The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-31
Grit OF Women
BY JACK IONDOa
Copyright, by Jack London.)

limb of Satan." chorused tn protesting
inmates.
BEETLES raped the dog sharply with
tin plate and it withdrew hastily Louis
Savoy refastened the flags, kicked fry
ing pan over against the bottom ana
warmed his hands. 1t was very colo WIN
out. Forty eight hours before the spirit
thermometer had burst at sixty-elght be-
low. and since that time il had grown
readily and bitterly colder.
.oh! Oh! oh' young fellow, lying
asleep in the furs, bearded and wan ana
weary, raised moan OF pain, end with
out waking increased the pitch and in
tensity OF his anguish. His body halt
lifted from the blankets, and qulvered ana
shrank spasmodically, as though draw
ing away from a bed OF nettles.
''Roll'm over!" ordered BEETLES. He's
crampin'.'
And thereat, with pitiless good will, he
was pitched upon and rolled and thumped
and pounded by half dozen willing COM
rades.
Dam the TRAIL" he muttered softly, as
he threw off the robes and sat up. I've
run across country, played quarter three
seasons hand running and hardened myself
in all manner OF ways, and then l pilgrim
il into this God-forsaken land and find
myself an effeminate Athenian without
the simplest rudiments of manhood" He
hunched up to the fire and rolled CT
garette ''Oh, I'm not whining, but I'm
Just decently ashamed OF myself, that's
ALL Here l am, ON top of a dirty thirty
miles, as knocked up and stiff and sore
as pink tea degenerate after a five
mile walk on a country turnpike
Don't git the tantrums, youngster.
BEETLES waxed partriarchal. we've got
ter low some for the breakin' in. You're
all right for a cub, an we've the true
sperrit An best in your favop. you
hain't got that streak OF fat in your
makeup which has sent many husky
man to the bosom of Abraham afore his
right and proper time."
Streak of fat!'
yep. Comes along of bulk. 'Taint
the big men as is the best when it comes
to the trail
Never heard of it,"
Never heered of it, eh? Well, it's a
dead straight, open-an shut fact, an no
gittin' round. Bulks all well enough for
a mighty big effort, but thought stayin
powers it amt worth continental whoop,
an stayin' powers an bulk amt runnin'
mates Takes the small, wiry fellows
hangin' on like a lean-jowed dog to
bone.''
Look youy brothers, broke in Sitka
Charley from his seat on the grub box
: Eye have spoken of the streak of fat
\that runs in big mems muscles, and We
have spoken women and the love, and
Ne have spoken fair; but l have in mind
Things which happened when the land
was young and the fires OF men far apart
as the stars. 1t was then l had concern
with big man, and a streak OF fat, and
a woman. And the woman as SMALL
but her heart was greater than the beet
heart of the man, and she had grit.
And We travelled a weary trail, even to
the Salt Water and the cold was bitter,
the snow deep, the hunger great. And
the woman's love was a mighty love
no more can man say than this.
Brothers, my blood is red with Siwash.
but my heart is white. A great truth
came to me when I was yet a boy. l
learned that to your kind and you was
given the earth; that the Siwash could
not withstand you, and like the caribou
and the bear, must perish in the cold.
So | came into the warm and sat among
you, by your fires, and behold, 1 became
one of you. l have seen much IN my
time. / have known strange things, and
bucked big, on bgtrails, with men of
many breeds. And because of these
things, | measure deeds alter your man,
her, and judge men, and think thoughts
Wherefore, when i speak harshly of ono
of your own kind, / know you will not
take it amiss; and when / speak high
of one of my fathers people, you will
rot take it upon you to say, 'Sitka
c. l. f1or.@ ie- O1rf,l
light in his eyes and small honor to his
tongue Is it not so?'
Deep down in throat. the circle vouch-
safed its assent.
1.-The woman was Passuk. l got her
in fair trade from her people, who were
Of the coast and whose Chilcat totem
stood at the head of a salt arm of the
sea. My heart did not go out to the
woman, nor did take stock of her looks.
For she scarce took her eyes from the
ground, and she was timid and afraid,
as girls will be when cast into strang-
er's arms whom they have never seen
before. One blanket would cover the
twain; so 1 chose Passuk.
Have / not said 1 was a servant to
the Government? So / was taken on
warship, sleds and dogs and evaporated
foods, and with me came PasSuk. And
VIC went north, to the winter ice rim
OF Boring Sea, where we were landed :
myself and Passuk and the dogs. 1 was
also given moneys of the Government,
for l was its servant, and charts of lands
which the eyes of man had never dwelt
upon, and messages. These messages
were sealed and protected shrewdly from
the weather, and L was to deliver them
to the whale ships of the Arctic, ice
bound by the great Mackenzie.
'tAfterward, in the spring, when the
days heightened, and there was a crust
to the snow. we came south, Passuk
and /, to the country of the Yukon. A
weary Journey but the sun pointed out
the way of our feet. 1t was naked land
then as / have said and we worked up
the current, with pole and paddle, till
we came to Forty Mile. Good it was
tn see white faces once again, so we
put into the bank. And that winter was
a hard winter. The darkness and the
cold drew down upon us, and with them
the famine. To each man the agent OF
the company gave forty pounds of flour