Old Man Savarin Stories

is way through the tops of felled pines, jumped from little crags into seven feet of snow-Pinnager's men called him "a terror on snow-shoes." They never knew the di

he might make; for every one left in the woods he must pay stumpage and forfeit. Now hi

a small speculative jobber, who might or might not be able to pay in the spring. But Pinnager had some extraordinary teamsters

rn the whole forest floor to slush; but if the weather should "hold hard" for six week

ams had suddenly been taken out of his service. Pinnager, crossing a shant

leg's broke. His load slewed at the si

shouted Pinna

him to

are his

abl

out. He must take Davie's place-

't let any other ma

, all the more so because he knew that nothing short of breaking Davie McAndrews' neck would bre

he low door, and made straight for one of the double tier of dingy bunks. There lay a youth of eighteen, wi

re the leg's broke? I'd 'a thou

lf not old enough to have yon piece of road

as bad, the more yo

you and me choppin' words. I'm needing a

but I'll send you out home. A fine loss I'll be at!

e hard for ye; I ken that well. There's me and me feyther's horses gawn off, and you co

would be the same-more, too. Why, if I send out for the doctor, there's a team off for full fi

in' ony ither drive the horses my feyther entrustit to my lone? Would I be dependin' on Mr. Pinnager for keep, and me idle? Man, I'd

exclaimed

, man. Wha

e. A lad with his leg brok

maybe no. I'm f

snow,

' makin' weather suit ony but himsel'. But I'm gawn; the cost

nager, "and me needing it bad. A drive

dcessity you're in. I'll ask my feyther to send back the team, and another to the tail of it; it's like that Tam and Neil will be

, Davie! But you can't go a

wn, Pin

You can't water or feed your horses. There's forty miles the se

they'll have no force but to travel d

bound

and no meanin' it? Off wi' ye, man! The le

ible!" Pinnager had almost forgotten the

n may be idlin'. Get you gone, and send in Jock Scott, if he's man

ay-bed in his low, unboxed sleigh. A bag of oats supported his back; his unhurt leg was braced against a piece of plank spi

ght hand was shortened, that he might hang his reins there. His water-bucket was tied to another stake, and hi

ted: "I must send a man to drive.

credit at the settlement. But ye're needin' all your help, and I'd take sha

lled, deep-breathed, hardy, sure-footed, active, gentle, enduring, brave, and used to

ed on his face during the torture of carrying him to the sleigh. Not a sound from his lips, though! They could guess his sufferings from naught but his hard breathing through the nose,

l; but what if his sleigh should turn over at some sid

or fit for mighty men, and the swinging of axes and the crashing of huge pines and the tumbling of logs from r

separated by a ridge so high and hard that the sleigh-bottom often slid on it. Horses less sure-footed would have staggered much, and bitten crossly at on

ow, the snorting of the frosty-nosed team, the long whirring of startled grouse-Davie hea

he stir of partridge wings; the fine tracery of hemlocks stood clean; and birches snuggled in snow that mingled with their curling rags. Sometimes a breeze eddied downward in the aisles, and then all the undergro

raced his sound leg, and held on, feeling like to die with the horrible thrust of th

lf-breed Peter Whiteduck's midwood stopping

I'll no be moved mysel'. Maybe you'll fetch me a tin of tea; I'v

ey," said Peter, with commiserat

n't u

re you'll see de Widow Green

then," said Dav

ters awaiting supper at Widow Green's rude in

ut, som

d! The Widow Green, bustling about with fried pork, felt outr

somebody!" Dav

es Frost. "To be shoutin' like a lord!" Moses was too gre

ory for Narcisse, and he felt sure that Moses would

ns hout, hey?" said Narcisse. "I'll g

as he saw figures through the open door.

G IS

G IS

d cowered with legs up as a dog trying to placate an angry master. Then Moses carried Davie in as

the teamsters on the floor. They could do nothing for him; why should he awaken them? As for pitying himself, Davie could do nothing so fruitless. He fell to plans for getting teams in

es of living bone were griding together and also tearing cavities in the living flesh; but he must

for incoming laden ones. Turn out into seven feet of snow! Davie trusted that incoming teamsters would handle his

ixth team was hidden by the woodland curve. No teamsters were visible; they must be walking behind the procession; and Davie wasted no strength in shouting. On came the laden teams, till the steam o

is comrades behind, "There's a blamed idyit

man was at his horses' heads and two more ab

g is b

lying! Come, get out and tramp down snow for your hors

oke," Davie c

mea

ew off hi

" "It's a terror!" "Great spunk entirely!" Then

the crust for my horses; onhitch them; lift my sleigh o

n the last "string" of teams halted for lunch by the edge of a lake. The teamsters fed and watered his hor

said. "The last of the 'loading' that's

cross the rivers and over the lakes of that t

save Pinnager's bits of children. I'd waken out of it at the cahots-there was mair than enough. On the smooth my head

y some hours of sound sleep, and next morning he in

by three of the clock, if the Lord's willin', and get the doctor's hands on me. It's my leg I'

nnagers and all their neighbors of "the Scotch settlement" had won up by the tenacious labor and thrift of many years. Davie remembered well how, in his early boyh

ware that the road would become worse the longer they were on it, but about ten o'clock they inclined to stop where Davie could dimly see a long house and a

st the gallopers, now close behind him, should be over him and his low sleigh. Now his team broke into a run at the noises, but the fresh horses behind sped faster. The men were hidden from Davie by their crazed horses. He co

outh firmly, and knew not what to do. Then suddenly his horses swerved into the cross-road to the Scotch settlement, while

t home by the snowstorm, heard bells in his lane, a

iberately. "I wasna expeckin' Da

is a man who hates the appearance of haste; but his

ck wi' his leg broke! He's c

, woman! Y

e's like to die! Me daft, indeed! Ye'll need to send N

in, his will was occupied with the torture, but he had scarcely been la

Aleck leave to tak' the grays and warn the settlement that Pinnager's needin' teams sor

he needed; and yet he is far from as rich to-day as Davie McAndrews, the great B