Love stories; Lumber trade -- Fiction; Maine -- Fiction
The cheer of the storm permeated all the camp on Enchanted. The cook
beamed on Wade with floury face. The bare ground had meant bare shelves.
He predicted the first supply-team for the morrow. He had been thriftily
"making a mitten out of a mouse's ear" for several weeks. Tommy Eye,
ploughing back from his good-night visit to the horse-hovel, proclaimed
his general pleasure for two reasons: No more bare-ground dragging for
the bob-sleds; no more too liberal dosing of bread dough with soap to
make the flour "spend" in lighter loaves. "Eats like wind and tastes
like a laundry," Tommy had grumbled.
The boss of the choppers moved along to give Wade the end of the "deacon
seat," and grinned amiably.
"That's a cheerful old song she's singing overhead to-night," he
remarked.
It needed a lumberman's interpretation to give it cheer.
There were far groanings, there were near sighs; there were silences,
when the soft rustle of the snow against the window-glass made all the
sound; there were sudden, tempestuous descents of the wind that rattled
the panes and made the throat of the open stove "whummle" like a
neighing horse.
Wade lighted his pipe with deep content. He enjoyed the rude fraternity
of the big camp. There was but little garrulity. Those who talked did so
in a drawling monotone that was keyed properly to the monotone of the
soughing trees outside--elbows on knees and eyes on the pole floor.
Clamor would not have suited that little patch of light niched in the
black, brooding night of the forest. But there was comfort within. The
blue smoke from pipe bowls curled up and mingled with the shadows
dancing against the low roof. The woollens, hung to dry on the long
poles, draped the dim openings of the bunks. The "spruce feathers"
within were still fresh, and resinous odors struggled against the more
athletic fragrance of the pipes.
Most of the men loafed along the "deacon seat," relaxed in the luxury of
laziness for that precious three hours between supper and nine o'clock.
A few, bending forward to catch the light from the bracket-lamp,
whittled patiently at what lumbermen call "doodahs"--odd little toys
destined for some best girl or admiring youngster at home. "Windy"
McPheters regaled those with an ear for music by cheerful efforts on his
mouth-harp, coming out strong on the tremolo, and jigging the heel of
his moccasined foot for time. And when "Windy" had no more breath left,
"Hitchbiddy" Wagg sang, after protracted persuasion, the only song he
knew--though one song of that character ought to suffice for any man's
musical attainments.
Its length may be understood when it is stated that it detailed all the
campaigns of the first Napoleon, and "Hitchbiddy" sang it doubled
forward, his elbows on his crossed knees, and the toe of his moccasin
flapping for the beat. He came down "the stretch" on the last verse with
vigor and expression:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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