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Updated: June 16, 2025
Winston lighted a cigar with an allumette from a bronze taper-stand a Christmas gift from his wife, which she kept supplied with fanciful spiles twisted and fringed into a variety of shapes; drew several long breaths to be certain that the fire had taken hold of the heart of the Havana, tossed the pretty paper into the embers, and resumed his seat in the chimney corner.
Besides, Tom, says I, 'it jest spiles your gals; they get sickly, and down in the mouth; and sometimes they gets ugly, particular yallow gals do, and it's the devil and all gettin' on 'em broke in. Now, says I, 'why can't you kinder coax 'em up, and speak 'em fair?
"Enough for to-day," said Ranald, wondering how he could tell Don of the proposed visit of Mrs. Murray and her niece. Taking each a bundle of spiles and an ax, the boys set out for the part of the sugar bush as yet untapped, and began their work. "The minister's wife and Hughie were here just now," began Ranald. "Huh-huh, I met them down the road. Hughie said he was coming day after to-morrow."
The old-fashioned awkward sap-gouge was used in tapping in those days, and the "spiles" or spouts were split out of basswood blocks with this gouge, and then sharpened so as to fit the half-round gash which the gouge made in the tree. The dairy milk-pans were used to catch the sap, and huge iron kettles to boil it down in.
He ran out into the main river again, and a wonderful prospect opened before his eyes. Sandbars spread out for miles across the river and lengthwise of the river; the bulk of the stream seemed broken up into channels and chutes and wandering waterways. He saw column after column of lines of spiles, like black teeth, through which the water broke with protesting foam.
"There don't seem t' be any one likely fur Janet hereabouts. A little larnin' spiles a gal, Billy." "Is them yer sentimints?" "They be." "Well, folks differ. Janet pleases me." "Yes, but ye can't 'spect to handle Janet's craft forever. She's got t' rely 'pon her own sailin' some day." "Like as not, but when that time comes, Janet'll take the tiller without any fuss. That's the way she's built."
Hippy put out a hand, but was sorry for it afterwards, for the bear-like grips of the lumberjacks left it a "pulp," as Hippy Wingate expressed it. Work on a new dam was begun that very day. Tom and Hippy, though lame and sore, and, at odd moments, a little dizzy, were at the dam all day long directing the work of clearing away the wreck while part of their force cut fresh spiles in the woods.
"They'll make too much noise." The good soul in the kitchen chuckled. "Now," she said, "now, Mars Tom, dar ye go right now a-settin' out to ruinate a good chile, 'stead o' ustin' it ter things a-settin' out ter ruinate it. Don't never tip aroun' fer no chile. Don't ye never do it, 'n' ye won't never haf ter. Tippin' roun' jest spiles 'em.
"It looked like we'd have to hurdle it sure enough, but the police beat the crowd back just in time. She wasn't clear open though, and our barge caromed off the spiles. It was like a nigger buttin' a persimmon tree we rattled off a shower of missiles like an abnormal hail storm.
And I'm sure I'm ready, and aint at all afeared, no how. I only did want to say that, if the thing takes wind, as how it raaly stood, it spiles all my calkilations. I couldn't 'stablish a consarn here, I guess, for a nation long spell of time after." "And what then? where's your calculations? Get the young fellow clear, and what will his friends do for you? Think of that, Bunce.
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