The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-20
With a Dog That Cursed God
BY THOMPSON K. HERNDoN.

|
 In the latter part of April the sun he
 gins to cast its first glow of warmti
 through the Valley of the Yukon. vio
 lent hght begins in early May betweei l the sun and the huge blocks of ice whici
 the earth Is unable to melt. Sometimes they are long weeks before the gfadsom' cry echoes through the cheerlesS valley
 The ice is breaking! Hurrah. the ice Il | breaking! Don't you hear it? Thes' | words, repeated and shouted by hundred: ! of voices soon reach the campers living remotely from the river. Then the entlft | population becomes feverish and with c unanimous Impulse all rush to the river | edge. there to witness the most impos- ] ing phenomenon of nature.
 l Thomas Hinton, June, '93 was at ono
 of these celebrations. He was fresh from | New Orleans. having arrived at Dawson | with the first party going through the Chflicot Pass. He did not know why he
 had gone to such an outlandish country, | but now that he was there, he intended | to stay awhile. He had left home be- cause his father and his mother wanted 1 him to marry a girl whom he did not like. much less love. Being of an impulsive nature, 1t did J not take him long to make up his mind 1 to leave Louisiana. He had bank ac- count which was ample to take care or him for months. He drew on 1t to the
 train speeding for Seattle. In Washing. ton he caught the gold fever and was among the first to reach Dawson after the terrible winter season had ended. At the celebration that evening, huge fires lit up the surrounding hillsides in gorgeous splendor Fiddles and banJos twanged away in riotous attempt at mel ody. The few women of the camp. with lent their merry presence to the occasion. Some tried to sing. others laughed hys- tericaliy.
 From out of cluster of fir trees there timidly approached a girl. When the crowd saw her the shout instantly, went up: Marie, God bless you, comer' But Marie put her fingers to her lips and warned silence. A little woman, pudgy, and with skin cracked all over her face, ran toward her and caught her in her arms. She urged Marie to come near CT and mingle with the happy throng. But the girl seemed to shrink from the light Presently she turned her head, and catching the sound of dogs whine, she ran f1eet-footed over the icy earth. The few moments that she remained gave Hin ton opportunity to look into her eyes. They shone like glowing embers. once she opened her mouth and he saw teeth so white as 10 catch and hold and glo- rify the burning bush. She wore no bon net or other headdress. Her glossy hair was parted on her forehead with scru- pulous exactness; her figure was slim but seemed rounded with delicate symmetry. Of her age, Hinton told himself she could not be more than g.
 When she had gone he asked nervous ly who she was. Having discovered her name to be Marie Lamonthe. he wanted to know why she was in Alaska, her bus mess, if she were married.
 It was two weeks later that he got his second look at this beautiful creature, who to his mind, belonged under the blue skies of Louisiana or France. rather than among the Snow-covered mountains or the north. Marie was on the hillside gathering wood. He approached, gentle
 r. nxTnG standing erect, entreatingly, with cap in hand.
 II am a stranger among you he stsm- mered. T saw you at the 1oihncatlon wish ever since to meet you-to Know you Miss Lamonthe. 1-I have come here to try my hand at gold digging, ana know am going to be lonesome, home sick, unless you will be my friend.
 It was a moment before the girl an- swered. Meantime her feet, covered with heavy shoes, were nervously proddins me faggots. When she raised her eyes to meet Hinton's they seemed to the man like stars. Then in a voice strained and repressbd she answered: Truly, It IS kind of you to maKa such request. have no one but my father, an lnValld, and he is all to me. He is opposed to my receiving the company of men, in any manner; and l must respect his wishes. thank you sincerely for the compliment you pay me, but l must not see you.
 But tell me dDOul yOuISotl. oNi C'J you are new to this God-forsaken coun- try. Seeing you here is like finding violet in an ash-heap. .
 II am almost a native" she replied. "I came here with my father when very
 little girl-away back, so long ago l can not remember; and here we wall remain, perhaps, until"
 Before she could finish the sentence the keen, mournful bowling of a dog broke the solemn stiffness of the woods. h. stantly the girl picked up the fallen pieces of broken limbs. and without even so much as a parting adieu, hastened to- ward her fathers cabin.
 Late in the afternoon he walked toward her home, trembling lest he meet her: fearful that he might not. He circled around the cabin half dozen times. From the little chimney came an almost color less volume of smoke. The doors of the cabin were closed. Presently he saw one of the doors partly open and dog came out-a little, scrawled-up. scraggy. mangy- looking thing, scarcely bigger than poo dle. Then there came voice saying: Good little doggie; go on and curse God; abuse the monster-'go on now" Instant ly the canine stood on his hind legs and began barking at the blue sky.
 The Louisianian drew toward the cabin. The dog saw him and ran inside. Then there came to Hinton out of the stiffness faint song, murmured by a tremping but very sweet voice. It was plaintlVe, old shioned song. such as he had heard on Bayou Teche a hundred times. Sud denly it ceased. Then the old man cried:
 ''Go back, little dosgie, and curse God some more: you didn't halt finish the job
 A dozen steps took Hinton to the door and he knocked timfdly. man with nothing but stubs where his feet be- longed hobbled to the steps. His hair hung below his coat collar and it was white as cotton.
 Curlously did the old mans eyes look at the stranger for some seconds as he stood there with the western sun stream ing in his face Presently. he invited Him ton to enter, which he quickly did. In a corner by faint oil lamp sat the idol of his dreams. sewing on some simple garment intended for herself. The man asked Hinton his name, his home, his previous occupation. When he told him that he had come from Louisiana he gave him quick. scrutiniZing look, gasped he turned to the dog and said: