids explained Redding's existence. Most of the logs floated down the river were carried through to the village at the lake coast, where, strung up the river for eight or ten miles, stood a dozen or so big saw-mills, with concomitant booms, yards, and wharves. Morrison and Daly, however, had built a saw and planing mill at Redding, where they supplied most of the local trade and that of the surrounding country-side. The drive, then, was due to break up as soon as the logs should be safely impounded. The last camp was made some six or eight miles above the mill. From that point a good proportion of the rivermen, eager for a taste of the town, tramped away down the road, to return early in the morning, more or less drunk, but faithful to their job. One or two did not return. Among the revellers was the cook, Charlie, commonly called The Doctor. The rivermen early worked off the effects of their rather wild spree, and turned up at noon chipper as larks. Not so the cook. He moped about disconsolately all day; and in the evening, after his work had been finished, he looked so much like a chicken with the pip that Orde's attention was attracted. "Got that dark-brown taste, Charlie?" he inquired with mock solicitude. The cook mournfully shook his head. "Large head? Let's feel your pulse. Stick out your tongue, sonny." "I ain't been drinking, I tell you!" growled Charlie. "Drinking!" expostulated Orde, horrified. "Of course not! I hope none of MY boys ever take
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60  
61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Redding

 

Charlie

 

Morrison

 

return

 

rivermen

 

rapids

 

growled

 

tramped

 
expostulated
 

Drinking


faithful

 

morning

 

drinking

 
horrified
 

surrounding

 
country
 
safely
 
proportion
 

impounded

 
tongue

disconsolately

 

evening

 

turned

 

chipper

 

inquired

 

attention

 

attracted

 

chicken

 

finished

 
looked

revellers
 
effects
 
worked
 

solicitude

 

commonly

 

called

 
Doctor
 
mournfully
 
carried
 

Always


flustered
 

wandered

 

pockets

 

hurried

 

handle

 

citizen

 

chewing

 

twinkling

 

square

 

humorously