Chapter 12

The men were shouting, and at first Paul was afraid that the log or the top had landed on someone. Then he realized they were cheering. Shortly after the log fell, one of the top cutters climbed up beside him.

"The Boss told me to show you how to get down. Unless you feel like jumping."

Paul shook his head. The topper wrapped a flat braided rope around the tree and fastened both ends to Paul's belt. He scrambled up past Paul and undid the rope that fastened Paul to the tree then let it drop to the forest floor.

"Let yourself down against the slack like this," the topper said, showing Paul what he meant. "Then you lean into the tree and flick the rope down some. Not too far, mind." Again, he showed Paul what to do. After a couple of tries Paul got the hang of it and lowered himself down out of the tree.

"Well done," the Boss said when Paul reached the ground. "Now, back to work." He slapped Paul on the shoulder and went off to supervise some other crew. Daniel and Paul walked to the stump end of the log and started trimming.

"The guys said that was a half and half job," Daniel said.

"What, that it worked half the time?"

"No, Paul, that the man died half the time."

Paul shuddered for a moment. He saw the way the trunk had fallen. It would have been easy to get caught by branches or log and crushed or thrown to the ground.

"You were using your head up there," Daniel said. "I think you had better than half a chance."

"I was trying to think like you up there," Paul said.

"It was clever. I saw the way you set up the rope to pull you away from trouble."

They worked through the rest of the day talking about the rope and how to do it next time. They both knew there would be a next time.

Paul sat in the tent and let his dinner settle. The men had the time after dinner to do as they pleased. Unless someone was getting out of control, the Boss gave no orders. Some of the men gambled with the money they hadn't been paid yet. They played a complex game with small bones. Daniel watched for a while and came away shaking his head.

"I don't know how they think they are going to win at that." He sat down beside Paul and sighed. "Maybe I'll just crawl off to bed."

"Soft southerners," one of the gamblers said. "I don't know how you expect to survive in the forest."

"We've managed so far."

"You've had it easy. The Boss should have left you on the road, or better yet, kept you for the cauldron-"

"Callam, be quiet," the Boss said from the corner of the tent where he sat carving a chunk of wood into some strange animal. Paul could see Callam fight to say something more, but finally he just turned and went back to the game. Paul followed Daniel out of the tent to the tiny tent they shared. Like their furs it had belonged to foresters who had died at their work.

The next day Paul had to free two logs that hung up in nearby trees. Both times he swung to safety. The second log tore his fur as it passed. Paul could see that the Boss was getting angry. Each time the log hung up it was wasting time.

The third time a log hung up, he lost his temper.

"Callam," he yelled, "up and free that tree!"

"I'm a feller, not a squirrel," Callam shouted as he climbed up on the log.

"You're a squirrel if I say you're a squirrel!"

"Remember to tie the rope opposite where the log is hung up," Paul shouted to Callam.

"Watch how a real forester works, southerner." Callam ran up the tree and casually tossed his rope over the closest branch. He hung out over the log and swung the axe one handed. The branch snapped on the first swing. The log snagged him and pulled him from the tree. Callam's scream was cut short by the thump of the tree against the ground.

"A real forester is one who's alive," the Boss said. "Do it the Squirrel's way from now on. Go get Callam's gear," he said to Paul, "what you can stand to take. Then get back to work."

The other men took to calling Paul 'Squirrel' but he decided it was a mark of grudging respect.

One night while the others gambled the Boss sat down with Paul and Daniel.

"What brought you two here?" he asked.

"God sent me on a quest," Paul said. The Boss laughed, and the gamblers peered over briefly before they went back to the game.

"You're serious, aren't you?" The Boss shook his head. "I'm happy that God doesn't see fit to meddle in my affairs. I do my work by the Book and count myself lucky.

"Why were you on that road in the rain?" Daniel asked.