"You grown-up men, here," Higgins complained to his congregation, "ought to give the young fellows a chance to live decent lives. Shame to you that you don't! You've lived in filth and blasphemy and whiskey so long that maybe you don't know any better; but I want to tell you--every one of you--that these boys don't want that sort of thing. They remember their mothers and their sisters, and they want what's _clean!_ Now, you leave 'em alone. Give 'em a show to be decent. And I'm talking to _you_, Scotch Andrew"--with an angry thump of the pulpit and a swift belligerent advance--"and to _you_, Gin Thompson, sneaking back there in your bunk!" "Oh, hell!" said Gin Thompson. The Pilot was instantly confronting the lazy-lying man. "Gin," said he, "you'll take that back!" Gin laughed. "Understand me?" the wrathful preacher shouted. Gin Thompson understood. Very wisely--however unwillingly--he apologized. "That's all right, Pilot," said he; "you know I didn't mean nothin'." "Anyhow," the preacher muttered, returning to his pulpit and his sermon, "I'd rather preach than fight." * * * * * Not by any means all Higgins's sermons are of this nature; most are conventional enough, perhaps--but always vigorous and serviceable--and present the ancient Christian philosophy in an appealing and deeply reverent way. I recall, however, another downright and courageous display of dealing with the facts without gloves. It was especially fearless because the Pilot must have the permission of the proprietors before he may preach in the camps. It is related that a drunken logger--the proprietor of the camp--staggered into Higgins's service and sat down on the barrel which served for the pulpit. The preacher was discoursing on the duties of the employed to the employer. It tickled the drunken logger. "Hit 'em again, Pilot!" he applauded. "It'll do 'em good." Higgins pointed out the wrong worked the owners by the lumber-jacks' common custom of "jumping camp." "Give 'em hell!" shouted the logger. "It'll do 'em good." Higgins proceeded calmly to discuss the several evils of which the lumber-jacks may be accused in relation to their employers. "You're all right, Pilot," the logger agreed, clapping the preacher on the back. "Hit the ---- rascals again! It'll do 'em good."