The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1904-02-27

thing had been possible. Thorpe would
have guessed at . hasty and unpre-
meditated flight
He was about TO withdraw carefully
lest he be discovered when he was
startled by touch on his elbow. II
was Injun Charley.
"Dey go up river" he said II come
see what de row."
The Indian examined rapidly the con-
dition Of the little camp.
''Dey look for somethin'," said he,
making his hand revolve as though
rummaging and indicating the packs.
II fink dey see you In de woods he
concluded. '.Dey go camp get 'um
boss Boss he gone on river trail two
tree hour"
you're right. Charley" replied
Thorpe. who had been drawing his own
conclusions. Zone OF them knows me.
They've been looking in their packs for
their notebooks with the descriptions
OF these sections In them. Then they
piled out for the boss. Ii know any
thing at all. the boss II make tracks for
Detroit"
'wot you do?" asked Injun Charley
curiously.
Il got 10 get TO Detroit before they
do; that's ALL"
Instantly the Indian became all &C,
! ton
---
"You come" he ordered and set out
at a rapid pace for camp.
There, with Incredible dizziness, he
packed together about twelve pounds
OF the jerked venison and pair OF
blankets, thrust Thorpes waterproof
match safe In his pocket and turned
eagerly to the young man.
'You come" he repeated.
Thorpe hastily unearthed his de
scriptions" and wrapped them up. The
Indian In silence rearranged the mis-
placed articles in such a manner as to
relieve the camp OF its abandoned air.
| 1t was nearly shutdown. Without a
word the two men struck of into the
| forest, the Indian In the lead. Their
course was southeast, but Thorpe ask
ed no questions. He followed blindly.
Soon he found that IL he did even that
adequately he would have little atten-
ton left for anything else. The In
dian walked with long. swift strides.
bis knees always slightly bent. even
at the finish OF the step, his back hol-
lowed, his shoulders and head thrust
forward. His gait had queer sag in
II. up and down In long curve from
one rise to the other. After a time
Thorpe became fascinated In watching
before him this easy, untiring lope.
hour after hour. without the variation
OF seconds fraction In speed or an
inch In length.
At first Thorpe followed him with
comparative ease, but at the end OF
three hours he was compelled TO put
forth decided efforts to keep pace. His
walking was no longer mechanical. but
conscious. When II becomes so a man
soon tires. Thorpe resented the In
equalities, the stones. the roots. the
patches OF soft ground which lay In
his way. He felt duly that they were
not fair. He could negotiate the dis
lance, but anything else was a gratui-
tous insult.
Then suddenly he gained his second
wind. He felt better and stronger and
moved freer
At midnight Injun Charley called a
halt. He spread his blanket. leaned
on one elbow long enough TO eat 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.
cd
continually without pause, without
an instant's breathing spell. Then
they rested half an hour, ate a little
venison and smoked a pipe.
An hour after noon they repeated the
rest. Thorpe rose with a certain phys
ical reluctance. The Indian seemed as
fresh as when he 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 contemplate
ing more than hundred steps in adj
vance.
"When | get To that square patch OF
light I'll quit" he would say to him
self and struggle painfully the requir-
ed twenty yards.
mo. won't quit here" he would
continue. "I'll make 1t that birch.
Then I'll lie down and die"
And so on. To the actual physical
exhaustion OF Thorpe's muscles was
added that immense mental WEAKNESS
which uncertainty of time and distance
inflicts on a man. The journey might
last a week for all he knew. In the
presence OF an emergency these men
OF action had actually not exchanged
a dozen words. The Indian led: Thorpe