The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1904-12-14

| AuOTpe, WHO udu Deen drawing Ills own
conclusions. 'One 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 If know any
thing at all. the boss IL make tracks for
| Detroit"
''Wot you do?" asked Injun Charley
curiously.
81 got to get to Detroit before they
| do; that's all"
! Instantly the Indian became all &C
| ton.
"You come" he ordered and set out
at rapid pace for camp.
| There. with incredible dizziness. he
/ packed together about twelve pounds
of the jerked venison and pair of
blankets. thrust Thorpe's 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 off 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 if he did even that
adequately he would have little atten-
ton left for anything else. The In
dian walked with long, swift strides,
his knees always slightly bent, even
at the finish of the step, his back hol-
lowed, his shoulders and head thrust
forward. His gait had a queer sag in
it, 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 a 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 it becomes SO a man
soon tires. Thorpe resented the in
CAPABILITIES. 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.
= T,,i1 I'll
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.
| From o'clock until they walked
continually without a pause, without
an instant's breathing spell. Then
they rested half an hour. ate 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 a hundred steps In ad-
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.
'No. l won't quit here" he would
continue. "IIl make it 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
| inffcts 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
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 stabs of swords, ran
through his groin.
you come" repeated the Indian.
stolid as ever.
| Then the sun was an hour high. The
| travellers suddenly ran into a trail,
which as suddenly dived into spruce
| thicket. On the other side of it Thorpe
Unexpectedly found himself in an ex-
tensive clearing dotted with the black
ened stumps of pines. Athwart the dis
lance he could perceive the wide blue
horizon of Lake Michigan. He had
crossed the upper peninsula on foot
BOAT come by today" said Injun
Charley, indicating the tall stacks of a
mill. Him no stop. You max him stop
take you with him. You get train Mack
inaw City tonight. Dose men, dey on
| dat train"
Thorpe calculated rapidly The en-