114 THE LOG OF A TIMBER CRUISER 



"No," insisted the axeman, "I'm going out with 

 the others. I know you've all got me sized up for a 

 joke, and I'm sick and tired of it! Not that you 

 haven't had reason for thinking as you do. I see 

 that now: I didn't start right. Things have al- 

 ways come pretty easy for me. My father made his 

 own way, and in consequence I've always had every- 

 thing I needed handed to me. I've never been up 

 against the real thing. I've never had a chance to 

 get on to myself. I've never known what the neces- 

 sity for real, hard work was. In all my camping 

 trips before, I've had men with me to do the actual 

 labour. They kidded me along, I guess, because I 

 or my father, rather was paying for it ; and all the 

 time I thought I was getting experience and becom- 

 ing a woodsman, when I hadn't even begun to learn. 



"I've made a fool of myself on this trip, I sup- 

 pose. It's taken me a good while to get on to it, but 

 I can see now how you fellows look at it. You think 

 I'm no earthly good! But I'm no quitter," he fin- 

 ished, half crying with angry resolution, "and before 

 the season's over I'm going to prove it!" 



"That's the talk, Horace, old top, fly to it!" cried 

 Frazer with enthusiasm. "If you keep that spirit 

 you'll find everybody trying to help you, instead of 

 joshing you all the time." 



"And I thought he was yellow clean through," 

 said Frazer, in relating the incident. "But I be- 

 lieve he's really in earnest! If he shows any signs 



