The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1905-01-31

1
oath and rubbed the side of his head.
Where did you come from?" ask
ed Paul.
From alott on the cliff" he an
swered.
What were you doing up there?
"Tryin' to cross. Was any harm In
that?"
Il recognize you as one of the men
who robbed me-
Mate, yer off yer course when We
accuse me o. dom that"
you are one of the two men who
seized your captain few years since
and have made away with him"
Yer on the wrong tack again,
mate. hain't done nothin' O. the
kind, | tell ye."
Where is your captain?"
Don't know" -
Paul determined to keep a close
watch on the rascal and conduct him
across the mountains to the camp on
the Klondyke, where punishment
would be meted out to him according
to frontier ideas of justice.
Paul bound his arms behind his
| back and told him to sit in front of
| the fire.
The night passed guarding the
| prisoner by turns, and when the day
dawned he was still among them.
Breakfast over and they began to
prepare to ascend the mountain.
1t had showed considerable during
the night, but toward morning it
changed to a rain and later In the day
q sleet.
The ascent became every moment
more and more difficult About every
one hundred PAGES they came to
mountain torrents, fed by the gIa-
ciers, and augmented by recent rain
falls, which they had to wade, the
cold water often coming above their
knees.
After struggling up steep ascent
OF twenty-five or thirty feet they were
often forced from sheer exhaustion
to rest for a moment but when they
stopped ever so short time the
piercing wind cut them to the mar
row, chilled them to the bone and
they were compelled to continue
their course to keep from chilling to
death.
When evening came they were on
the other side of the mountain In a
valley wet, shivering and benumbed
with cold. They had no tent nor
shelter, save the lowering heavens
from above. Some dry pine and
scrub oak wood was collected and a
fire kindled. They all gathered about
1t to dry their bedraggled garments
and warm their shivering bodies.
They had just made supper on
dried salmon, moose meat and hard
tack, when they were startled to see
an old man with long white hair and
beard standing on slight elevation
not far away, gazing at them. He
wore a seal-skin cap, which shaded
his face, but not too much for him to
be recognized by all the camp
THE captain!" cried the Metlak-
ahtlas.
The hermit" exclaimed Paul.
The prisoner gave utterance to a
curse and was bounding away when
a blow from the hermits staff sent
him staggering to the earth.
Paul Miller started quickly toward
the hermit saying:
Where are you from?"
Tho old Ii
look and answered:
/ am from everywhere, which
means nowhere. This is precious fine
you keep" He clutched
his stout staff as Paul approached
and warned him not to come too
close. Il will strike you as did your
Ii you come too near me-"
ne added, in voice made ferocious
BY long years of suffering and disap-
pointment.
Paul halted and gazed at him in
The old man at last said: 81 have
been cheated, deceived, betrayed and
led to until | have about lost faith
n all men. Can trust you now?"
DO you know those menu" asked
Paul. pointing to the Melakahtlas, "If
'ou know them, you must know they
AN be trusted"
Yes, they are brothers, but they
lave been deceived as often as T."
One of the Indians approached the
lermit ana addressed him in his
lative tongue. The old man answer.
ID In the same language and grasped
lis hand. Though Paul could NOT
understand a word of what was said.
e knew from their manner and ger.
ures that 1t had some relation to
he man on the ground.
After a long conversation r,x;.a A.