THE ADOPTED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 282, 17 August 1918, Page 8

THE ADOPTED

HOW THE CALL CAME TO Tft* LUMBERMEN A CANADIAN SKETCH The lights of the lumber camp twinkled like stars in the deep gloom of the forest. Snow, soft and freshly, fallen, ay thick upon the ground and heavily burdened the drooping branches of tho giant trees. From within tho largest of tho log liute, huddled at one side of the clearing, floated the sounds of rough laughter, and cheering, seeming oddly out of place in the hushed stillness of the forest night. The lumbermen were making merry in the bunkhouse relaxing after a day of toil in tho open under almost Arctic weather conditions.

Inside, "Big Olaf," the Swede foreman, sat on tho edge of his bunk vigorously playing a mouth-organ, to the jerky music of which the half-dressed men wor'o dancing, a wild fandango boisterously merry. Sodden garments hung steaming on the lines which passed over the great red-hot etove in the centre of the hut, and the smoky oil lamps which swung from the rough log ceiling added their greasy smell to the thick atmosphere. Around three sides of the hut were tho wooden deeping bunks littered with blankets and hastily laid aside clothes, and at tho door end were piled tho tables and benches which composed the furniture pushed out of tho dancer's way.

Tho noise made by the dancers was deafening as they whirled in fantastic action hither and thither, pounding with their stockinged feet on the loosely-board-ed floor, while shouting encouragement to each other and to "Big Olaf" in Swedish Polish and Magyar. Like big children, theso hardy woodsmen romped, with trernondous enthusiasm, the couples lurching and tripping each other with tho greatest good humour amidst gales of stentorian laughter. "Bis; Olaf," puffing and sucking at the mouth-organ with immenso gravity, took lin the scene, nodding npproval. His men were happy. Good men thev were: the best lumber gans in the whole of Northern Quebec. They would do a better day's work to-morrow after this evening's amusement. He would give them a new and merrier tune. A wild chorus of approval greeted its commencement, broken off abruptly by the sudden, noisy entrance of a , snow-dusted heavily-muf-fled figure. "Hurrah! It is little Jacques Lame como back with supplies of tobacco from the town twenty-five miles away"—dark-haired, bright-ey'cd, Jacques who commands silence with uplifted hands stilling the noisy clamour. In I higli-pitehed voluble French, Jacques ppealcs, but only a few understand. Ho is intensely excited and elands in front of "Big Olaf" waving his hands in frantic gesticulation. "Listen, my friends. The Canadians have been in a great battle at Ypres and have won immortal glory, I, too, am a Canadian, and to-morrow I will go to join tho Army. Vive Iα Canada! Vive IMnglc lerre! Vive la France!" The thin voice bi'oko and Jacques turned away to his bunk, furtively wiping his eyes. OlaJ , , with an odd troubled 'look in his blue eyes, translated the. speech to the wondering men. Little Jacques coin* to tight Germans. No, surely thev would not take him in the Army. The Gwinans would eat him; ho is "100 small. So argued these big men now doubly conscious of their physical superiority but nevertheless thev all spoke kindly to Jacques who did not know what they said, but who appreciated (he encouraging tlmmns on the back with which each one punctuated his remarks Silciic" followed lights out. and soon f-iio hut was quiet, save for the stertorimis brenthings of the tired woodsmen and the babbling of Jacques Lame Mtimr Germans in his dreams. Olaf lay sleepless iin his bunk. His mind persisted in harking back to hishome in Sweden, his journey to Canada and tho events of tho past hanny and prosperous five yenrs-nnd | le JJ nlB to a great decision which brought peace to lu<; mind and sleep to tired eves Savoury odours floated on the cri-p morning air as the woodsmen brnnched through the snow towards the moss hut Hugo piles of bread dotted the table winch ran the whole length of tho room, and to thoso already seated a white clad boy was passing great plates of straining hot bacon and beans and mugs of coffee Ttudo jests and loud laughter rippled no nnd down the hut as the benches filled, to the accompaniment of much scraping of feet and clashing of plates, subsiding later to a mere hum as tho voraciously hungry men gave undivided attention to the food. Appetites were enormous, ami not easily satisfied, and the white clad boy was kept running to and from the cookhouse without pause, replenishing the quickly emptied plates. "Big Olaf" Speaks. A heavy thumping on the table, which made the plates rattle, drew all eyes to "Big Olaf," who towered above the men waiting to speak. A new light was in the mild blue eyes, nnd the accustomed stoop of the bi-oad shoulders was gone for ever. His huge hand rested affectionately on tho shoulder of little Jacques Larnfi as his great voice boomed out in Swedish, the language of so many listening men. "Brothers," he spoke, "to-day Jacques Larno goes to be a soldier to fight for Canada. Ho says that lie goes because he owes everything to Canada, who needs men. I have been thinking, 1 too owo everything to Canada. Hero is my home; here, I, and thousands of my people, am happy andxfrce; here can 1 earn much money from my labour. For five yoars has Canada given me and mine all this— moro good things than I had over known. Therefore, will I go with Jacques Larne to-day and become a Canadian soldier. Who will come with us?"

I'andcmonium reigned in the mess hut. Jacques Lame was violently rinsing Olaf's hand, while tears streamed from his eyes, almost crushed in tho surge of men pressing around tho big foreman. Benches were overturned as little croups of Swedes, Danes, Russians, mil Czechs arjuejl excitedly, all shouting together in a bewildering mixture of languages, "Bij; 01.if," mounting on a table, roared himself hoarse before order couTd be restored. Ho announced thai; there wevo nineteen volunteers, and that they would Iwgin their twenty-five miles march io the. nearest lTornitins ollice in one hour's time., A wild scramble to the bunk house ensued, the men leaping and cheering in their excitement.