The San Francisco call., 1904-02-07


Also n was eighty miles to Haines Mis-
sion, and the great ChiIcoot, far above
the timber line. reared his storm-swept
head between. But Passuk spoke TO
me, low, with my ear against her lips
that 1 might hear. And now. because
she need not fear my anger, she spoke
her heart, and told me OF her love, ana
Of many things which did not under
stand.
And abe said: You are my man,
Charley, and have been a GOOD woman
to you. And In all the days 1 have
made your fire, and cooked your food'
and fed your dogs, and lifted paddle or
broken trail, / have not complained
Nor did 1 say that there was more
Warmth in the lodge OF my father. or
: that there was more, grub on the chill
"a cat When you have spoken, 1 nave
listened When YOU have ordered 1
have obeyed. Is,itnot so, Charley?
And 1 said. Aye.,ir Is So
And she said: when first you came
to the Chilcat, nor looked upon me'
but bought me as a man buys dog.
and took me away. my heart was hard
against YOU and filed with bitterness
and fear. But that was long ago For
you were kind to me, Charley as
good Is KIM 10 MS JUS
heart was cold, and there was no room
for me; yet you dealt me fair ana your
ways were Just. And l was with you
when you did bold deeds and led great
ventures. and I measured you against
the noen of other breeds, and saw
Won stood among them full OF honor
and your word was wise. your tongue
true And 1 grew proud OF you, till
II came that you filed all my heart
and all nv thought was Of you You
were as the midsummer sun, when us
golden trail runs in a circle and never
leaves the sky And whatever way
cast nv eyes 1 beheId the sun. But
vour heart wss ever cold, Charley, ana
there was no room
And / said 1t is so. II was cold'
and there was no ROOM But tnat u
past Now my heart is like the snow
fall In the spring. when the sun mas
come back. There is a great thaW and
q bending. a sound of running waters.
and a budding and sprOuting OF green
things And there is drumming OF
partridges and songs OF robins, and
great music, for the winter Is broken.
Passuk, and have learned the love Oh
woman
she smiled and moved for me to
glad After that she lay quiet for a
long time breathing softly, her head
upon my breast. Then she whispered;
The trail ends here, and ] am tired
But first would speak OF other things
In the long ago. when I was a girl on
the Chilcat. played alone among the
skin bales OF my fathers lodge; for the
men were away on the hunt, and the
women and boys were dragging in tbs
meat. 1t was in the spring. and was
alone. A great brown bear, just awake
from his winters sleep. hungry. his fur
hanging to the bones in flaps OF lean
ness. showed his head within the lodge
and said "Ooofi" My brother came run
ming 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 much noise. They
rolled in the fire, the skin bales wers
scattered, the lodge overthrow But
in the end the bear lay dead. with the
fingers of my brother in his mouth and
the marks OF his claws upon my broth
er's zee. Did you mark the Indian
by the T lily trail his mitten whic-- had
no thumb, his hand which he warmed
by or nre?s 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 a mighty
love- for she denied her brother for the
man who led her away on weary trails
to a bitter end. And. further, such
was this woman's love. she denied her
self Ere her eyes closed for the last
under her squirrel-skin parka to her
waist. j felt there a well-flled pouch,
and learned the secret Of her lost
strength. Day by day we had shared
! fair, to the last least bit; and day by
/ day but half her share had she eaten
And she said: This is the end OF the
trail for Passuk; but your trail, Char
ley, leads on and on, over the great
? Chilcoot down to Haines Mission and
. the sea. And ii leads on and on, by the
, light OF many suns. over unknown
lands and strange waters, and 1t is full
. of years and honors and great glOries.
1t leads you to the lodges OF many
women, and good women. but it will
never lead you to a greater love than
the love OF Passuk.'
And I knew the woman spoke true
. But a madness came upon me and I
threw the well-hlled 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 Sitka Charley walked in honor
, and ever has his word been true. Does
he forget that honor now and talk vain
words by the Caribou Crossing? Does
he remember no more the men Of Forty
mile, who gave him Of their grub the
! best, of their dogs the pick?'
!. And when she grew cold in my
!. : arms arose and sought out the we'll
: filed pouch and girt on my snowshoees
and staggered along 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 ffs
,,r,or, NV ewes