When he was through I tole him I'd sooner have his blows
than his kisses any day."
"I hadn't oughter hev come here," said Dennis.
"Never saw the sun shine till you did," murmured Mamie.
At this he tried to take her hand, but she evaded his grasp. Then,
with an extraordinary dignity, looking deep into the man's eyes, she
said slowly: "I tole you that because it's God's truth, and sorter
justifies your comin'; but I aim ter be an honest woman, and you must
help me to remain so."
With that she flitted away.
Next day Dennis went back to work. And what work, for a man never at
best strong, and now enfeebled by severe pain and illness! Some
magnificent timber had been found a couple of miles inland, situated
not too far from the Coho. The experts had already felled, stripped,
and sawed into logs the huge trees. To Dennis and others remained the
arduous labour of guiding, with the help of windlasses, these immense
logs to the river, whence they would descend in due time to the inlet,
there to be joined together into vast rafts, later on again to be
towed to their destination. Of all labour, this steering of logs
through dense forest to their appointed waterway is the hardest and
roughest.
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