,illustration3 ,f4 ,e4 ,higgins1 ,the ,sky ,pilot ,,higgins ,a ,,man',s ,,christian ,,by ,,norman ,,duncan ,,harper ,,brothers ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london ,m--,c--,m--,i--,x ,,books ,,by ,,norman ,,duncan ,,dr4 ,,grenfell',s ,,parish3 ,a ,tract in ,description of the ,deep ,sea ,mission ,work ,,going ,,down ,,prom ,,jerusalem3 ,the ,narrative of a ,journey ,net #a4ej ,,every ,,man ,,for ,,himself3 ,a ,book of ,short ,stories #a4ej ,,the ,,cruise ,,of ,,the ',,shining ,,light'3 ,a ,novel of the ,sea #a4ej ,,doctor ,,luke ,,of ,,the ',,labrador'3 ,a ,novel ,,the ,,suitable ,,child3 ,a ,christmas ,story ,,the ,,mother3 ,a ,short ,novel ,,the ,,adventures ,,of ,,billy ,,topsail3 ,a ,story for ,boys ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,the ,,sea3 ,a ,book of ,short ,stories ,,the ,,soul ,,of ,,the ,,street3 ,a ,book of ,short ,stories ,,higgins--,a ,,man',s ,,christian 4#ej ,,harper ,,brothers1 ,,publishers1 ,n4 ,y4 ,copyright1 #aiji1 by ,,harper ,,brothers4 ,all rights reserved4 ,published ,november1 #aiji4 ,,contents ,chapter ,page ,i4 ,,hell ,,bent #a ,,ii4 ,,the ,,pilot ,,of ,,souls #d ,,iii4 ,,in ,,the ,,snake-,,room #h ,,iv4 ,,the ,,cloth ,,in ,,queer ,,places #aa ,v4 ,,jack ,,in ,,camp #bj ,,vi4 ,,to ,,the ,,tall ,,timber6 #be ,,vii4 ,,robbing ,,the ,,blind #cb ,,viii4 ,,touching ,,pitch #dc ,,ix4 ,,in ,,spite ,,of ,,laughter #ed ,x4 ,,the ,,voice ,,of ,,the ,,lord #eg ,,xi4 ,,fist-,,play #fe ,,xii4 ,,making ,,the ,,grade #gb ,,xiii4 ,,straight ,,from ,,the ,,shoulder #gh ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,shoe ,,on ,,the ,,other ,,foot #he ,,xv4 ,,cause ,,and ,,effect #ig ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,wages ,,of ,,sacrifice #aji ,,to ,,the ,,reader ,what this book contains was learned by the writer in the course of two visits with ,mr4 ,higgins in the ,minnesota woods--one in the lumber-camps and lumber-towns at midwinter1 and again at the time of the drive4 ,upon both occasions ,mr4 ,higgins was accompanied by his devoted and admirable friend1 the ,rev4 ,thomas ,d4 ,whittles1 to whose suggestions and leading he responded with many a tale of his experiences1 some of which are here related4 ,mr4 ,whittles was at the same time good enough to permit the writer to draw whatever information might seem necessary from a more extended description of ,mr4 ,higgins's work1 called ,the ,lumber-jack's ,sky ,pilot1 which he had written4 ,,higgins ,a ,,man',s ,,christian ,,higgins--,a ,,man',s ,,christian ,i ,,hell ,,bent ,twenty thousand of the thirty thousand lumber-jacks and river-pigs of the ,minnesota woods are hilariously in pursuit of their own ruin for lack of something better to do in town4 ,they are not nice1 enlightened men1 of course2 the debauch is the traditional diversion--the theme of all the brave tales to which the youngsters of the bunk-houses listen in the lantern-light and dwell upon after dark4 ,the lumber-jacks proceed thus--being fellows of big strength in every physical way--to the uttermost of filth and savagery and fellowship with every abomination4 ,it is done with shouting and laughter and that large good-humor which is bedfellow with the bloodiest brawling1 and it has for a bit1 no doubt1 its amiable aspect2 but the merry shouters are presently become like ,jimmie the ,beast1 that low1 notorious brute1 who1 emerging drunk and hungry from a ,deer ,river saloon1 robbed a bulldog of his bone and gnawed it himself--or like ,damned ,soul ,jenkins1 who goes moaning into the forest1 after the spree in town1 conceiving himself condemned to roast forever in hell1 without hope1 nor even the ease which his mother's prayers might win from a compassionate ,god4 ,they can't help themselves1 it seems4 ,not all of them1 of course2 but most4 ,,ii ,,the ,,pilot ,,of ,,souls ,a big1 clean1 rosy-cheeked man in a ,mackinaw coat and rubber boots--hardly distinguishable from the lumber-jack crew except for his quick step and high glance and fine resolute way--went swiftly through a ,deer ,river saloon toward the snake-room in search of a lad from ,toronto who had in the camps besought to be preserved from the vicissitudes of the town4 ,there goes the ,pilot1 said a lumber-jack at the bar4 ,hello1 ,pilot6 ',lo1 ,tom6 ,ain't ye goin' t' preach no more at ,camp ,six8 ,sure1 ,tom6 ,well--when the hell8 ,week from ,thursday1 ,tom1 the vanishing man called back2 tell the boys ,i'm coming4 ,know the ,pilot8 the lumber-jack asked4 ,i nodded4 ,higgins's job1 said he1 earnestly1 is keepin' us boys out o' hell2 an' he's the only man on the job4 ,of this ,i had been informed4 ,i want t' tell ye1 friend1 the lumber-jack added1 with honest reverence1 that he's a damned good ,christian1 if ever there was one4 ,ain't that right1 ,billy8 ,higgins1 the bartender agreed1 is a square man4 ,the lumber-jack reverted to the previous interest4 ,all at once he forgot about the ,pilot4 ,hey1 ,billy6 he cried1 severely1 where'd ye put that bottle8 ,higgins was then in the snake-room of the place--a foul compartment into which the stupefied and delirious are thrown when they are penniless--searching the pockets of the drunken boy from ,toronto for some leavings of his wages4 ,not a cent6 said he1 bitterly4 ,they haven't left him a cent6 ,they've got every penny of three months' wages6 ,don't blame the boy1 he pursued1 in pain and infinite sympathy1 easing the lad's head on the floor2 it isn't all his fault4 ,he came out of the camps without telling me--and some cursed tin-horn gambler met him1 ,i suppose--and he's only a boy--and they didn't give him a show--and1 oh1 the pity of it6 he's been here only two days6 ,the boy was in a stupor of intoxication1 but presently revived a little1 and turned very sick4 ,that you1 ,pilot8 he said4 ,yes1 ,jimmie4 ,a' right4 ,feel a bit better now8 ,uh-huh4 ,the boy sighed and collapsed unconscious3 ,higgins remained in the weltering filth of the room to ease and care for him4 ,don't wait for me1 old man1 said he1 looking up from the task4 ,i'll be busy for a while4 ,,iii ,,in ,,the ,,snake-,,room ,frank necessity invented the snake-room of the lumber-town saloon4 ,there are times of gigantic debauchery--the seasons of paying off4 ,a logger then once counted one hundred and fifty men drunk in a single hotel of a town of twelve hundred inhabitants where fourteen other bar-rooms heartily flourished4 ,they overflowed the snake-rooms--they lay snoring on the bar-room floor--they littered the office--they were doubled up on the stair-landings and stretched out in the corridors4 ,drunken men stumbled over drunken men and fell helpless beside them2 and still1 in the bar-room 7said he7--beyond the men who slept or writhed on the floor and had been kicked out of the way--the lumber-jacks were clamoring three deep for whiskey at the bar4 ,hence the snake-room3 one may not eject drunken men into bitter weather and leave them to freeze4 ,bartenders and their helpers carry them off to the snake-room when they drop2 others stagger in of their own notion and fall upon their reeking fellows4 ,there is no arrangement of the bodies--but a squirming heap of them1 from which legs and arms protrude1 wherein open-mouthed bearded faces appear in a tangle of contorted limbs4 ,men moan and laugh and sob and snore2 and some cough with early pneumonia1 some curse1 some sing1 some horribly grunt2 and some1 delirious1 pick at spiders in the air1 and talk to monkeys1 and scream out to be saved from dogs and snakes4 ,men reel in yelling groups from the bar to watch the spectacle of which they will themselves presently be a part4 ,,iv ,,the ,,cloth ,,in ,,queer ,,places ,this is the simple and veracious narrative of the singular ministerial activities of the ,rev4 ,francis ,edmund ,higgins1 a ,presbyterian1 who regularly ministers1 without a church1 acting under the ,board of ,home ,missions1 to the lumber-jacks of the remoter ,minnesota woods4 ,singular ministerial activities these are1 truly1 appealing alike to those who believe in ,god and to such as may deny ,him4 ,they are particularly robust4 ,when we walked from ,camp ,two to ,camp ,four of a midwinter day1 with the snow crackling underfoot and the last sunset light glowing like heavenly fire beyond the great green pines-- ,boys1 said ,higgins1 gravely1 there's just one thing that ,i regret2 and if ,i had to prepare for the ministry over again1 ,i wouldn't make the same mistake3 ,i ought to have taken boxing lessons4 ,no other minister of the gospel1 possibly1 could with perfect propriety1 in the sight of the unrighteous1 who are the most severe critics of propriety in this respect1 lean easily over a bar 7his right foot having of long habit found the rail71 and in terms of soundest common sense reasonably urge upon the man behind the wet mahogany the shame of his situation and the virtue of abandoning it2 nor could any other whom ,i know truculently crowd into the howling1 brawling1 drunken throng of lumber-jacks1 all gone mad of adulterated liquor1 and with any confident show of authority command the departure of some weakling who had followed the debauch of his mates far beyond his little strength4 ,come out o' this6 says ,higgins4 ,ah1 go chase yerself1 ,pilot6 is the indulgent response1 most amiably delivered1 with a loose1 kind smile4 ,come on6 says ,higgins1 in wrath4 ,ah1 ,pilot1 the youngster pleads1 ,i'm on'y havin' a little fun4 ,you go chase yerself1 ,pilot1 says he1 affectionately1 with no offence whatsoever1 an' le' me alone4 ,the ,rev4 ,francis ,edmund ,higgins1 in the midst of an unholy up-roar--the visible manifestation1 this environment and behavior1 it seems to me1 of the noise and smell and very abandonment of hell--is privileged to seize the youngster by the throat and in no unnecessarily gentle way to jerk him into the clean1 frosty air of the winter night4 ,in these days of his ministry1 nobody--the situation being an ordinary one--would interfere4 ,if1 however1 it seemed unwise to proceed in this way1 ,higgins would at least strip the boy of his savings4 ,hand over6 says he4 ,the boy hands over every cent he possesses4 ,if ,higgins suspects1 he will turn out the pockets4 ,and later--late in the night--with the wintry dawn breaking1 it may be--the sleepless ,pilot carries the boy off on his back to such saving care as he may be able to exercise4 ,to a gentle care--a soft1 tender solicitude1 all separate from the wild doings of the bar-room1 and all under cover1 even as between the boy and the ,pilot4 ,i have been secretly told that the good ,pilot is at such times like a brooding mother to the lusty1 wayward youngsters of the camps1 who1 in their prodigality1 do but manfully emulate the most manly behavior of which they are aware4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to confuse ,higgins with cranks and freaks would be most injuriously to wrong him4 ,he is not an eccentric2 his hair is cropped1 his finger nails are clean1 there is a commanding achievement behind him1 he has manners1 a mind variously interested1 as the polite world demands4 ,nor is he a fanatic2 he would spit cant from his mouth in disgust if ever it chanced within4 ,he is a reasonable and highly efficient worker--a man dealing with active problems in an intelligent and thoroughly practical way2 and he is as self-respecting and respected in his peculiar field as any pulpit parson of the cities--and as sane as an engineer4 ,he is a big1 jovial1 rotund1 rosy-cheeked ,irish-,canadian 7pugnacious upon occasion71 with a boy's smile and eyes and laugh1 with a hearty voice and way1 with a head held high1 with a man's clean1 confident soul gazing frankly from unwavering eyes3 five foot nine and two hundred pounds to him 7which allows for a little rippling fat74 ,he is big of body and heart and faith and outlook and charity and inspiration and belief in the work of his hands2 and his life is lived joyously--notwithstanding the dirty work of it--though deprived of the common delights of life4 ,he has no church3 he straps a pack on his back and tramps the logging-roads from camp to camp1 whatever the weather--twelve miles in a blizzard at forty below--and preaches every day--and twice and three times a day--in the bunk-houses2 and he buries the boys--and marries them to the kind of women they know--and scolds and beseeches and thrashes them1 and banks for them4 ,god knows what they would do without ,higgins6 ,he is as necessary to them now--as much sought in trouble and as heartily regarded--as a ,presbyterian minister of the old school2 he is as close and helpful and dogmatic in intimate affairs4 ,pilot1 said ,ol' ,man ,johnson1 take this here stuff away from me6 ,the ,sky ,pilot rose astounded4 ,ol' ,man ,johnson1 in the beginnings of his spree in town--half a dozen potations--was frantically emptying his pockets of gold 7some hundreds of dollars7 on the preacher's bed in the room above the saloon2 and he blubbered like a baby while he threw the coins from him4 ,keep it away from me6 ,ol' ,man ,johnson wept1 drawing back from the money with a gesture of terror4 ,for ,christ's sake1 ,pilot6----keep it away from me6 ,the ,pilot understood4 ,if you don't1 cried ,ol' ,man ,johnson1 it'll kill me6 ,higgins sent a draft for the money to ,ol' ,man ,johnson when ,ol' ,man ,johnson got safely home to his wife in ,wisconsin4 ,another spree in town would surely have killed ,ol' ,man ,johnson4 ,v ,,jack ,,in ,,camp ,the lumber-jack in camp can1 in his walk and conversation1 easily be distinguished from the angels2 but at least he is industrious and no wild brawler4 ,he is up and heartily breakfasted and off to the woods1 with a saw or an axe1 at break of day2 and when he returns in the frosty dusk he is worn out with a man's labor1 and presently ready to turn in for sound sleep4 ,they are all in the pink of condition then--big and healthy and clear-eyed1 and wholly able for the day's work4 ,a stout1 hearty1 kindly1 generous crew1 of almost every race under the sun--in behavior like a pack of boys4 ,it is the ,saturday in town--and the occasional spree--and the final debauch 7which is all the town will give them for their money7 that litters the bar-room floor with the wrecks of these masterful bodies4 99 99 99 99 99 ,walking in from ,deer ,river of a still1 cold afternoon--with the sun low and the frost crackling under foot and all round about--we encountered a strapping young fellow bound out to town afoot4 ,look here1 boy6 said ,higgins2 where you going8 ,deer ,river1 sir4 ,what for8 ,there was some reply to this4 ,it was a childish evasion2 the boy had no honest business out of camp1 with the weather good and the work pressing1 and he knew that ,higgins understood4 ,meanwhile1 he kicked at the snow1 with a sheepish grin1 and would not look the ,pilot in the eye4 ,you're from ,three1 aren't you8 ,yes1 sir4 ,i thought ,i saw you there in the fall1 said the ,pilot4 ,well1 boy1 he continued1 putting a strong hand on the other's shoulder1 look me in the eye4 ,the boy looked up4 ,god help you6 said the ,pilot1 from his heart2 nobody else 'll give you a show in ,deer ,river4 ,we walked on1 ,higgins in advance1 downcast4 ,i turned1 presently1 and discovered that the young lumber-jack was running4 ,can't get there fast enough1 said ,higgins4 ,i saw that his tongue was hanging out4 ,he seeks his pleasure1 ,i observed4 ,true1 ,higgins replied2 and the only pleasure the men of ,deer ,river will let him have is what he'll buy and pay for over a bar1 until his last red cent is gone4 ,it isn't right1 ,i tell you1 he exploded2 the boy hasn't a show1 and it isn't right6 ,it was twelve miles from ,camp ,three to ,deer ,river4 ,we met other men on the road to town--men with wages in their pockets1 trudging blithely toward the lights and liquor and drunken hilarity of the place4 ,it was ,saturday2 and on ,monday1 ejected from the saloons1 they would inevitably stagger back to the camps4 ,i have heard of one kindly logger who dispatches a team to the nearest town every ,monday morning to gather up his stupefied lumber-jacks from the bar-room floors and snake-rooms and haul them into the woods4 ,,vi ,,to ,,the ,,tall ,,timber6 ,it is back to the tall timber for the penniless lumber-jack4 ,perhaps the familiar slang is derived from the necessity4 ,i recall an intelligent ,cornishman--a cook with a kitchen kept sweet and clean--who with a laugh contemplated the catastrophe of the snake-room1 and the nervous collapse1 and the bedraggled return to the woods4 ,of course1 said he1 that's where ,i'll land in the spring6 ,it amazed me4 ,can't help it1 said he4 ,that's where my stake 'll go4 ,jake ,boore 'll get the most of it2 and among the lot of them they'll get every cent4 ,i'll blow four hundred dollars in two weeks--if ,i'm lucky enough to make it go that far4 ,when you know that they rob you8 ,certainly they will rob me2 everybody knows that6 ,but every year for nine years1 now1 ,i've tried to get out of the woods with my stake1 and haven't done it4 ,i intend to this year2 but ,i know ,i won't4 ,i'll strike for ,deer ,river when ,i get my money2 and ,i'll have a drink at ,jake ,boore's saloon1 and when ,i get that drink down ,i'll be on my way4 ,it isn't because ,i want to2 it's because ,i have to4 ,but why8 ,they won't let you do anything else1 said the cook4 ,i've tried it for nine years4 ,every winter ,i've said to myself that ,i'll get out of the woods in the spring1 and every spring ,i've been kicked out of a saloon dead broke4 ,it's always been back to the tall timber for me4 ,what you need1 ,jones1 said ,higgins1 who stood by1 is the grace of ,god in your heart4 ,jones laughed4 ,you hear me1 ,jones8 the ,pilot repeated4 ,what you need is the grace of ,god in your heart4 ,the ,pilot's mad1 the cook laughed1 but not unkindly4 ,the ,pilot and ,i don't agree about religion1 he explained2 and now he's mad because ,i won't go to church4 ,this banter did not disturb the ,pilot in the least4 ,i'm not mad1 ,jones1 said he4 ,all ,i'm saying1 he repeated1 earnestly1 fetching the cook's flour-board a thwack with his fist1 is that what you need is the grace of ,god in your heart4 ,again ,jones laughed4 ,that's all right1 ,jones6 cried the indignant preacher4 ,but ,i tell you that what you need is the grace of ,god in your heart4 ,and you know it6 ,and when ,i get you in the snake-room of ,jake ,boore's saloon in ,deer ,river next spring1 he continued1 in righteous anger1 ,i'll rub it into you6 ,understand me1 ,jones8 ,when ,i haul you out of the snake-room1 and wash you1 and get you sobered up1 ,i'll rub it into you that what you need is the grace of ,god in your heart to give you the first splinter of a man's backbone4 ,i'll be humble--then1 said ,jones4 ,you'll have to be a good deal more than humble1 friend1 ,higgins retorted1 before there'll be a man in the skin that you wear4 ,i don't doubt it1 ,pilot4 ,huh6 the preacher sniffed1 in fine scorn4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the story fortunately has an outcome4 ,i doubt that the cook took the ,pilot's prescription2 but1 at any rate1 he had wisdom sufficient to warn the ,pilot when his time was out1 and his money was in his pocket1 and he was bound out of the woods in another attempt to get through ,deer ,river4 ,it was midwinter when the ,pilot prescribed the grace of ,god2 it was late in the spring when the cook secretly warned him to stand by the forlorn essay2 and it was later still--the drive was on--when1 one night1 as we watched the sluicing1 ,i inquired4 ,jones8 the ,pilot replied1 puzzled4 ,what ,jones8 ,the cook who couldn't get through4 ,oh1 said the ,pilot1 you mean ,jonesy4 ,well1 he added1 with satisfaction1 ,jonesy got through this time4 ,i asked for the tale of it4 ,you'd hardly believe it1 said the ,pilot1 but we cashed that big check right in ,jake ,boore's saloon4 ,i wouldn't have it any other way1 and neither would ,jonesy4 ,in we went1 boys1 brave as lions2 and when ,jake ,boore passed over the money ,jonesy put it in his pocket4 ,drink8 ,not he6 ,not a drop would he take4 ,they tried all the tricks they knew1 but ,jonesy wouldn't fall to them4 ,they even put liquor under his nose2 and ,jonesy let it stay there1 and just laughed4 ,i tell you boys1 it was fine6 ,it was great6 ,jonesy and ,i stuck it out night and day together for two days2 and then ,i put ,jonesy aboard train1 and ,jonesy swore he'd never set foot in ,deer ,river again4 ,he was going ,south1 somewhere1 to see--somebody4 ,it was doubtless the grace of ,god1 after all1 that got the cook through3 if not the grace of ,god in the cook's heart1 then in the ,pilot's4 ,,vii ,,robbing ,,the ,,blind ,it it a perfectly simple situation4 ,there are thirty thousand men-more or less of them1 according to the season--making the wages of men in the woods4 ,most of them accumulate a hot desire to wring some enjoyment from life in return for the labor they do4 ,they have no care about money when they have it4 ,they fling it in gold over the bars 7and any sober man may rob their very pockets72 they waste in a night what they earn in a winter--and then crawl back to the woods4 ,naturally the lumber-towns are crowded with parasites upon their lusts and prodigality--with gamblers and saloon-keepers and purveyors of low passion4 ,some larger capitalists1 more acute and more acquisitive1 of a greed less nice -profess the three occupations at once4 ,they are the men of real power in the remoter communities1 makers of mayors and chiefs of police and magistrates--or were until ,higgins came along to dispute them4 ,and their operations have been simple and enormously profitable--so easy1 so free from any fear of the law1 that ,i should think they would 7in their own phrase7 be ashamed to take the money4 ,it seems to be no trouble at all to abstract a drunken lumber-jack's wages4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it takes a big man to oppose these forces--a big heart and a big body1 and a store of hope and courage not easily depleted4 ,it takes1 too1 a good minister2 it takes a loving heart and a fist quick to find the point of the jaw to preach the gospel after the manner of ,higgins4 ,and ,higgins conceives it to be one of his sacred ministerial duties to protect his parishioners in town4 ,behind the bunk-houses1 in the twilight1 they say to him3 ,when you goin' t' be in ,deer ,river1 ,pilot8 ,friday8 ,all right4 ,i'm goin' home4 ,see me through1 won't you8 ,having committed themselves in this way1 nothing can save them from ,higgins--neither their own drunken will 7if they escape him for an interval7 nor the antagonism of the keepers of places4 ,this is perilous and unscholarly work2 systematic theology has nothing to do with escorting through a ,minnesota lumber-town a weak-kneed boy who wants to take his money home to his mother in ,michigan4 ,once the ,pilot discovered such a boy in the bar-room of a ,bemidji saloon4 ,where's your money8 he demanded4 ',n my pocket4 ,hand it over1 said the ,pilot4 ,ain't going to4 ,yes1 you are2 and you're going to do it quick4 ,come out of this6 ,cowed by these large words1 the boy yielded to the grip of ,higgins's big hand1 and was led away a little4 ,then the bartender leaned over the bar4 ,a gambler or two lounged toward the group4 ,there was a pregnant pause4 ,look here1 ,higgins1 said the bartender1 what business is this of yours1 anyhow8 ,what business--of mine8 asked the astounded ,pilot4 ,yes2 what you buttin' in for8 ,this1 said ,higgins1 is my job6 ,the ,pilot was leaning wrathfully over the bar1 his face thrust belligerently forward1 alert for whatever might happen4 ,the bartender struck at him4 ,higgins had withdrawn4 ,the bartender came over the bar at a bound4 ,the preacher caught him on the jaw in mid-air with a stiff blow1 and he fell headlong and unconscious4 ,they made friends next day--the boy being then safely out of town4 ,it is not hard for ,higgins to make friends with bartenders4 ,they seem to like it2 ,higgins really does4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was in some saloon of the woods that the watchful ,higgins observed an ,irish lumber-jack empty his pockets on the bar and1 in a great outburst of joy1 order drinks for the crowd4 ,the men lined up2 and the ,pilot1 too1 leaned over the bar1 close to the lumber-jack4 ,the bartender presently whisked a few coins from the little heap of gold and silver4 ,higgins edged nearer4 ,in a moment1 as he knew--just as soon as the lumber-jack would for an instant turn his back--the rest of the money would be deftly swept away4 ,the thing was about to happen1 when ,higgins's big hand shot out and covered the heap4 ,pat1 said he1 quietly1 ,i'll not take a drink4 ,this1 he added1 as he put the money in his pocket1 is my treat4 ,the ,pilot stood them all off--the hangers on1 the runners1 the gamblers1 the bartender 7with a gun71 and the ,irish lumber-jack himself4 ,to the bartender he remarked 7while he gazed contemptuously into the muzzle of the gun7 that should ever the fellow grow into the heavy-weight class he would be glad to take him on4 ,as it was1 he was really not worth considering in any serious way1 and had better go get a reputation4 ,it was a pity--for the ,pilot 7said he7 was fit and able--but the thrashing must be postponed for the time4 ,there was no shooting4 99 99 99 99 99 ,further to illustrate the ease with which the lumber-jack may be robbed1 ,i must relate that last midwinter1 in the office of a ,deer ,river hotel1 the ,pilot was greeted with hilarious affection by a boy of twenty or thereabouts who had a moment before staggered out from the bar-room4 ,the youngster was having an immensely good time1 it seemed2 he was full of laughter and wit and song--not yet quite full of liquor4 ,it was snowing outside1 ,i recall1 and a bitter wind was blowing from the north2 but it was warm and light in the office--bright1 and cosy1 and companionable3 very different1 indeed1 from the low1 stifling1 crowded1 ill-lit bunk-houses of the camps1 nor was his elation like the weariness of those places4 ,there were six men lying drunk on the office floor-in grotesque attitudes1 very drunk1 stretched out and snoring where they had fallen4 ,boy1 demanded the ,pilot1 where's your money8 ,the young lumber-jack said that it was in the safe-keeping of the bartender4 ,how much you got left8 ,oh1 ,i got lots yet1 was the happy reply4 ,presently the boy went away1 and presently he reeled back again1 and put a hand on the ,pilot's shoulder4 ,near all in8 asked the ,pilot4 ,i came here yesterday morning with a hundred and twenty-three dollars1 said the boy1 very drunkenly1 and ,i give it to the bartender to keep for me1 and ,i'm told ,i got two-thirty left4 ,he was quite content2 but ,higgins knew that the money of which they were robbing him was needed at his home1 a day's journey to the east of ,deer ,river4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is no pleasure thereabout 7they say7 but the spree1 and the end of the spree is the snake-room for by far the most of the merry-makers--r a penniless condition for all--pneumonia for many--and for the survivors a beggared1 reeling return to the hard work of the woods4 ,higgins is used to picking over the bodies of drunken men in the snake-room heaps--of entering sadly1 but never reluctantly 7he said71 in search of men who have been sorely wounded in brawls1 or are taken with pneumonia1 or in whom there remains hope of regeneration4 ,he carries them off on his back to lodgings--or he wheels them away in a barrow--and he washes them and puts them to bed and 7sometimes angrily7 restrains them until their normal minds return4 ,it has never occurred to him1 probably1 that this is an amazing exhibition of primitive ,christian feeling and practice4 ,he may have thought of it1 however1 as a glorious opportunity for service1 for which he should devoutly and humbly give thanks to ,almighty ,god4 ,,viii ,,touching ,,pitch ,not long ago ,bemidji was what the ,pilot calls the worst town on the map4 ,it was indescribably lawless and vicious4 ,an adequate description would be unprintable4 ,the government--the police and magistrates--was wholly in the hands of the saloon-keeping element4 ,it was a thoroughly noisome settlement4 ,the town authorities laughed at the ,pilot2 the state authorities gently listened to him and conveniently forgot him1 for political reasons4 ,but he was determined to cleanse the place of its established and flaunting wickednesses4 ,he organized a ,w4 ,c4 ,t4 ,u42 and then--,boys1 said he to the keepers of places1 ,i'm going to clean you out4 ,i want to be fair to you--and so ,i tell you4 ,don't you ever come sneaking up to me and say ,i didn't give you warning6 ,they laughed at him when he stripped off his coat and got to work4 ,in the bar-rooms the toast was1 ,t' ,higgins--and t' hell with ,higgins6 and down went the red liquor4 ,but when the fight was over1 when the shutters were up for good--so had he compelled the respect of these men--they came to the preacher1 saying3 ,higgins1 you gave us a show2 you fought us fair--and we want to shake hands4 ,that's all right1 boys1 said ,higgins4 ,will you shake hands8 ,sure1 ,i'll shake hands1 boys6 ,jack ,worth--that notorious gambler and saloon-keeper of ,bemidji--quietly approached ,higgins4 ,frank1 said he1 you win2 but ,i've no hard feelings4 ,that's all right1 ,jack1 said ,higgins4 ,the ,pilot remembered that he had sat close to the death-bed of the young motherless son of this same ,jack ,worth in the room above the saloon4 ,they had been good friends--the big ,pilot and the boy4 ,and ,jack ,worth had loved the boy in a way that only ,higgins knew4 ,papa1 said the boy1 at this time1 death being then very near1 ,i want you to promise me something4 ,jack ,worth listened4 ,i want you to promise me1 papa1 the boy went on1 that you'll never drink another drop in all your life4 ,jack ,worth promised1 and kept his promise2 and ,jack ,worth and the preacher had preserved a queer friendship since that night4 ,jack1 said the ,pilot1 now1 what you going to do8 ,i don't know1 ,frank4 ,aren't you going to quit this dirty business4 ,i ran a square game in my house1 and you know it1 the gambler replied4 ,that's all right1 ,jack1 ,higgins said2 but look here1 old man1 isn't little ,johnnie ever going to pull you out of this8 ,maybe1 ,frank1 was the reply4 ,i don't know4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the gamblers1 the bartenders1 the little pickpockets are as surely the ,pilot's parishioners as anybody else1 and they like and respect him4 ,nobody is excluded from his ministry4 ,i recall that ,higgins was late one night writing in his little room4 ,there came a knock on the door-a loud1 angry demand--a forewarning of trouble1 to one who knows about knocks 7as the ,pilot says74 ,higgins opened1 of course1 and discovered a big bartender1 new to the town--a bigger man than he1 and a man with a fighting reputation4 ,the object of the quarrelsome visit was perfectly plain3 the preacher braced himself for combat4 ,you ,higgins8 ,higgins is my name4 ,did you ever say that if it came to a row between the gamblers of this town and the lumber-jacks that you'd fight with the lumber-jacks8 ,higgins looked the man over4 ,well1 snarled the visitor1 how about it8 ,well1 my friend1 replied the ,pilot1 laying off his coat1 ,i guess you're my man6 and advanced with guard up4 ,i'm no gambler1 the visitor hastily explained4 ,i'm a bartender4 ,don't matter1 said ,higgins4 ,you're my man just the same4 ,i meant bartenders1 too4 ,well1 said the bartender1 ,i just come up to ask you a question4 ,higgins attended4 ,are men made by conditions1 the bartender propounded1 or do conditions make men8 ,there ensued the hottest kind of an argument4 ,it turned out that the man was a ,socialist--a propagandist who had come to ,deer ,river to sow the seed 7he said74 ,i have forgotten what the ,pilot's contention was2 but1 at any rate1 it dodged the general issue and concerned itself with the specific question of whether or not conditions at ,deer ,river made saloon-keepers and gamblers and worse and bartenders--the affirmative of which he held to be an abominable opinion4 ,they carried the argument to the bar-room1 where1 one on each side of the dripping bar1 they disputed until daylight1 ,higgins at times loudly taunting his opponent with the assertion that a bartender could do nothing but shame ,socialism in the community4 ,it ended in this amicable agreement3 that the bartender was privileged to attempt the persuasion of ,higgins to ,socialism1 and that ,higgins was permitted to practise upon the bartender without let or hindrance with a view to his conversion4 ,have a drink8 said the bartender4 ,wh--what6 exclaimed the ,pilot4 ,have a little something soft8 ,i wouldn't take a glass of water over your dirty bar1 ,higgins is said to have roared1 if ,i died of thirst6 ,the man will not compromise4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to all these men1 as well as to the lumber-jacks1 the ,pilot gives his help and carries his message3 to all the loggers and lumber-jacks and road-monkeys and cookees and punk-hunters and wood-butchers and swamp-men and teamsters and bull-cooks and the what-nots of the woods1 and the gamblers and saloon-keepers and panderers and bartenders 7and a host of filthy little runners and pullers-in and small thieves7 of the towns4 ,he has no abode near by1 no church2 he preaches in bunk-houses1 and sleeps above saloons and in the little back rooms of hotels and in stables and wherever a blanket may be had in the woods4 ,he ministers to nobody else3 just to men like these4 ,to women1 too3 not to many1 perhaps1 but still to those whom the pale men of the towns find necessary to their gain4 ,to women like ,nellie1 in swiftly failing health1 who could not escape 7she said7 because she had lost the knack of dressing in any other way4 ,she beckoned him1 aboard train1 well aware of his profession2 and when ,higgins had listened to her ordinary little story1 her threadbare1 pathetic little plea to be helped1 he carried her off to some saving ,refuge for such as she4 ,to women like little ,liz1 too1 whose consumptive hand ,higgins held while she lay dying alone in her tousled bed in the shuttered ,fifth ,red ,house4 ,am ,i dyin'1 ,pilot8 she asked4 ,yes1 my girl1 he answered4 ,dyin'--now8 ,higgins said again that she was dying2 and little ,liz was dreadfully frightened then--and began to sob for her mother with all her heart4 ,i conceive with what tenderness the big1 kind1 clean ,higgins comforted her--how that his big hand was soft and warm enough to serve in that extremity4 ,it is not known to me1 of course2 but ,i fancy that little ,liz of the ,fifth ,red ,house died more easily--more hopefully--because of the proximity of the ,pilot's clear1 uplifted soul4 ,,ix ,,in ,,spite ,,of ,,laughter ,higgins was born on ,august #ai1 #ahfe1 in ,toronto1 ,ontario1 the son of a hotel-keeper4 ,when he was seven years old his father died1 and two years later his mother remarried and went pioneering to ,shelburne1 ,dufferin ,county1 ,ontario1 which was then a wilderness4 ,there was no school2 consequently there was no schooling4 ,higgins went through the experience of conversion when he was eighteen4 ,presently1 thereafter1 he determined to be a minister2 and they laughed at him4 ,everybody laughed4 ,obviously1 what he must have was education2 but he had no money1 and 7as they fancied7 less capacity4 ,at any rate1 the dogged ,higgins began to preach2 he preached--and right vigorously1 too1 no doubt--to the stumps on his stepfather's farm2 and he kept on preaching until1 one day1 laughing faces slowly rose from behind the stumps1 whereupon he took to his heels4 ,at twenty he started to school with little children in ,toronto4 ,it was hard 7he was still a laughing-stock72 and there were three years of it--and two more in the high school4 ,then off went ,higgins as a lay preacher of the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church to ,annandale1 ,minnesota4 ,following this came two years at ,hamline ,university4 ,in #ahie he was appointed to the charge of the little ,presbyterian church at ,barnum1 ,minnesota1 a town of four hundred1 where1 subsequently1 he married ,eva ,l4 ,lucas1 of ,rockford1 ,minnesota4 ,it was here 7says he7 that the call came4 ,x ,,the ,,voice ,,of ,,the ,,lord ,it was on the way between camps1 of a ,sunday afternoon in midwinter1 when the ,pilot related the experience which led to the singular ministerial activities in which he is engaged4 ,he was wrapped in a thick ,mackinaw coat1 with a cloth cap pulled down over his ears2 and he wore big overshoes1 which buckled near to his knees4 ,there was a heavy pack on his pack2 it contained a change of socks 7for himself71 and many pounds of readin' matter 7for the boys74 ,he had preached in the morning at one camp1 in the afternoon at another1 and was now bound to a third1 where 7as it turned out7 a hearty welcome was waiting4 ,the day--now drawn far toward evening--was bitterly cold4 ,there was no wind4 ,it was still and white and frosty on the logging-road4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it seems that once from ,barnum the ,pilot went vacating into the woods to see the log-drive4 ,you're a preacher1 said the boys4 ,give us a sermon4 ,higgins preached that evening1 and the boys liked it4 ,they liked the sermon2 they fancied their own singing of ,rock of ,ages and ,jesus1 ,lover of ,my ,soul4 ,they asked ,higgins to come again4 ,frequently after that--and ever oftener--,higgins walked into the woods when the drive was on1 or into the camps in winter1 to preach to the boys4 ,they welcomed him2 they were always glad to see him--and with great delight they sang ,jesus1 ,lover of ,my ,soul and ,throw ,out the ,life-,line4 ,nobody else preached to them in those days2 a great body of men--almost a multitude in all those woods3 the ,church had quite forgotten them4 ,boys1 said ,higgins1 you've always treated me right1 here4 ,come in to see me when you're in town4 ,the wife 'll be glad to have you4 ,they took him at his word4 ,without warning1 one day1 thirty lumber-jacks crowded into the little parlor4 ,they were hospitably received4 ,pilot1 said the spokesman1 all now convinced of ,higgins's genuineness1 here's something for you from the boys4 ,a piece of paper 7a check for fifty-one dollars7 was thrust into the ,pilot's hand1 and the whole crew decamped on a run1 with howls of bashful laughter1 like a pack of half-grown school-boys4 ,and so the relationship was first established4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was in winter1 ,higgins says1 that the call came2 and the voice of the ,lord1 as he says1 was clear in direction4 ,two lumber-jacks came out of the woods to fetch him to the bedside of a sick homesteader who had been at work in the lumber-camps4 ,the homesteader was a sick man 7said they71 and he had asked for the ,pilot4 ,the doctor was first to the man's mean home4 ,there was no help for him1 said he1 in a log-cabin deep in the woods2 if he could be taken to the hospital in ,duluth there might be a chance4 ,it was doubtful1 of course2 but to remain was death4 ,all right1 said ,higgins4 ,i'll take him to the hospital4 ,the hospital doctor in ,duluth said that the man was dying4 ,the ,pilot so informed the homesteader and bade him prepare4 ,but the man smiled4 ,he had already prepared4 ,i heard you preach--that night--in camp--on the river1 said he4 ,it seems that he had been reared in a ,christian home1 but had not for twenty years heard the voice of a minister in exhortation until ,higgins chanced that way4 ,and afterward--when the lights in the wannigan were out and the crew had gone to sleep--he could not banish the vision of his mother4 ,life had been sweeter to him since that night4 ,the ,pilot's message 7said he7 had saved him4 ,mr4 ,higgins1 said he1 go back to the camp and tell the boys about ,jesus4 ,higgins wondered if the ,lord had spoken4 ,go back to the camps1 the dying man repeated1 and tell the boys about ,jesus4 ,nobody else was doing it4 ,why shouldn't ,higgins8 ,the boys had no minister4 ,why shouldn't ,higgins be that minister8 ,was not this the very work the ,lord had brought him to this far place to do8 ,had not the ,lord spoken with the tongue of this dying man8 ,go back to the camps and tell the boys about ,jesus4 ,the phrase was written on his heart4 ,go back to the camp and tell the boys about ,jesus4 ,how it appealed to the young preacher--the very form of it6 ,all that night1 the homesteader having died1 ,higgins--not then the beloved ,pilot--walked the hospital corridor4 ,when day broke he had made up his mind4 ,whatever dreams of a city pulpit he had cherished were gone4 ,he would go back to the camps for good and all4 ,and back he went4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we had now come over the logging-road near to the third camp4 ,the story of the call was finished at sunset4 ,well1 said the ,pilot1 heartily1 with half a smile1 here ,i am1 you see4 ,on the job1 laughed one of the company4 ,for good and all1 ,higgins agreed4 ,it's funny about life1 he added1 gravely4 ,i'm a great big wilful fellow1 naturally evil1 ,i suppose2 but it seems to me that all my lifelong the ,lord has just led me by the hand as if ,i were nothing but a little child4 ,and ,i didn't know what was happening to me6 ,now isn't that funny8 ,isn't the whole thing funny8 ,,xi ,,fist-,,play ,it used sometimes to be difficult for ,higgins to get a hearing in the camps2 this was before he had fought and preached his way completely into the trust of the lumber-jacks4 ,there was always a warm welcome for him in the bunk-houses1 to be sure1 and for the most part a large eagerness for the distraction of his discourses after supper2 but here and there in the beginning he encountered an obstreperous fellow 7and does to this day7 who interrupted for the fun of the thing4 ,it is related that upon one occasion a big ,frenchman began to grind his axe of a ,sunday evening precisely as ,higgins began to preach4 ,some of the boys here1 ,higgins drawled1 want to hear me preach1 and if the boys would just grind their axes some other time ,i'd be much obliged4 ,the grinding continued4 ,i say1 ,higgins proceeded1 his voice rising a little1 that a good many of the boys have asked me to preach a little sermon to them2 but ,i can't preach while one of the boys grinds his axe4 ,no impression was made4 ,now1 boys1 ,higgins went on1 most of you want to hear me preach1 and ,i'm going to preach1 all right2 but ,i cant preach if anybody grinds an axe4 ,the ,frenchman whistled a tune4 ,friend1 back there6 ,higgins called out1 can't you oblige the boys by grinding that axe another time8 ,there was some tittering in the bunk-house--and the grinding went on--and the tune came saucily up from the door where the ,frenchman stood4 ,higgins walked slowly back2 having come near1 he paused--then put his hand on the ,frenchman's shoulder in a way not easily misunderstood4 ,friend1 he began1 softly1 if you-- ,the ,frenchman struck at him4 ,keep back1 boys6 an old ,irishman yelled1 catching up a peavy-pole4 ,give the ,pilot a show6 ,keep out o' this or ,i'll brain ye6 ,the ,sky ,pilot caught the ,frenchman about the waist--flung him against a door--caught him again on the rebound--put him head foremost in a barrel of water--and absent-mindedly held him there until the old ,irishman asked1 softly1 ,say1 ,pilot1 ye ain't goin' t' drown him1 are ye8 ,it was all over in a flash3 ,higgins is wisely no man for half-way measures in an emergency2 in a moment the ,frenchman lay cast1 dripping and gasping1 on the floor1 and the bunk-house was in a tumult of jeering4 ,then ,higgins proceeded with the sermon2 and--strangely--he is of an earnestness and frankly mild and loving disposition so impressive that this passionate incident had doubtless no destructive effect upon the solemn service following4 ,it is easy to fancy him passing unruffled to the upturned cask which served him for a pulpit1 readjusting the blanket which was his altar-cloth1 raising his dog-eared little hymn-book to the smoky light of the lantern overhead1 and beginning1 feelingly3 ,boys1 let's sing ,number ,fifty-six3 ',jesus1 lover of my soul1 let me to thy bosom fly4' ,you know the tune1 boys2 everybody sing--',while the nearer waters roll and the tempest still is high4' ,all ready1 now6 ,a fight in a church would be a seriously disturbing commotion2 but a fight in a bunk-house--well1 that is commonplace4 ,there is more interest in singing ,jesus1 ,lover of ,my ,soul1 than in dwelling upon the affair afterward4 ,and the boys sang heartily1 ,i am sure1 as they always do1 the ,frenchman quite forgotten4 ,next day ,higgins was roused by the selfsame man2 and he jumped out of his bunk in a hurry 7says he71 like a man called to fire or battle4 ,well1 he thought1 as he sighed1 if ,i am ever to preach in these camps again1 ,i suppose1 this man must be satisfactorily thrashed2 but--more cheerfully--he needs a good thrashing1 anyhow4 ,pilot1 said the ,frenchman1 ,i'm sorry about last night4 ,higgins shook hands with him4 ,,xii ,,making ,,the ,,grade ,fully to describe ,higgins's altercations with lumber-jacks and tin-horn gamblers and the like in pursuit of clean opportunity for other men would be to pain him4 ,it is a phase of ministry he would conceal4 ,perhaps he fears that unknowing folk might mistake him for a quarrelsome fellow4 ,he is nothing of the sort1 however2 he is a wise and efficient minister of the gospel--but fights well1 upon good occasion1 notwithstanding his forty-odd years4 ,in the ,minnesota woods fighting is as necessary as praying--just as tender a profession of ,christ4 ,higgins regrets that he knows little enough of boxing2 he shamefacedly feels that his preparation for the ministry has in this respect been inadequate4 ,once1 when they examined him before the ,presbytery for ordination1 a new-made seminary graduate from the ,east1 rising1 quizzed thus3 ,will the candidate not tell us who was ,caesar of ,rome when ,paul preached8 ,it stumped ,higgins2 but--he told us on the road from ,six to ,four--,i was confused1 you see4 ,the only ,caesar ,i could think of was ,julius1 and ,i knew that that wasn't right4 ,if he'd only said ,emperor of ,rome1 ,i could have told him1 of course6 ,anyhow1 it didn't matter much4 ,boxing1 according to the experience of ,higgins1 was an imperative preparation for preaching in his field2 a little haziness concerning an ,emperor of ,rome really didn't matter so very much4 ,at any rate1 the boys wouldn't care4 ,higgins's ministry1 however1 knows a gentler service than that which a strong arm can accomplish in a bar-room4 ,when ,alex ,mc,kenzie lay dying in the hospital at ,bemidji--a screen around his cot in the ward--the ,pilot sat with him1 as he sits with all dying lumber-jacks4 ,it was the ,pilot who told him that the end was near4 ,nearing the landing1 ,pilot8 ,almost there1 ,alex4 ,i've a heavy load1 ,pilot--a heavy load6 ,mc,kenzie was a four-horse teamster1 used to hauling logs from the woods to the landing at the lake--forty thousand pounds of new-cut timber to be humored over the logging-roads4 ,pilot1 he asked1 presently1 do you think ,i can make the grade8 ,with help1 ,alex4 ,mc,kenzie said nothing for a moment4 ,then he looked up4 ,you mean1 said he1 that ,i need another team of leaders8 ,the ,great ,leader1 ,alex4 ,oh1 ,i know what you mean1 said ,mc,kenzie3 you mean that ,i need the help of ,jesus ,christ4 ,no need to tell what ,higgins said then--what he repeated about repentance and faith and the infinite love of ,god and the power of ,christ for salvation4 ,alex ,mc,kenzie had heard it all before--long before1 being ,scottish born1 and a ,highlander--and had not utterly forgotten1 prodigal though he was4 ,it was all recalled to him1 now1 by a man whose life and love and uplifted heart were well known to him--his minister4 ,pray for me1 said he1 like a child4 ,mc,kenzie died that night4 ,he had said never a word in the long interval2 but just before his last breath was drawn--while the ,pilot still held his hand and the ,sister of ,charity numbered her beads near by--he whispered in the ,pilot's ear3 ,tell the boys ,i made the grade6 99 99 99 99 99 ,pat1 the old road-monkey--now come to the end of a long career of furious living--being about to die1 sent for ,higgins4 ,he was desperately anxious concerning the soul that was about to depart from his ill-kept and degraded body2 and he was in pain1 and turning very weak4 ,higgins waited4 ,pilot1 ,pat whispered1 with a knowing little wink1 ,i want you to fix it for me4 ,to fix it1 ,pat8 ,sure1 you know what ,i mean1 ,pilot1 ,pat replied4 ,i want you to fix it for me4 ,pat1 said ,higgins1 ,i can't fix it for you4 ,then1 said the dying man1 in amazement1 what the hell did you come here for8 ,to show you1 ,higgins answered1 gently1 how you can fix it4 ,me fix it8 ,higgins explained1 then1 the scheme of redemption1 according to his creed--the atonement and salvation by faith4 ,the man listened--and nodded comprehendingly--and listened1 still with amazement--all the time nodding his understanding4 ,uh-huh6 he muttered1 when the preacher had done1 as one who says1 ,i see6 ,he said no other word before he died4 ,just1 ,uh-huh6--to express enlightenment4 ,and when1 later1 it came time for him to die1 he still held tight to ,higgins's finger1 muttering1 now and again1 ,uh-huh6 ,uh-huh6--like a man to whom has come some great astounding revelation4 ,,xiii ,,straight ,,from ,,the ,,shoulder ,in the bunk-house1 after supper1 ,higgins preaches4 ,it is a solemn service3 no minister of them all so punctilious as ,higgins in respect to reverent conduct4 ,the preacher is in earnest and single of purpose4 ,the congregation is compelled to reverence4 ,boys1 says he1 in cunning appeal1 this bunk-house is our church--the only church we've got4 ,no need to say more6 ,and a queer church3 a low1 long hut1 stifling and ill-smelling and unclean and infested1 a row of double-decker bunks on either side1 a great glowing stove in the middle1 socks and ,mackinaws steaming on the racks1 boots put out to dry1 and all dim-lit with lanterns4 ,half-clad1 hairy men1 and boys with young beards1 lounge everywhere--stretched out on the benches1 peering from the shadows of the bunks1 squatted on the fire-wood1 cross-legged on the floor near the preacher4 ,higgins rolls out a cask for a pulpit and covers it with a blanket4 ,then he takes off his coat and mops his brow4 ,presently1 hymn-book or ,testament in hand1 he is sitting on the pulpit4 ,not much light here1 says he1 so ,i won't read to-night2 but ,i'll say the ,first ,psalm4 ,are you all ready8 ,everybody is ready4 ,all right4 ',blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly1' boys1 'nor standeth in the way of sinners4' ,the door opens and a man awkwardly enters4 ,got any room back there for ,bill1 boys8 the preacher calls4 ,there seems to be room4 ,i want to see you after service1 ,bill4 ,you'll find a seat back there with the boys4 ',for the ,lord knoweth the way of the righteous2 but the way of the ungodly1' gentlemen1 'shall perish4' ,there is a prayer1 restrained1 in the way of the preacher's church--a petition terrible with earnestness4 ,one wonders how a feeling ,god could turn a deaf ear to the beseeching eloquence of it6 ,and the boys sing--lustily1 too--led by the stentorian preacher4 ,an amazing incongruity3 these seared1 blasphemous barbarians bawling1 ,what a ,friend ,i ,have in ,jesus6 ,enjoy it8 ,pilot1 said one of them1 in open meeting1 once1 with no irreverence whatsoever1 that's a damned fine toon6 ,why the hell don't they have toons like that in the shows8 ,let's sing her again6 ,sure6 said the preacher1 not at all shocked2 let's sing her again6 ,there is a sermon--composed on the forest roads from camp to camp3 for on those long1 white1 cold1 blustering roads ,higgins either whistles his blithe way 7like a boy7 or fashions his preaching4 ,it is a searching1 eloquent sermon3 none other so exactly suited to environment and congregation--none other so simple and appealing and comprehensible4 ,there isn't a word of cant in it2 there isn't a suggestion of the familiar evangelistic rant4 ,higgins has no time for cant 7he says7--nor any faith in ranting4 ,the sermon is all orthodox and significant and reasonable2 it has tender wisdom1 and it is sometimes terrible with naked truth4 ,the phrasing8 ,it is as homely and brutal as the language of the woods4 ,it has no affectation of slang4 ,the preacher's message is addressed with wondrous cunning to men in their own tongue3 wherefore it could not be repeated before a polite congregation4 ,were the preacher to ejaculate an oath 7which he never would do7--were he to exclaim1 ,by ,god6 boys1 this is the only way of salvation6--the solemnity of the occasion would not be disturbed by a single ripple4 ,and what did the young man do8 he asked1 concerning the ,prodigal2 why1 he packed his turkey and went off to blow his stake--just like you6 ,afterward1 when the poor ,prodigal was penniless3 ,what about him then1 boys8 ,you know4 ,i don't need to tell you4 ,you learned all about it at ,deer ,river4 ,it was the husks and the hogs for him--just like it is for you6 ,it's up the river for you--and it's back to the woods for you--when they've cleaned you out at ,deer ,river6 ,once he said1 in a great passion of pity3 ,boys1 you're out here1 floundering to your waists1 picking diamonds from the snow of these forests1 to glitter1 not in pure places1 but on the necks of the saloon-keepers' wives in ,deer ,river6 ,there is applause when the ,pilot strikes home4 ,that's damned true6 they shout4 ,and there is many a tear shed 7as ,i saw7 by the young men in the shadows when1 having spoken long and graciously of home1 he asks3 ,when did you write to your mother last8 ,you1 back there--and you6 ,ah1 boys1 don't forget her6 ,there was pause while the preacher leaned earnestly over the blanketed barrel4 ,write home to-night1 he besought them4 ,she's--waiting--for--that--letter6 ,they listened4 ,,xiv ,,the ,,shoe ,,on ,,the ,,other ,,foot ,the ,pilot is a fearless preacher--fearless of blame and violence--and he is the most downright and pugnacious of moral critics4 ,he speaks in mighty wrath against the sins of the camps and the evil-doers of the towns--naming the thieves and gamblers by name and violently characterizing their ways3 until it seems he must in the end be done to death in revenge4 ,boys1 said he1 in a bunk-house denunciation1 that tin-horn gambler ,jim ,leach is back in ,deer ,river from the ,west with a crooked game--just laying for you4 ,i watched his game1 boys1 and ,i know what ,i'm talking about2 and you know ,i know6 ,proceeding3 ,you know that saloon-keeper ,tom ,jenkins8 ,of course you do6 ,well1 boys1 the wife of ,tom ,jenkins nodded toward the camps the other day1 and1 ',pshaw6' says she2 'what do ,i care about expense8 ,my husband has a thousand men working for him in the woods6' ,she meant you1 boys6 ,a thousand of you--think of it6--working for the wife of a brute like ,tom ,jenkins4 ,again3 ,boys1 ,i'm just out from ,deer ,river4 ,i met ol' ,bill ,morgan yesterday4 ',hello1 ,bill6' says ,i2 'how's business8' ',slow1 ,pilot1' says he2 'but ,i ain't worryin' none--it'll pick up when the boys come in with their stake in the spring4' ,there you have it6 ,that's what you'll be up against1 boys1 ,god help you6 when you go in with your stake--a gang of filthy thieves like ,jim ,leach and ,tom ,jenkins and ,bill ,morgan6 ,it takes courage to attack1 in this frank way1 the parasites of a lawless community1 in which murder may be accomplished in secret1 and perjury is as cheap as a glass of whiskey4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it takes courage1 too1 to denounce the influential parishioner4 ,you grown-up men1 here1 ,higgins complained to his congregation1 ought to give the young fellows a chance to live decent lives4 ,shame to you that you don't6 ,you've lived in filth and blasphemy and whiskey so long that maybe you don't know any better2 but ,i want to tell you--every one of you--that these boys don't want that sort of thing4 ,they remember their mothers and their sisters1 and they want what's clean6 ,now1 you leave 'em alone4 ,give 'em a show to be decent4 ,and ,i'm talking to you1 ,scotch ,andrew--with an angry thump of the pulpit and a swift belligerent advance--and to you1 ,gin ,thompson1 sneaking back there in your bunk6 ,oh1 hell6 said ,gin ,thompson4 ,the ,pilot was instantly confronting the lazy-lying man4 ,gin1 said he1 you'll take that back6 ,gin laughed4 ,understand me8 the wrathful preacher shouted4 ,gin ,thompson understood4 ,very wisely--however unwillingly--he apologized4 ,that's all right1 ,pilot1 said he2 you know ,i didn't mean nothin'4 ,anyhow1 the preacher muttered1 returning to his pulpit and his sermon1 ,i'd rather preach than fight4 99 99 99 99 99 ,not by any means all ,higgins's sermons are of this nature2 most are conventional enough1 perhaps--but always vigorous and serviceable--and present the ancient ,christian philosophy in an appealing and deeply reverent way4 ,i recall1 however1 another downright and courageous display of dealing with the facts without gloves4 ,it was especially fearless because the ,pilot must have the permission of the proprietors before he may preach in the camps4 ,it is related that a drunken logger--the proprietor of the camp--staggered into ,higgins's service and sat down on the barrel which served for the pulpit4 ,the preacher was discoursing on the duties of the employed to the employer4 ,it tickled the drunken logger4 ,hit 'em again1 ,pilot6 he applauded4 ,it'll do 'em good4 ,higgins pointed out the wrong worked the owners by the lumber-jacks' common custom of jumping camp4 ,give 'em hell6 shouted the logger4 ,it'll do 'em good4 ,higgins proceeded calmly to discuss the several evils of which the lumber-jacks may be accused in relation to their employers4 ,you're all right1 ,pilot1 the logger agreed1 clapping the preacher on the back4 ,hit the ---- rascals again6 ,it'll do 'em good4 ,and now1 boys1 ,higgins continued1 gently1 we come to the other side of the subject4 ,you owe a lot to your employers1 and ,i've told you frankly what your minister thinks about it4 ,but what can be expected of you1 anyhow8 ,who sets you a good example of fair dealing and decent living8 ,your employers8 ,look about you and see6 ,what kind of an example do your employers set8 ,is it any wonder1 he went on1 in a breathless silence1 that you go wrong8 ,is it any wonder that you fail to consider those who fail to consider you8 ,is it any wonder that you are just exactly what you are1 when the men to whom you ought to be able to look for better things are themselves filthy and drunken loafers8 ,the logger was thunderstruck4 ,and how d'ye like that1 ,mister ,woods8 the preacher shouted1 turning on the man1 and shaking his fist in his face4 ,how d'ye like that8 ,does it do you any good8 ,the logger wouldn't tell4 ,let us pray6 said the indignant preacher4 ,next morning the ,pilot was summoned to the office4 ,you think it was rough on you1 do you1 ,mr4 ,woods8 said he4 ,but ,i didn't tell the boys a thing that they didn't know already4 ,and what's more1 he continued1 ,i didn't tell them a thing that your own son doesn't know4 ,you know just as well as ,i do what road he's travelling2 and you know just as well as ,i do what you are doing to help that boy along4 ,higgins continued to preach in those camps4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one inevitably wonders what would happen if some minister of the cities denounced from his pulpit in these frank and indignantly righteous terms the flagrant sinners and hypocrites of his congregation4 ,what polite catastrophe would befall him8--suppose he were convinced of the wisdom and necessity of the denunciation and had no family dependent upon him4 ,the outburst leaves ,higgins established in the hearts of his hearers2 and it leaves him utterly exhausted4 ,he mingles with the boys afterward2 he encourages and scolds them1 he hears confession1 he prays in some quiet place in the snow with those whose hearts he has touched1 he confers with men who have been seeking to overcome themselves1 he writes letters for the illiterate1 he visits the sick1 he renews old acquaintanceship1 he makes new friends1 he yarns of the cut and the big timber and the homesteading of other places1 and he distributes the readin' matter1 consisting of old magazines and tracts which he has carried into camp4 ,at last he quits the bunk-house1 worn out and discouraged and downcast4 ,i failed to-night1 he said1 once1 at the superintendent's fire4 ,it was awfully kind of the boys to listen to me so patiently4 ,did you notice how attentive they were8 ,i tell you1 the boys are good to me6 ,maybe ,i was a little rough on them to-night4 ,but somehow all this unnecessary and terrible wickedness enrages me4 ,and nobody else much seems to care about it4 ,and ,i'm their minister4 ,and ,i yearn to have the souls of these boys awakened4 ,i've just got to stand up and tell them the truth about themselves and give them the same old ,message that ,i heard when ,i was a boy4 ,i don't know1 but it's kind of queer about ministers of the gospel1 he went on4 ,we've got two ,creations now1 and three ,genesises4 ,but take a minister4 ,it wouldn't matter to me if a brother minister fell from grace4 ,i'd pick him out of the mud and never think of it again4 ,it wouldn't cost me much to forgive him4 ,i know that we're all human and liable to sin4 ,but when an ordained minister gets up in his pulpit and dodges his duty--when he gets up and dodges the truth--why1 bah6 ,i've got no time for him6 ,,xv ,,cause ,,and ,,effect ,this sort of preaching--this genuine and practical ministry consistently and unremittingly carried on for love of the men1 and without prospect of gain--wins respect and loyal affection4 ,the dogged and courageous method will be sufficiently illustrated in the tale of the ,big ,scotchman of ,white ,pine--to ,higgins almost a forgotten incident of fourteen years' service4 ,the ,big ,scotchman was discovered drunk and shivering with apprehension--he was in the first stage of delirium tremens--in a low saloon of ,white ,pine1 some remote and ,god-forsaken settlement off the railroad1 into which the ,pilot had chanced on his rounds4 ,the man was a homesteader1 living alone in a log-cabin on his grant of land1 some miles from the village4 ,well1 thought the ,pilot1 quite familiar with the situation1 first of all ,i've got to get him home4 ,there was only one way of accomplishing this1 and the ,pilot employed it2 he carried the ,big ,scotchman4 ,well1 thought the ,pilot1 what next8 ,the next thing was to wrestle with the ,big ,scotchman1 upon whom the whiskey sickness had by that time fallen--to wrestle with him in the lonely little cabin in the woods1 and to get him down1 and to hold him down4 ,there was no congregation to listen to the eloquent sermon which the ,pilot was engaged in preaching2 there was no choir1 there was no report in the newspapers4 ,but the sermon went on just the same4 ,the ,pilot got the ,big ,scotchman down1 and kept him down1 and at last got him into his bunk4 ,for two days and nights he sat there ministering--hearing1 all the time1 the ravings of a horrible delirium4 ,there was an interval of relief then1 and during this the ,pilot gathered up every shred of the ,big ,scotchman's clothing and safely hid it4 ,there was not a garment left in the cabin to cover his nakedness4 ,the ,big ,scotchman presently wanted whiskey4 ,no1 said the ,pilot2 you stay right here4 ,the ,big ,scotchman got up to dress4 ,nothing to wear1 said the ,pilot4 ,then the fight was on again4 ,it was a long fight--merely a physical thing in the beginning1 but a fight of another kind before the day was done4 ,and the ,pilot won4 ,when the ,big ,scotchman got up from his knees he took the ,pilot's hand and said that1 by ,god's help1 he would live better than he had lived4 ,moreover1 he was as good as his word4 ,presently ,white ,pine knew him no more2 but news of his continuance in virtue not long ago came down to the ,pilot from the north4 ,it was what the ,pilot calls a real reformation and conversion4 ,it seems that there is a difference4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we had gone the rounds of the saloons in ,deer ,river1 and had returned late at night to the hotel4 ,the ,pilot was very busy--he is always busy1 from early morning until the last sot drops unconscious to the bar-room floor1 when1 often1 the real day's work begins2 he is one of the hardest workers in any field of endeavor4 ,and he was now heart-sick because of what he had seen that night2 but he was not idle--he was still shaking hands with his parishioners in the bar-room1 still advising1 still inspiring1 still scolding and beseeching1 still holding private conversations in the corners1 for all the world like a popular and energetic politician on primary day4 ,a curious individual approached me4 ,friend of the ,pilot's8 said he4 ,i nodded4 ,he's a good man4 ,i observed that the stranger was timid and slow--a singular fellow1 with a lean face and nervous hands and clear but most unsteady eyes4 ,he was like an old hulk repainted4 ,he done me a lot of good1 he added1 in a slow1 soft drawl1 hardly above a whisper1 at the same time slowly smoothing his chin4 ,it was a pleasant thing to hear4 ,they used to call me ,brandy ,bill1 he continued4 ,he pointed to a group of drunkards lying on the floor4 ,i used to be like that1 said he1 looking up like a child who perceives that he is interesting4 ,after a pause1 he went on3 ,but once when the snakes broke out on me ,i made up my mind to quit4 ,and then ,i went to the ,pilot and he stayed with me for a while1 and told me ,i had to hang on4 ,i thought ,i could do it if the boys would leave me alone4 ,so the ,pilot told me what to do4 ',whenever you come into town1' says he1 'you go on to your sister's and borrow her little girl4' ,her little girl was just four years old then4 ',and1' says the ,pilot1 'don't you never come down street without her4' ,well1 ,i done what the ,pilot said4 ,i never come down street without that little girl hanging on to my hand2 and when she was with me not one of the boys ever asked me to take a drink4 ,yes1 he drawled1 glancing at the drunkards again1 ,i used to be like that4 ,pretty near time1 he added1 like a man displaying an experienced knowledge1 to put them fellows in the snake-room4 ,such a ministry as the ,pilot's springs from a heart of kindness--from a pure and understanding love of all mankind4 ,boys1 said he1 once1 in the superintendent's office1 after the sermon in the bunk-house1 ,i'll never forget a porterhouse steak ,i saw once4 ,it was in ,duluth4 ,i'd been too busy to have my breakfast1 and ,i was hungry4 ,i'm a big man1 you know1 and when ,i get hungry ,i'm hungry4 ,anyhow1 ,i wasn't thinking about that when ,i saw the steak4 ,it didn't occur to me that ,i was hungry until ,i happened to glance into a restaurant window as ,i walked along4 ,and there ,i saw the steak4 ,you know how they fix those windows up3 a chunk of ice and some lettuce and a steak or two and some chops4 ,well1 boys1 all at once ,i got so hungry that ,i ached4 ,i could hardly wait to get in there4 ,but ,i stopped4 ',look here1 ,higgins1' thought ,i1 'what if you didn't have a cent in your pocket8' ,well1 that was a puzzler4 ',what if you were a dead-broke lumber-jack1 and hungry like this8' ,boys1 it frightened me4 ,i understood just what those poor fellows suffer4 ,and ,i couldn't go in the restaurant until ,i had got square with them4 ',look here1 ,higgins1' ,i thought1 'the best thing you can do is to go and find a hungry lumber-jack somewhere and feed him4' ,and ,i did1 too2 and ,i tell you1 boys1 ,i enjoyed my dinner4 ,it is a ministry that wins good friends1 and often in unexpected places3 friends like the lumber-jack 7once an enemy7 who would clear a way for the ,pilot in town1 shouting1 ,i'm road-monkeying for the ,pilot6 and friends like the ,blacksmith4 ,higgins came one night to a new camp where an irascible boss was in complete command4 ,you won't mind1 will you1 said he1 if ,i hold a little service for the boys in the bunk-house to-night8 ,the boss ordered him to clear out4 ,all ,i want to do1 ,higgins protested1 mildly1 is just to hold a little service for the boys4 ,again the boss ordered him to clear out3 but ,higgins had come prepared with the authority of the proprietor of the camp4 ,i've a pass in my pocket1 he suggested4 ,don't matter1 said the boss2 you couldn't preach in this camp if you had a pass from ,god ,almighty6 ,to thrash or not to thrash8 that was the ,pilot's problem2 and he determined not to thrash1 for he knew very well that if he thrashed the boss the lumber-jacks would lose respect for the boss and jump the camp4 ,the ,blacksmith1 however1 had heard--and had heard much more than is here written4 ,next morning he involved himself in a quarrel with the boss2 and having thrashed him soundly1 and having thrown him into a snowbank1 he departed1 but returned1 and1 addressing himself to that portion of the foreman which protruded from the snow1 kicked it heartily1 saying3 ,there's one for the ,pilot4 ,and there's another--and another4 ,i'll learn you to talk to the ,pilot like a drunken lumber-jack4 ,there's another for him4 ,take that--and that--for the ,pilot4 ,subsequently ,higgins preached in those camps4 ,,xvi ,,the ,,wages ,,of ,,sacrifice ,one asks1 ,why does ,higgins do these things8 ,the answer is simple3 ,because he loves his neighbor as himself--because he actually does1 without self-seeking or any pious pretence4 ,one asks1 ,what does he get out of it8 ,i do not know what ,higgins gets4 ,if you were to ask him1 he would say1 innocently1 that once1 when he preached at ,camp ,seven of the ,green ,river ,works1 the boys fell in love with the singing4 ,jesus1 ,lover of ,my ,soul1 was the hymn that engaged them4 ,they sang it again and again2 and when they got up in the morning1 they said3 ,say1 ,pilot1 let's sing her once more6 ,they sang it once more--in the bunk-house at dawn--and the boss opened the door and was much too amazed to interrupt4 ,they sang it again4 ,all out6 cried the boss2 and the boys went slowly off to labor in the woods1 singing1 ,let me to ,thy bosom fly6 and1 ,oh1 receive my soul at last6--diverging here and there1 axes and saws over shoulder1 some to the deeper forest1 some making out upon the frozen lake1 some pursuing the white roads--all passing into the snow and green and great trees and silence of the undefiled forest which the ,pilot loves--all singing as they went1 ,other refuge have ,i none2 hangs my helpless soul on ,thee--until the voices were like sweet and soft-coming echoes from the wilderness4 ,poor ,higgins put his face to the bunk-house door and wept4 ,i tell you1 boys1 he told us1 on the road from ,six to ,four1 it was pay for what ,i've tried to do for the boys4 ,later--when the ,sky ,pilot sat with his stockinged feet extended to a red fire in the superintendent's log-cabin of that bitterly cold night--he betrayed himself to the uttermost4 ,do you know1 boys1 said he1 addressing us1 the talk having been of the wide world and travel therein1 ,i believe you fellows would spend a dollar for a dinner and never think twice about it6 ,we laughed4 ,if ,i spent more than twenty-five cents1 said he1 accusingly1 ,i'd have indigestion4 ,again we laughed4 ,and if ,i spent fifty cents for a hotel bed1 said he1 with a grin1 ,i'd have the nightmare4 ,that is exactly what ,higgins gets out of it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,higgins gets more than that out of it3 he gets a clean eye and sound sleep and a living interest in life4 ,he gets even more3 he gets the trust and affection of almost--almost--every lumber-jack in the ,minnesota woods4 ,he wanders over two hundred square miles of forest1 and hardly a man of the woods but would fight for his ,christian reputation at a word4 ,for example1 he had pulled ,whitey ,mooney out of the filth and nervous strain of the snake-room1 and reestablished him1 had paid his board1 had got him a job in a near-by town1 had paid his fare1 had taken him to his place2 but ,whitey ,mooney had presently thrown up his job 7being a lazy fellow71 and had fallen into the depths again1 had asked ,higgins for a quarter of a dollar for a drink or two1 and had been denied4 ,immediately he took to the woods2 and in the camp he came to be complained that ,higgins had turned him down4 ,you're a liar1 they told him4 ,the ,pilot never turned a lumber-jack down4 ,wait till he comes4 ,higgins came4 ,pilot1 said a solemn jack1 rising1 when the sermon was over1 as he had been delegated1 do you know ,mooney8 ,whitey ,mooney8 ,yes4 ,do you know ,whitey ,mooney8 ,you bet ,i do1 boys6 ,did--you--turn--him--down8 ,you bet ,i did1 boys6 ,why8 ,higgins informed them4 ,come out o' there1 ,whitey6 they yelled2 and they took ,whitey ,mooney from his bunk1 and tossed him in a blanket1 and drove him out of camp4 ,higgins is doing a hard thing--correcting and persuading such men as these2 and he could do infinitely better if he had more money to serve his ends4 ,they are not all drunkards and savage beasts1 of course4 ,it would wrong them to say so4 ,many are self-respecting1 clean-lived1 intelligent1 sober2 many have wives and children1 to whom they return with clean hands and mouths when the winter is over4 ,they all--without any large exception 7and this includes the saloon-keepers and gamblers of the towns7--respect the ,pilot4 ,it is related of him that he was once taken sick in the woods4 ,it was a case of exposure--occurring in cold weather after months of bitter toil1 with a pack on his back and in deep trouble of spirit4 ,there was a storm of snow blowing1 at far below zero1 and ,higgins was miles from any camp4 ,he managed1 however1 after hours of plodding through the snow1 to reach the uncut timber1 where he was somewhat sheltered from the wind4 ,he remembers that he was then intent upon the sermon for the evening2 but beyond--even trudging through these tempered places--he has forgotten what occurred4 ,the lumber-jacks found him at last1 lying in the snow near the cook-house2 and they carried him to the bunk-house1 and put him to bed1 and consulted concerning him4 ,the ,pilot's an almighty sick man1 said one4 ,another prescribed3 ,got any whiskey in camp8 ,there was no whiskey--there was no doctor within reach--there was no medicine of any sort4 ,and the ,pilot1 whom they had taken from the snow1 was a very sick man4 ,they wondered what could be done for him4 ,it seemed that nobody knew4 ,there was nothing to be done--nothing but keep him covered up and warm4 ,boys1 a lumber-jack proposed1 how's this for an idea8 ,they listened4 ,we can pray for the man1 said he1 who's always praying for us4 ,they managed to do it somehow2 and when ,higgins heard that the boys were praying for him--praying for him6--he turned his face to the wall1 and covered up his head1 and wept like a fevered boy4 ,,the ,,end