cr own readers

40 A LUMBER CA~[P.
planation is that of chore-boy. He is the cook's
assistant, and general servant of th e shanty. He has
to chop th e firewood, draw th e water, wash th e dishes,
and perform a multitude of such odd j obs, in return for
which he is apt to get little thanks ami much abuse.
5. Th e choppers have the most imp ortant and interesting
part of the work. Th ey always work in
pairs, and go out armed with a keen axe apiece and
It cross-cut saw between them. Haying selected their
victim-s-say It splendid pin e, tow ering more than a
hundred feet in th e air-they take up th eir position at
opposite sides of it. Soon the strokes of th e ax es ring
out in quick succession. For some tim e th e yellow
chips fly fast, and presently a shiver runs through the
tree's mighty frame. One of the chopp ers cries warningly
to th e oth er, who hastens to get out of the way.
A few more strokes are given with nice skill. Th en
comes a rending crack, and t he stately tree, afte r
quivering a moment as if un certain which way to
fall, cras hes headlong to the ground.
6. The shantyman leads a fr ee, hearty, healthy
life. From dawn until dark he works in the open
air, exercising lungs and muscles. His fare is substantial
in quality and unlimited in quantity. When
the day's work is over, and he trudges home to the
shanty, he finds the warm welcome of a steaming
supper awaiting him. This usually consists of a pot
of excellent pea -soup, a boiler of strong tea, a big pan
full of fat pork, fried and floating in gra\'y, another
pan containing slices of cold boiled pork, and huge
loaves of bread baked in great iron pots buried deep
in the ash es of the" camboose," better than city baker
eyer made.