The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-21

increased he and the other packers would get
themselves back to the village. and thus leave
us In n pretty pickle. My temper had been at a
white heat all day. and without thinking what
might be the consequences OF such a move.
like q fool, / showed the muzzle Of q cooked
Winchester into the face OF the Advisory Com
mittee OF that strike. and the way that the
Most Serene Grand Master Of the Amalga-
mated Order Of Chilcoot Salmon Biters reshoul-
dered his sack OF beans and tugged along
through the broad expanse OF the beautiful
snow shows that IL Is sometimes a good thing
for every well-regulated family to have a gun
in the house"
He went Town the Yukon to the mouth OF
the Porcupine River. where he left the miners
and went up the Porcupine to Rampant House.
an abandoned Hudson Bay company's trading
post. situated far to the north OF the Arctic cir
Gle. where the Porcupine River crosses the
eastern boundary OF Alaska. Here Funston
and q missionary named Pratty wintered.
Probably no other man on earth ever paid
Rudyard KiplinR the compliment that Funston
paid him for on this long journey up a thou
sand hills. over the backbone OF the continent.
down the lakes. and mp the river whore Fun
ston dragged his boat up stream. walking along
the bank. he carried in his pack. where every
ounce OF weight became a torture during the
long days journey. copies OF the "Barrack Room
| BAllauA anu tn6 btOEleS VI plulNunOV NV hlb
friends.
As the night OF winter dsepened II Is prob
able that the good brother Pratty got on
Funston's nerves. and when the Indians
brought rumors that a North American whal-
ing feet was being crushed to pieces In the Ice
of the Arctic Ocean. some 200 miles to the
northward. Funston beguiled an old Indian
into starting on the journey to the ocean with
hin on snowshoes. 1t was 200 miles as the
crow flies. but Funston and the Indian got lost
and went 400 miles out OF their way. After
| running out OF food. and starving for two
| days. Funston and the Indian picked the
dog in the pack train that would make
| the best potpie. But In the afternoon
Of that day they came upon a band OF
Indian hunters carrying fresh caribou to the
fleet. When Funston came up to the ships
with the Indians he found the story Of the
| destruction OF the feet a fiction. A great
| crowd Of the men from the feet was Watching
a ball game on the ice, and when Funston. In
| his Eskimo dress. spoke to a Captain OF one Of
the whalers In English there was q whaling
| Captain who refused to believe his eyes and
| his ears. and Funston was obliged to show his
Government commission. Then that Captain
took Funston to his cabin and called another
Captain. and they learned two-year-old news
until they were gluttcd.
Here tne devil whispered SOmetnlnR 10 inc
first Captain and he whispered 1t to the second
Captain. and together they persuaded Funston
to allow them to fll the flowing bowl until 1t
ran over several consecutive times. And SUBJ
| seQuent proceedings interested Mr.. Funston
no more for several hours thereafter. Where
upon the devil and the two Captains went out
and set about their devices. What they did
and what they told made Funston's coming to
that feet a greater sensation than anything
he will ever do In the Philippines. For
the devil spoke these things through the
mouths Of the Captains to men who had been
away from home for three long years. Eng
land and Russia have united and declared
war against the United States: New York
city Is captured: San Francisco ia being bonn
barded; Russian troops are coming through
| Siberia to Alaska. and down through British
America to Chicago: the owners OF the North
American whaling feet have paid this white
man $4,000 to bring this word: Go north AZ
soon as the ice breaks; push north stay north.
as far north as the Ice will permit. for two years
or until peace has been declared. Also avoid
communicating with other ships"
What is the little matter OF swimming q
tropical torrent under fire as compared with
bringing news like this. and being sound
asleep and locked in a Captains cabin when 1t
strikes 300 homcslck Yankees VINO want to 60
home and fight. Funston will never again in
his life mako the sensation he made In the
| Arctic Ocean. Nor will the devi, and two Cap
tains ever have 30 much fun over him.
When he returned to Rampant House he had
made a journey Of 900 miles In the dark night
OF arctic winter. Peary's first famous journey
was made in an arctic summer. and 1t was not
SO long as Funston's either.
When summer dawned Funston took UP his
kit and left Rampant House, and with two
Indians came dow the Porcupine to the
Yukon. There Funston left the Indians. and
alone in an open boat drifted DOWN the length
Of the Yukon to its mouth. making a botanical
survey Of the country. The pressed fora that
he gathered are now In the Agricultural De-
partment at Washington. And his report is a
matter OF record. He was picked up by the
revenue cutter Bear and came homo In the fall
OF 1894. 1t was a hard trip. But Funston
thought nothing Of 1t. and was too busy to 60
to New York and get fame.
When he got back to civilization Funston
| tried TO establish a coffee plantation In Central
America. and lived down under the equator
for q few months. Later he drifted into New
York and was made assistant auditor Of the
Santa Fe Railroad when 1t wassbeinR reorgan-
ICED. But the task OF signing his name to
bonds eight hours a day grew irksome. and
Funston felt what he thought was his life call
10 DUTY, anu IN Aukubt. looO, no pdcReu MS
| kit and went with a hlibustering party on the
Dauntless to Cuba. He entered the Cuban
| Army under Garcia. He was with Dana OsGood
whom he fell. and was promoted to Osgood's
place and rank and made commandant Of Cuban
artillery. Now Funston didn't know anything
about artillery when he began. but he kept his
ignorance to himself. He looked over tho guns
as a farm boy looks over a cultivator. and
pulled them apart and put them together
again. and then went out to fight. Then they
brought him a dynamite Run-the frst ono
that had ever been used in actual warfare.
This Is his story OF IT,:
We'll. Hooked her over and prodded around
her for a day or two till I found from tho
printed directions that came with her which
END was the shooting end. I didn't let the Gu
bans know that l was scared. but l was.
We got into a little mix-up one day,
and the old man sent for the dyna-
mite. l waltzed her out. kept the di-
~rections in my head as we'll as I
could and loaded her up. When the order
came I sighted her and let her 20, For a sec
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