The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-07-01
c0eyrifbr. 1902. ~ -rn~e,f Es~ars wbH. .

hour after hour. without the variation
Of seconds fraction In speed or an
inch Ia length.
At first Thorpe followed him with
comparative ease. but al the end Of
three hours he was compelled to put
forth decided efforts 10 keep pace. His
walking was no longer mechanical. but
conscious when It becomes 40 man
soon tires. Thorpe resented the in
CAPABILITIES. the stones the roots the
patches Of soft ground which lay In
his way. lie felt duly that they were
not fair. He could negotiate the dis
,nnce, but anything else was n gratui-
tOus insult
Then suddenly he gained his second
wind. lie felt better and stronger and
moved freer.
At midnight lnjun Charley called
halt lie spread his blanket. leaned
on one elbow long enough to eat a strip
of dried meat and fell asleep. Thorpe
Initiated his example. Three hours
later the Indian reused his companion,
and the two set out again.
From O'Clock until : they walked
continually without a pause. without
an instant's breathing spell Then
they rested half an hour. ate a little
venlson and smoked a pipe.
An hour after noon they repeated the
rest. Thorpe rose with a certain phys
teal reluctance The Indian seemed us
fresh as when be started At sunset
they took an hour, then forward again
by the dim Intermittent light OF the
moon and stars through the ghostly
haunts Of forest until Thorpe thought
he would drop with WEAKNESS and
was mentally incapable OF contemplat.
Ing more than hundred steps In adj
vance.
when I get to that square patch Of
light I'll quit" b. would say 20 him
self and struggle painfully the requir.
ed twenty yards.
mo. | won't quit here" he would
continue. I'm make Il that birch.
Then III lie down aud die"
Aud ~ ON. To the actual physical
exhaustion Of Thorpc's muscles was
added that immense mental WEAKNESS
which uncertainty Of time and distance
lnhlcts ON man. Tho journey might
last week for all be knew. In the
presence OF an emergency these men
~ action had actually not exchanged
a dozen words The Indian led. Thorpe
followed
When the halt was called Thorpe
fell into his blanket too weary even to
eat Next morning sharp shooting
pains. like the stnhs q: swords. ran
through his groln.
"You come" repeated the Indian,
stolid as ever
Then the sun was an hour high. The
travellers suddenly ran into trail.
which as suddenly G.ved into a spruce
thicket. on the other side Of II Thorpe
Unexpectedly found himself I'm an eX-
tensiye clearing dotted with the black
encd stumps OF pines. Athwart the dis
tancc he could perceive the wide blue
horizon OF Lake Michigan. lie had
crossed the upper peninsula on foot
Boat come 10y today" said Injun
Charley, indicating the tall stacks OF &
mill. "flim no stop. You max him stop
take you with him. You get train Mack
lnaw city tonight. Dose men. dey on
dat train"
Thorpe calculated rapidly. The en-
envy would require even with their
teams n day 20 cover the thirty miles to
the fishing village OF Munislng, whence
the stage ran each morning to Seney.
the present terminal OF the South
Shore railroad, lie. Thorpe, on foot and
three hours behind. could never have
caught the stage. but from Seney only
one train n day WAS dispatched TO con
meet az Macklnnw city with the Michl
gan Central. and ON that one train, due
to leave this very morning. the up river
man was Just about pulling out lie
would arrive ut Mackinaw City at 1
O'Clock In the afternoon. where he
would be forced to walt until s in the
evening. by catching boat at the
mill 10 which Injun Charley had led
him Thorpe could stlll make the same
train. Thus the start in the race for
Detrolt'sland office would be fair.
IAN right" he cried. all his energy
returning to him. Here goesl Wen
beat him out YETI!
'"You come bnckT inquired the Indi-
an peering with certain anxiety into
his companion's eyes.
Come back" cried Thorpe. "You bet
your hatw
Il watt" replied the Indian, and was
gone.
Thorpe saw over the headland TO the
east Il dense trail OF black smoke lie
set on ON stumbling run toward the
mill.