Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-25
At the Rainbow's End
by JACK LONDON.

and, he wished to make American terri
tory before the river broke. But by the
afternoon Of the third day IL became evil
dent that he had lost in his race with
spring. The Yukon was growing and
straining at its letters. Long detours be-
came necessary, for the trail had begun to
fall through into swift current beneath,
while the ice, in constant unrest, was
laundering apart In great gaping assures,
Through these and through countless air.
holes, the water began to sweep across the
surface Of the Ice, and by the time he
pulled into a woodehopper's cabin on the
point Of an island, the dogs we're being
rushed of their feet and we're swimming
more often than not. He was greeted
sourly by the two residents, but he un-
harnessed and proceeded to cook up.
Donald and Davie were fair specimens
Of frontier inefhcients. Canadian-born,
city-bred Scots. in a foolish moment they
had resigned their counting -houss desks,
drawn upon their savings, and gone Klon-
dlking. And now they were feeling the
rough edge OF the country. Them, grub
less. spiritless, and with a dust for home
in their hearts, the p. @, Company had
staked to cut wood for its steamers, with
the promise at the end Of a passage home.
Disregardlng the possibilities Of the ice
run, they had httingly demonstrated their
ineficiency by their choice of the island on
which they located, Montana Kid, though
possessing little knowledge of the break UP
Of a great river, looked around hin dubi-
ously, and cast yearning glsnces at the dis
tant bank where the towering bluffs prom
Used immunity from all the Ice Of the
Northland.
After feeding himself and dogs he lighted
his pipe and strolled out to get a better
idea of the situation. The island, like all
its river brethren, stood higher at the
upper end. and IL was here that Donald and
Davy had built their cabin and piled many
cords OF wood. The far shore was a full
mile away, while between the island and
the near shore lay a back channel per-
haps a hundred yards across. At first sight
of this Montana Kid was tempted to take
his dogs and escape TO the mainland, but
on closer inspection he discovered a rapid
current flooding on top, Below the river
twisted sharply to the west, and in this
turn its breast was studded by a maze Of
tiny islands.
That's where she'll JAM" he remarked
to himself.
Half a dozen sleds, evidently bound up
stream to Dawson. were splashing through
fAN NAANA WoNNA w Wv N0NA VI ~ NANHNs
Travel on the river was passing from the
preearious to the impossible, and It was
nip and tuck with them till they gained the
island and came up the path Of the wood
choppers toward the cabin, One of them,
snow blind, owed helplessly at the rear
Of a sled. Husky young fellows they were,
Tough-garmented and trail worn, yet Mon
tana Kid had met the breed before and
knew at once that II was not his kind,
"Helloi How's things up Dawson way? ?"
queried the foremost, passing his eye over
Donald and pavy and settling II upon the
Kid.
A first meeting In the wilderness 10 not
characterized by formality. The talk
quickly became general, and the news OF
the upper and lower countries was swappsd
equitably back and forth. But the little
the newcomers had was soon over with.
for they had wintered at Minook. a thou
sand miles below. where nothing was do
| ing. Montana Kid, however, was fresh
from Salt Water. and they annexed him
while they pitched camp, swamping him
with questions concerning the outside, from
which they had been cut of for a twelve
month.
A shrieking split. suddenly lifting itself
above the general uproaF on the river,
drew everybody to the bank. The surface
water had increased In depth. and the ice,
assailed from above and below, was strug-
Cling to tear itself from the grip of the
shores. Fissures reverberated into life be-
fore their eyes. aud the air was Allied with
multitudinous cracking, crisp and sharp
like the sound that goes up on q clear day
from the nring line,
From up the river two men were racing 9
lA00 faam f0Ward than m On uaanuaraS
stretch of ice. But even as they looked the
pair struck the water and began to founder
through. Behind. where their feet had spec
the moment before, the leo broke up and
turned turtle. Through this opening the
river rushed out upon them to their waists
burying the sled and swinging the dogs of
at right angles In a drowning tangle. But
the men stopped their flight to give the
animals a fighting chance. and they CROPPED
hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing al
the OBTAINING traces with their sheath
knives. Then they fought their way 10 the
bank through swirling water and grindin1
Ice, where, foremost in leaping to the rescue
among the Earring fragments. was the Kid,
why, blime me, II IL amt Montana Kidl'
exclaimed one OF the men whom the KID
was Just placing upon his feet at the top o.
the bank. He wore the scarlet tunic Of tn,
mVdANCu pOllCo duu gotuldfiy raised I'LL
right hand in salute.
got a warrant for you, Kid" he con,
tinusd, drawing a bedraggled paper from hi
breast pocket. AN ! 'ope as you'll com,
along ~peaceable,"
Montana Kid looked at the chaotic rive,
and shrugged his shoulders, and the police
man, following his glance. smiled.
Where are the dogs3" his companion
asked.
Gentlemen" interrupted the policeman
this ere mate o. mine Is Jack Sutherland
owner Of Twenty-Five Eldorado-"
mot Sutherland os 1917" broke IN tn
snow blinded Minook man. cropping feebl
} toward him.
THE anne, sutherland Stripped his hand
/ "And your"
, "oh, I'm after your time. but I remem
, Der you in my freshman year-you wer
doing p. q. work then. Boys" he called
turning half about, "this IL Sutherland. JAG
: Sutherland, erstwhile fullbaek on the Var
sity. Come up, you gold ehasers, and IA
upon him, Sutherland, this lie Greenwich
: played quarter two seasons back"
Yes, I read OF the game" sutherlan
i said. shaking hands, "And l remember tina
= big run OF yours for the first touchdown.
Greenwich flushed daTkly under h
0 tanned skin and awkwardly made room fc
q another.
= And here's Matthaws-Bsrkeley mai