BADEAU lost his schooner before Christmas. The day after New Year’s he went to Manistee to see Mr. Jackson, whom he found sitting in his office.

“Well, Badeau,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

“I want a job.”

“What can you do?”

“Anything.”

“What’s the matter? Up against it?”

“You know my schooner’s gone.”

“Yes, I know.” And Mr. Jackson also knew that Hunch was a good man. “Tell you what I’ll do, Badeau; I’ll make a place for you. How are you on logs?”

“I was boss of Dempsey’s gang up to Cadillac four years ago.”

“How much money do you want?”

“‘Nough to keep me going. You’ll find out what I’m worth fast enough.” Badeau went to work the next morning. He took a cheap room near the lumber-yard, and found before the week was out that he could live on two-thirds of his salary. At the beginning of the second week, Mr. Jackson put him in charge of the river gang, driving logs. Hunch took advantage of the mild weather to get all the logs in the river to the mill before the river should freeze up solid for the winter. He got along well with the men, excepting a fellow named McGuire, who was inclined to grumble at hard work. But one noon at the mill, when the men were matching their strength, Hunch lifted a six-hundred pound pile-driver weight and swung it easily clear of the ground. That quieted McGuire.

One day toward the close of his second week, Badeau found Bruce Considine hanging around, at closing time, outside the mill.

“Hello, Bruce,” he said. “What you doing up here?”

“Come up to see you, Hunch.”

“What’s the matter?”

“The old man come down on me last week.”

“Fire you?”

“Yes. I’m sick of working for him anyhow. He’ll never let a fellow alone.”

“What you going to do? You ain’t likely to get another job like that.”

“I don’t know. I thought mebbe you’d know of something up here, Hunch.”

“I just went on the job, myself.”

“I know it, but I can’t starve, Hunch, I ain’t had any money for a couple of days.”

“How about—your——”

“Marne? She’s down at the house. I told her to go to the old man, but he’s kind of ugly and she wont do it. Guess she’ll get over being proud one of these days.”

“What’s she living on?”

“I thought mebbe I could send her something, if I could get a job up here.”

“I dunno, Bruce. I’ll ask the boss. Come around to-morrow noon.”

The following afternoon Bruce joined Hunch’s gang as a day-laborer. His muscles were soft, and it was several days before he could do a man’s work. One day the gang were carrying heavy timbers at the mill, and Hunch noticed that Bruce’s partner on one of the double timber-hooks was muttering. He kept an eye on the pair, and saw that Bruce’s hands sagged at every few steps. When the day’s work was done he waited outside the mill for Bruce.

“Look here, Bruce,” he said, “I’m on to you.”

“What you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about. I seen you soldiering. I just want to tell you that it won’t go.”

Bruce was silent for a moment. Then he said:

“Think you’ve got me down, don’t you.”

“What I think ain’t got nothing to do with it. I got you the job, but I can’t keep you if you don’t take a brace. The boss wouldn’t stand for it. You got to earn your pay.”

“It’s easy for you to talk. You’re getting good money. I’m working hard enough for every cent I get.”

“None o’ your talk now, Bruce. You can’t bluff me. You just quit loafing and get down to business. You’re going to do it, too, if I have to knock it into you. Understand?”

Bruce walked away in a surly mood, but for a few days Hunch saw a slight improvement in his work. Then there came a slump. Hunch said nothing until one noon he overheard Bruce and McGuire grumbling together. He called Bruce away.

“Look here, Bruce,” he said, “you know what I told you.”

“What you got to kick about?”

“None o’ your lip. You just keep away from McGuire.”

“I don’t see what you got to say about a friend of mine.”

“Friend of yours, eh? I s’pose you’re bunking with him, too?”

“Well, whose business is it if——”

“You leave him tonight. Understand?”

Bruce sulked for the rest of the day and avoided Hunch. After supper Hunch went to McGuire’s room in the square frame hotel by the tracks. No one was there, but Bruce’............