aul um an' bank
um on some river; thin in th' summer, Moncrossen an' his men'll slip
up, toggle um to light logs so they'll float, an' raft um to th'
railroad phwere there'll be a buyer from th' Eastern vaneer mills
waitin'.

"Ut's a crooked game, shtealin' Appleton's logs, an' haulin' um wid
Appleton's teams, an' drawin' Appleton's wages fer doin' ut.

"Now, bechune man an' man, th' big Swede's th' brains av th' gang. He's
a whole lot shmar-rter'n phwat he lets on. Such ain't th' nature av
men, but 'tis th' way av women."

Irish thoughtfully tamped his pipe-bowl, and the flare of the match
between his cupped palms brought out his honest features distinctly in
the darkness. Bill felt a strong liking for this homely philosopher,
and he listened as the other eyed him knowingly and continued:

"'Tis be experience we lear-rn. An' th' sooner a man lear-rns, th'
bether ut is fer um, that all women know more thin they let on--an'
they've always an ace fer a hole car-rd bekase av ut.

"Fer women run men, an' men politics, an' politics armies, an' armies
th' wor-rld--an' at th' bottom av ut all is th' wisdom an' schemin' av
women.

"Phwin a man fools a woman, he's a fool--fer she ain't fooled at all.
But, she ain't fool enough to let on she ain't fooled, fer well she
knows that as long as she knows more thin he thinks she knows, she
holds th' edge--an' th' divil av ut is, she does.

"Take a man, now; phwin ye know um, ye know um. He's always willin' to
admit he's as shmar-rt as he is, or a damn soight shmar-rter, which
don't fool no wan, fer 'tis phwat they expect.

"A man c'n brag an' lie about phwat he knows, an' phwere he's been, an'
phwat he's done; an' noine toimes out av tin, ye cud trust him to th'
inds av th' earth wid ye're lasht dollar.

"But wanst let um go out av his way to belittle himsilf an' phwat he
knows, an' Oi w'udn't trust him wid a bent penny as far as Oi cud t'row
a bull be th' tail fer 'tis done wid a purpose. 'Tis so wid
Shtromberg."

Fallon arose, consulted his watch, and led the way toward the
bunk-house.

"So now ye know fer phwy Moncrossen hates ye," he continued. "He knows
ye're a greener in th' woods, but he knows be this toime ye'll be a
har-rd man to handle, an' he fears ye. Oi've put ye wise to th'
bird's-eye game so ye c'n steer clear av ut, an' not be gittin' mixed
up in ut wan way or another."

"I am much obliged, Fallon, for what you have told me," replied Bill
quietly; "but