The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-15

waste and smiled upon it as upon a
friend. He smiled again when he saw
McQuade abandon the lead and go be-
hind, and it was not the cold that made
him cover his face SO closely when he
saw his partner begin TO limp. He
limped for a whole day before Wood
said
You look tired, John. Won't you
take something to brighten YOU up?"
He pulled out a flask the red liquor in
which danced before McQuade's eyes
like a CLEAN of delight, but he turned
his head and pushed away the bottle
with his furred hand. Wood thought
that the gesture was that of a weak
man who could easily be won back
to an old vice.
After a few minutes he pressed the
flask upon the weary man again He
saw him wreStle with the demon. He
saw his face change from resolution
to irreSOlution and back again
NO" he said at last, his under lip
quivering, no, you'll need that your
self. It's only a small flask. I'm bet
ter off without it. You know you can
drink and I can't"
"Ch, there's plenty for me, too said
Wood, pressing the flask upon him
again. There's a whole demijohn of ii
in the sled
/ McQuade groaned. Il didn't know
you had put it in at ALL said he. Il
wish to God you hadn't. Take care
( you don't get 'hootched' on the trail.
/ It means''-
Don't be afraid of it," said Wood
glancing evilly at McQuade's face. He
had never looked him in the eve from
the moment they had started over the
! trail. You don't know what you're
| doing" said John McQuade, fiercely
( Take that internal stuff away! Take
( it backl I've sworn to be man. You
mean well, but
well. all right said Wood But
/ you seem to be very weary and ]
/ thought it would help you along"
The more McQuade limped, the heav-
/ Ter his step became, the more eagerly
/ did Wood drive along the trail, Often
/ McQuade Jagged far behind, limping
and staggering, but pressing bravely
/ on, full of his old pride as a wayfareI
! of prOwess. At last he could endure
| the foot pang no longer.
Hold up, john" he called. whats
/ the hurry? You mush along as if the
/ devil was after you"
Wood made pretense of sympat thy
and stopped a few minutes Then he
drove on as fast as ever. This was re-
. peated several times.
Seems to me you could keep up he
/ kept saying, impatiently. "as long as
you are able to keep about so far be-
! hind all the WHILE
Wal, I'm pretty heavy on that foot
/ an the snow is deep, an I'm not So
/ skookum good as l used to be. Blu
/ I'm comm along-I'm yfoa%in"
Sometimes when Wood would forge
Z far ahead, yelling to the dogs, a fain
I glimmer of the heartlessness of thu
man would force itself upon McOuade
He don't understand. He don't un.
| derStand- But why does he keep urgfn
that liquor upon me? He must be only
a kid after all He don't understand
III not drink it if 1 drop in my tracks
! Old John McQuade is pretty set in hi.
! way sometimes
When McQuade dragged and laggeC
along the way Wood grew relentant
1t would be an awful thing if III
shoulc ran behind and get lost n,
SAID 1t would be awful But h
ought 10 know enough to take care OF
himself. It's his own fault And thfr.
; ty thousand dollars-his pile and mine
would be something worth while"
Once they were passing through
& frozen gorge where the wind blew chill
and their faces were cracl1Iy dry witt
/ the cold McQuade was limping pain.
fully. The trail turned, and Wood
looking back, could not see his part
/ ner.
There he said, trying to keep dowr
the eXultance that would rise, The.
lost and the snow is drifting over tn.
sled tracks. Well, it's every man fo
himself in a storm like this Mush
King, Mush! Get down there. Pete
Geei Gee! He dashed the malamuti
III Nucy WulHeu anu luGy dH PRESSED
forward hurriedly All through tn,
( long dun day Wood made haste owe
the snow alone. The wind went down
and he pressed on more eagerly.
It's not more than three days to tn,
pass" he said. "and then there ii
Skagway and freedom. He could hav,
/ sung as he ran after the dogs. bounding
down a long defile. but he spared hi,
breath and made the better haste.
He came to a point Where twi
gulches ran together. Which Way2 b,
asked, and in his hurry took the wrong
one. For miles and miles he made hi
| way, three, four. five. six days Wher,
, was the Chilcoot? The malamuts wer,
I very weary and the food supply wa
| running short. He could not stop I,
rest the poor dogs. He must keep on
: Their load was light, for there wa
I nothing in the sled now besides tn,
gold, the whisky and the blankets A
J last the leader lay down in the snow
The driver dashed him and % tied him
but he cord not rise. and the othe
dogs turned on their fallen friend an,
ate him. with their wolhsh eyes agleam
Then there was a day of good going