Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-05-01

ing man Of the tribe, so that it Went
with snap, and that ended it, and he
was made chief-for, you see, in
their hearts they all hated their strong
man. Well, one winter there came
down TO Fort O. God two Eskimos, and
they said that three white men were
wintering by the Coppermine river.
They had travelled down from the frozen
seas when their ship was locked in the
ice, but could get no farther. They were
sick with the evil skin and starving
The white chief said to me, 'Galloir,
will you go:' would have gone with
him to the ends of the woodland this
was near one end"
The old man laughed to himself,
tossed his Jet black hair from his wrin-
kled face, and after a moment con-
timed: "Thero never was such winter
a. that. The air was so still by times
that you could hear the rustic of the
stars and the shifting of the northern
lights, but the cold at night caught ycu
by the heart and clamped it-mon
Dieu, how it clamped it! We crawled
under the snow and lay in our bags of
fur and wool, and the dogs Rugged close
| to US. We were sorry for the dogs, and
one died, and then another, and there
was nothing SO dreadful as to hear the
dogs howl in the long night-it was
like the cries Of ghosts in an empty
world. The circle of the sun got smaller
and smaller, till he only Travelled along
the high edge of the northwest. We got
to the river at last and found the camp.
| There was one man dead-only one,
but there were bones-ah, monsieur,
you not guess what thing it is to look
| upon the bones of men, and know
that
Medallion put his hand ON the old
mans arm. ''Wait a minute" he said.
they drank before the rest was told.
Its a creepy story" said Medallion,
"but go on"
well, the White Chief looked at the
dead man as he sat there in the snow,
with book and piece Of paper beside
him. and the pencil in the book. The
face was bent forward to the knees.
The White Chief picked up the book and
pencil. and then knelt down and pcered
mp in the dead mans face, all hard like
stone and crusted with frost. thought
he would never stir again he looked so
long. think he was puzzled. Then he
turned and said to me, so quiet. SO aw
full, Galloir!' and got mp. Well, but it
was cold then, and my head seemed big
and running about like q ball Of air.
But l lighted spirit lamp and made
some coffee. and he opened the book and
began to read. All at once i heard a
cry. and saw him drop the book on the
ground and go to the dead man and jerk
his fist as if to strike him in the face.
But he did not strike
Galloir stopped and lighted his pipe,
and was so long silent that Medallion
had to jog him into speaking. He pulled
the smoke so that his face was in the
cloud. and he said through it: 'No, he
did not strike. He got to his feet and
spoke. All, Jesu, pardon" like that,
and come and took up the book again
and read. He eat and drunk and read
the book again, and / knew by his face
. that something more than cold was
clamping his heart
Shall we bury him in the snowT
Eaid. No. he spoke. let him sit there
till the Judgment. This is wonderful
book, Galloir, he went on. He was q
brave man, hut the rest the rest.'-
then under his breath almost, She was
SO young, but q child. '.0not understand
that. We started away soon, leaving
) the thing there. fer four days. :.::a then
. saw that the White Chief wouid pevel
get back to Fort Pentecost, but he read
! the dead mans book much. ..
. II cannot forget that one day. HI
: lay looking at the woodworking but
: tho waves of snow. shining blue aud
white, on and on. The sun lifted an cyl
I Of blood in the north. winking like {