The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-31
was ever cold, Charley, and there was no

was ever cold, Charley, and there was no
room
And I said: TT is so. 1t was cold,
ana ty,ara was no room. But that is past
Now INV heart is like the snowfall IN
he sDriug. when the sun has come back.
There IS II great thaW and bending, a
Soma OF running waters, and a budding
and sprour ing OF green things. And there
j. drumming OF partridgos, and songs OF
robins and great music, Tor the winter
i broken Passuk, and | have learned
the love of woman
she smiled and moved for me TO draw
her closer. And she SAID, / am glad
After that she lay quiet for long time,
breathipe, softly, her head upon my
breast. Then she whispered:
'The trail ends here. and l am tired
But first | would speak OF other things.
lii the long ago, when l was a girl Oh
the Ch.lcat. | played alone among the
skin bales of my fathers lodge; Tor the
men were away on the hunt, and the
women and boys were dragging IN the
meat. 1t was in the spring, and L was
alone. A great brown bear just awake
from his winters sleep, hungry, his tar
hanging to the bones in flaps OF leannesG,
showed his head within the lodge and SAID,
"Oof!" My brother came running back
with the first sled OF meat. And he
fought the bear with burning sticks from
the fire, and the dogs in their harnesses,
with the sled behind them, fell upon the
bear. There was a great battle and mucn
noise. They rolled in the fire, the skin
bales were scattered, the lodge over
thrown. But in the end the bear lay
dead, with the fingers OF my brother III
his mouth and the marks OF his claws
uron nv brothers face. Did you mark
the Indian by the Pally trail, his mitteh
which had no thumb, his hand which ne
warmed by our fire? He was my brother
And | said he should have no grub. And
he went away in the silence without grub
This, my brothers, was the love of
Passuk, who died in the snow, by the
Caribou Crossing. It was mlghty love,
for she den ed her brother for the man
who led her away on weary trails to
bitter end And, further, such was this
woman's love, she denied herself Ere her
eyes closed for the last time she took
my hand and slipped it under her squir
rel-skin parka to her waist. | felt there
a well filled pouch, and learned the Sc
cret OF her lost strength. Day by day
we bad shared fair to the last least bit;
and day by day but half her share had
she eaten. The other half had gone into
the we'll filled pouch.
and she said: This is the end of the
trail for Passuk; but your trail, Charley
leads on and on. over the great Chilcoot,
down to Haines Mission and the sea. And
it leads on and on, by the light of many
suns, over unknown lands and strange
waters, and it is full of years and honors
oil n
lodges Of many women, and good women,
but it will never lead you to a greater
love than the love of Passuk.'
And l knew the woman spoke true
But a madness came upon me and l threw
the well filled pouch from me and swore
that my trail had reached an end till
her tired eyes grew soft with tears, and
she said Among men has St-ka Char
ley walked in honor and ever has his
word been true Does he forget that hon
or now and talk vain words Dy the Carl
bou Crossing? Does he remember no more
the men of Forty Mile who gave him
of their grub the best, OF their dogs the
pick? Ever has Passuk been proud OF
her man. Let him lift himself up, grid
on his snowshoes and BECOME that she
maysstiil keep her pride
and when she grew cold in my arms
arose and sought out the well filled pouch
and grit on my snowshoes and staggered
alonL the trail for there was a weakness
in my knees and my head was dizzy, and
in my ears there was a roaring and a
flashing of fire upon my eyes
The forgotten trails OF boyhood came
back to me. | sat by the full pots OF
the potlach feast and raised my voice in
song and danced to the chanting OF the
men and maidens and the booming OF the
walrus drums. And Passull held my hand
and walked by my side. When l LAID
down to sleep she walked me. When |
stumbled and fell she raised me. When
wandered in the deep snow she led me
back to the trail And in this wise, like
a man bereft of reason, who sees strange
visions and whose thoughts are light with
wine l came to Haines Mission by the
sea-
Sitka Charley threw bark the tent.faps
II was midday To the south, just clear
ing the bleak Henderson Divide, poised
the cold dsked sun. On either hand the
sun dogs blazed. The air was a gossamer
Of glittering frost In the foreground,
beside the trail, wolf dog. bristIing with
frcst, thrust long snout heavenward
and mourned.