RIVER DRIVING 



761 



"BOOMING OUT" AT A DAM. 



firs, the sparks fly far up above the 

 trees to mingle with the few remaining 

 stars, and we sit by the fire in privilege 

 alone, save for the now silent cookees, 

 who steal about collecting the scattered 

 plates and dishes, and for a few mo- 

 ments we linger to drink in the wild- 

 ness of the solitude and the splendid 

 breath of the new day crimsoning the 

 east. 



The stream we were driving was 

 called the Diamond, which separates 

 near its mouth into two branches, the 

 Swift and the Dead, the first of which 

 it was our duty to clear, and our en- 

 deavor was to drive our rear past the 

 point of juncture before a rival crew 

 on the other branch could arrive. 

 Telephone lines which met at a com- 

 mon central below and ran on trees 

 along each stream, kept us in constant 

 information as to the progress of the 

 other crew, and on the day in question, 

 owing to their equal nearness, a close 

 race was promised. The natural rivalry 

 of the two bosses during many previ< >us 

 seasons brought each of them a fail- 

 share of victories ; enough to create the 



liveliest interest in the success of this 

 drive, and their eagerness spread to the 

 other men in a desire for the first place 

 this year. 



Our boss, his beard grey in the woods 

 service, was a short, wiry little man of 

 dynamic energy, and tireless and fiery 

 in disposition and in his treatment of 

 the men. Knowing every rock and eddy 

 in his particular stream, he was like it, 

 quick and impetuous in action, and 

 when stirred to a high pitch, capable of 

 great things but liable to unforeseen 

 rocks and jagged corners. His rival, on 

 the other hand, was immense of stature 

 and ponderous, of equal age, will and 

 experience", but careful and circumspect 

 in disposition, reiving more on well- 

 laid plans than on tin- opportunity of 

 the moment, and wel; -uitcd to his 

 stream, which flowed deep and still for 

 many miles in a tlat and alder country 

 and, when not overcharged with floods. 

 carried the logs evenly and smoothly to 

 its mouth. It was j; 'km-1>. ^aid of him 

 "that he could run logs on a heavy 

 dew," but should the ri.-ing floods swell 

 above the low banks, the logs would, in 



