Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1902-07-31
.OR land travel or seafaring the
( world over a companion is
1. usually considered desirable.
- Tn tho Klondike. as Tom Vim


y In the Klondike, as Tom Vim
cont found out, such a companion is alb
so1utely essential. But he found it out,
MT by precept, but through bitter ex-
perence.
"Never travel Alone" is precept of
the north. He had heard it many
times and laughed, for he was strap
nins young fellow, big boned and big
muscled, with faith in himself and in
tEe strength Of his head and hands.
It was on bleak January day when
fhe experience came that taught him
respect for the frost and for the wis
dom of the men who had battled with it.
He had left Calumet Camp on the
Yukon with light pack on his back,
10 90 up Paul Creek to the divide be-
tween it and Cherry Greek, where his
party was prospecting and hunting
moose.
The frost was sixty degrees below
zero, and lie had thirty miles Of lonely
trail to cover, but he did not mind. In
fact he enjoyed it, swinging along
through the silence his blood pounding
warmly through his veins and his mind
care free and happy. For he and his
comrades were certain they had struck
"pay" up there on the Cherry Greek
Divide, and, further, he was returning
TO them from Dawson with CHEEKY
home letters from the States.
At Z O'Clock, when he turned tle
heels of his moccasins toward Calumet
Camp it was still black night. And
when day broke at $50 he had made
the fOur-mile cutoff across the flats
and was six miles up Paul Greek. The
trail, which had seen little travel, fol-
lowed the bed Of the creek, and there
was no possibility Of his getting lost.
He had gone to Dawson by way Of
Cherry Greek and Indian River, SO
Paul Greek was new and strange BY
11.3O he was at the forks, which had
been described to him, and he knew he
had covered fifteen miles, half the dis
fance.
Ee knew that in the nature Of things
the trail was bound to grow worse
from there Oh, and thought that, con
sidering the good time he had made he
merited lunch. Casting off his pack
and taking seat on a fallen tree hi
unmittened his right hand, reached in
side his shirt next to the skin an(
fshed out couple Of biscuits sand
Wiched with sliced bacon and wrapped
in handkerchief-the only way they
could be carried without freezing. cold.
He had barely chewed his frs
youthful when his numbing finger
warmed him to put his mitten on again
This he did, not without surprise at tn
bitter swiftness with which the fros
bit in. Undoubtedly it was the coldes
snap he had ever experienced, h
thought
He spat upon the snow-a favorit
northland trick-and the sharp crackl
of the instantly CONCEALED spittle sta1
tied him. The spirit thermometer a
Calumet had registered sixty belo0
when he left, but he was certain it ha
grown much colder, how much coldei
he could not imagine.
Half Of the first biscuit was yet III
touched, but he could feel himself be
ginning to chill-a thing most unusu;
for him. This would never do, he d.
clGed, and slipping the pack STRAP
across his shoulders he leaped to b
feet and ran briskly up the trail
A few minutes Of this made hi
warm again, and he settled down to
steady stride, munching the biscuits {
he went along. The moisture that e,
nailed with his breath crusted his liz
and mustache with pendant ice al
formed miniature glacier on his chi
Now and again sensation forsook h
nose and cheeks, and he rubbed the
I'LL they burned with the returnir
blood.
Most men wore nose straps; his par
hers did, but he scorned such "feminil
contraptions," and till now he hs
never felt the need Of them. Now ]
dld feel the need, for he was rubbi1
constantly.
Nevertheless he was aware Of
Thrill Of joy, of exultation. He w
oolng something, achieving somethin
lut ClClutuCS. OuCC
laughed aloud in sheer strength of lii
ana with his clenched fist defed t
lost. He was it's master. What
/ u'd he did in spite Of it, It could n
Stop him. He was going to the, Cher
creek Divide
strong as were the elements, he W
stronger. At such times amin;
sawed away into their holes and
rlI'Ned in hiding. But he did not hi
re was out in it, facing it, fighting
was man, master of things.
x II such fashion, rejoicing proudly,
"niped on. After half an hour
.0oNued bend, where the creek +
0se to the mountainside, and ca
apon one of the most insignificant
pearlng but most formidable dang
Al northern travel
LIE creek itself was frozen solid
lls rock bottom, but from the mount
~, ""e the outflow of several sprin
amese springs never froze, and the O
nect OF the severest cold snaps '
~ lessen their discharge. Protec