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Ef they goes out on this flood-tide, I aims ter ride 'em down-stream 'twell I kin land 'em in a safe boom." "But my God Almighty, gal," Parson Acup, wrenched out of his usual placidity by the effrontery of the project, spoke vehemently. "Any tide thet would bust thet dam would sartain shore rip them rafts inter fragments.
Parson Acup, so called for the funereal gravity of his bearing and expression, and Brent the timber-buyer, stood looking down from beetling cliffs rigidly bestowed with collossal and dripping icicles. To their ears came a babel of shouts, the grating of trees, long sleet-bound but stirring now to the thaw the roar of blasting powder and the rending of solid rock. Brent laughed.
"An' no men ever worked more plum slavish ner faithful then what you men have ternight." "That hain't nothin' more left ter do now," said Parson Acup, "unless hit be ter go home an' pray." But Alexander shook her head with a vigorous and masculine determination. "No, thar's still one thing more ter do. I want thet when you men goes home ye send me back a few others fresh men.
I'll send Bud away ef thet's all thet's frettin' 'em." "I wouldn't counsel ye ter cross Bud jest now," advised Acup, but the other laughed under his long beard, a low angry laugh, as he turned on his heel and, with the man from the city following him, started in search of the troublemaker. Bud was found at last behind the great hump of towering rock.
They halted before Acup and one of them spoke somewhat shame-facedly: "I disgusts ter quit on a man in sore need, Parson, but us fellers kain't hold up no longer. We're plum fagged ter death mebby termorrer mornin' " He broke off and Acup answered in a heavy-hearted voice: "So fur as this hyar job's consarned most likely thar won't be no termorrer.
He had heretofore known only in the indirectness of theory the sudden capriciousness of mountain weather; storms that burst and cannonade without warning; trickling waters that leap overnight into maddened freshets. Now he was seeing in its blood-raw ferocity the primal combat between man and the elements. With a troubled brow Parson Acup returned and addressed McGivins.
"An' whilst he lived thet war enough but now I hain't got nothin' left." After a little she broke out again. "I hain't a woman an' hain't a man. I hain't nuthin'." "Alexander," said Brent gently, "when I looked at your father's face in there, I was thinking of what Parson Acup once told me.
"Since ther time of corn drappin' an' kiverin'," said the Parson, slowly, "Bud Sellers hain't teched a dram afore now. Hit don't pleasure me none ter see him startin' in afresh." "He's been working hard," suggested the timber buyer tolerantly. "I've watched him and he never seems to tire. Maybe he felt the need of a stimulant." But Acup growled.
They had been faithful; they were still faithful, but the stress of exhaustion was beginning to sap their morale; to drive them into irritability so that, under the strain of almost superhuman exertion, they threatened to break. Brent was not of their blood and knew little of how to handle them, and though Parson Acup was indefatigable, his face became more and more apprehensive.
Old man McGivins lays over thar, mebby a-dyin' an' this means a master lot to him " "If it's a matter of pay," began Brent and left his suggestion unfinished. A quick glance of warning from Acup cautioned him that this was a tactless line and one of the men answered shortly, "Pay hain't skeercely ergoin' ter hold a man up on his legs when them legs gives out under him, stranger."
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