The Winds of Chance

n of ice which, during the night, had covered stagnant pools. The damp moss which carpets northern forests was

ce log which had been squared and marked with parallel chalk-lines and into which a whip-saw had eaten for several feet. Balanced upon this log was Tom Linton; in the sawdust directly under him stood Jerry Quirk. Mr. Linton glared downward, Mr. Quirk squinted

rritation. "How many times d'you want me to tel

ging your weight on those handles every time I lift. If you've got to chin your

u 'ain't got the grit and you've throwed up your tail. Lift her clean-don't try to saw goin' u

n, but-" He swallowed hard, then with difficulty voiced a

" he yelled. "I'll say anything I feel like sayin'! Some folks can't underst

n't tell m

trouble with you-NOBODY

ed before y

r. "Why, you lyin' horse-thief, you never heard of a whip-saw till we bought our outfit. You was

fooling and you know it.

lted you with the handle and buried you in the sawdust. I'd ought to, but I 'ain't got the heart!" The speaker sp

, therefore it clamored for expression and the temptation to hurl it forth was almost irresistible. Linton, however, prided himself upon his self-restraint, and accordingly h

never would or could exist. Each time Linton lifted the saw it grew heavier by the fraction of a pound. Whenever Quirk looked up to note progress his eyes were filled with stinging particles of sawdust. His was a tearful job: sawdust was in his hair, his beard, it had sifted down inside his neckband and it itched his moist

ompanied this remark by an abrupt cessation of effort. As a result the saw stopped i

and fury; he clapped a hand to his f

he contrary, he was more than a little concerned by it, but fatigue had rendered him absurdly hysterical, and the constant friction of mental, spiritual, and physical contact with Tom had fre

ed by reason of the fact that a greater part of the speaker's hand w

n way. I said she was runnin' out again. We a

ht? I can't follow a line with y

ever seen you in all your hideousness till this trip. I got you now, though; I got you all added up and subtracted and I'll tell you the answer. It's my opinion, backed by figgers, that you're a dam'-

he log. "It's your opinion I'm a what

ll you. Now then, lift, bit

ut with the same feeling of dead weight attached to it. Tom wiped the sweat out of his eyes and once again in a stormy voi

-" Jerry's words ended in an agonized yelp; he

d w

st in my eyes

characterized it heretofore. "When I start kicking I won't kick sawdust into your eyes! I'll ki

ad reputation at home; you're a malo hombre-a side-winder, you are, and your bite is certain

other. "You picked the right animal but the wrong

said I was a dam' something or other. What was it?" The object of this inquiry

again why don't you say so? I'll wait while you rest." He opened his e

aining," To

to be mirthful, but which was in reality insulting beyond human endurance. "I never saw

e and was scared to?" Mr. Linton

new one rises to my lips 'most every minute. I think I

caffold, leaving the whip-saw in its place. He was

ur loads and done your work the way I have. But, you see, I'm str

norted the smaller man

I was raised that way. I honored your age, Jerry. I knew you was about all in, but I never CALLED you old. I wouldn't hurt your feelings. What did y

y; he, too, ached in every bone and muscle; he, too, had been goaded into an insane temper

eed. "That'll take a

then I'll hit you a clout with

an extravagant joy and managed to chirp: "Good news-the first I've had sinc

her i

. We'll divide everything the

' thing," Li

set off heavily

o human patience is a whip-saw. It is a saying in the North that to know a man one must eat a sack of flour with him; it is also generally recognized that a partnership whi

ry, normal circumstances men of opposite temperaments may live with each other in harmony and die in mutual accord, but circumstances here were extraordinary, abnormal. Hardship, monotony, fa

ther pretty well and had made fast progress, all things considered. Royal had experience to draw upon, while Phillips had none; nevertheless, the Countess was a good counselor and this brief training in authority was of extreme value to the younger man, who developed some of the qualities of leadership. As a result of their fre

not that kind, he told himself; his was an epic adoration, a full-grown, deathless man's affection such as comes to none but the favored of the gods and then but once in a lifetime. The reason was patent-it lay in the fact that the object of his soul-consuming worship was no

s and acceptance of new ones which marks development, which signalizes youth's evolution into maturity. She was a never-ending surprise to Pierce, and the fact that she remained a well of mystery

to day. His blind, unreasoning loyalty, his complete acquiescence to her desires, his extravagant joy in doing her will, would have told her the truth even without the aid of those numerous little things which every woman understands. Now, oddly enough, the effect upon her was only a little less disturbing than upon him, for this first boy-love was a thing which no good woma

had met in a long time-and she derived unusual satisfaction from the mere privilege of depending upon him. This pleasure was so keen at times that s

bother her: she could not understand why interference had failed to come from the Kirby crowd. She had expected it, for Sam Kirby had the name of being a hard, conscienceless man, and Danny Royal had given proof that he was not above resorting to desperate means to gain time. Why, therefore, they had made no effort to hire her men away from her, especially as

just what progress her rivals were making, she called Pierce awa

r to-morrow," he told her. "Kirby

d, doubtfully. "He is a

d why he has left

robably knows it isn't

couldn't bluff him. He wouldn't

hen you held up Roya

e's no telling what I might hav

an declared, warmly. "It's a sign of character

been perfectly dear. Yo

so, really? I'

ing him frankly just how well she thought of him, just how grate

," she said, coolly. After a moment she continued: "Don't stop whe

y Royal was superintending the final work upon a stout scow the seams of which were being calked and

s aloft, exclaiming, "Don't shoot, ma'am!" His grin was friendly; there was no

" the Count

ded to-morrow,

ly at the bluff-bowed, ungainly barge. "I'm goin' to bust a bottle of wine on her nose when

e has a sa

've heard a lot about this canon and them White Horse Rapids. Are they bad?" When the Countess nodded, his weazened face darkened visibly. "Gimme a horse and I'm all right, but water s

ess Courteau repeated: "I don't underst

built one scow instead

e dec

beach ahead of her stood a brand-new rowboat ready for launching. Near it was assembled an outfit of gear and provisions, divided into two equal piles. Two old men, arme

he model of your b

ned themselves stiffly

rk, avoiding hi

Mr. Linton agreed, wit

hy? Wh

ned. Then he heaved a sigh. "It

p," Linton vouchsafed, "but Old Jerry drew the hind

gular-but that's over and I'm breathin' free. Wait till you shove off in that front end; it 'ain't got the beam and you'll upset. Ha!" He utter

picked and pecked to death by a blunt-billed buzzard. I'd look on it as a kind of relief

ve's mine. I'

er all these years?" the Co

d been consumed in the fires of his present wrath. "I

sly: "Cut that 'old' out, or I'll show you something.

ligerently around the hull of the boat. H

challenged. "You're bigger than

between the two men

, both of you, and you're acting like perfect

let 'em laugh; it'll do 'em good. You're a nice woman, but this ain't ladies

Countess shrugged and

er. "Fight it out

em was expert in the use of carpenter's tools, therefore it was supper-time before they finished, and the result of their labor was nothing to be proud of. Each now possessed a craft that would float, no doubt, but which in few other respects resembled a

blankets promised to be woefully inadequate to the weather and he cocked an apprehensive eye heavenward. What he saw did not reassure him, for the evening sky was overcast and a cold, fitful wind blew from off the lake. There was no doubt about it, it looked like rain-or snow-perhaps a combination of both. Mr. Quirk felt

reen wood," Jerry said

inton was saying to himself, "Old Jerry's enjoying life n

ind to that; he tried several insults under his breath, then he offered up a vindictive prayer for rain, hail, sleet, and snow. A howling Dakota blizzard, he decided, would exactly suit hi

ept into bed, he was prompted to amend his prayer, for he discovered that two blankers were not going to be enough for him. Even the satisfaction of knowing that Jerry must feel the want even more keenly than did he failed

. But even then he shivered, and thereafter, of course, his blankets served no purpose whatever. He and Old Jerry were accustomed to sleeping spoon fashion, and not only did Tom miss those other blankets, but also his ex-partner's bo

n to whimper; no doubt he'd pretend to be enjoying himself, and would die sooner than acknowledge himself in the wrong. Jerry had courage