Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/63

 accosted him brusquely one day and concluded by giving him a pair of old gloves. He now found himself doing a man’s work, indeed. And the man at the other end of the board never waited for him to get a grip on the lumber, but with head bowed threw his end onto the flat car. This often resulted in a benumbing jar to Stanley’s whole frame as one end of the heavy timber fell on the car while the other end was in his hands. But he asked no quarter and pluckily stuck to his task.

Bub had been away from the settlement for several days and it was with genuine pleasure that Stanley limped to his room one night and found the good-natured youth sitting on the bed.

“Well, my son; how goes things?” cried out Bub, jumping to his feet and warmly clasping the other’s hand. “Licked any more people?”

“Bub, I never knew I could be so glad to see anyone as I am to see you,” earnestly replied Stanley.

Bub’s face burned red with pleasure, although he said, “O stop your kidding. Anyone abusing you? If Whiskers bears down on you just let me know and I’ll have a talk with him.”

For the first time since his arrival at the