another, working like beavers to keep the
whole mass straight. The entire surface of the water was practically
covered with the floating timbers. A moment's reflection will show the
importance of preserving a full head of water. The moment the stream
should drop an inch or so, its surface would contract, the logs would
then be drawn close together in the narrow space; and, unless an
immediate rise should lift them up and apart from each other, a jam
would form, behind which the water, rapidly damming, would press to
entangle it the more.

This is exactly what happened. In a moment, as though by magic, the
loose wooden carpet ground together. A log in the advance up-ended;
another thrust under it. The whole mass ground together, stopped, and
began rapidly to pile up. The men escaped to the shore in a marvellous
manner of their own.

Tim Shearer found that the gate at the dam above had been closed. The
man in charge had simply obeyed orders. He supposed M. & D. wished to
back up the water for their own logs.

Tim indulged in some picturesque language.

"You ain't got no right to close off more'n enough to leave us th'
nat'ral flow unless by agreement," he concluded, and opened the gates.

Then it was a question of breaking the jam. This had to be done by
pulling out or chopping through certain "key" logs which locked the
whole mass. Men stood under the face of imminent ruin--over them a
frowning sheer wall of bristling logs, behind which pressed the weight
of the rising waters--and hacked and tugged calmly until the mass began
to stir. Then they escaped. A moment later, with a roar, the jam vomited
down on the spot where they had stood. It was dangerous work. Just one
half day later it had to be done again, and for the same reason.

This time Thorpe went back with Shearer. No one was at the dam, but the
gates were closed. The two opened them again.

That very evening a man rode up on horseback inquiring for Mr. Thorpe.

"I'm he," said the young fellow.

The man thereupon dismounted and served a paper. It proved to be an
injunction issued by Judge Sherman enjoining Thorpe against interfering
with the property of Morrison & Daly,--to wit, certain dams erected at
designated points on the Ossawinamakee. There had not elapsed sufficient
time since the commission of the offense for the other firm to secure
the issuance of this interesting document, so it was at once evident
that the whole affair had been pre-arranged