The Marshall republican., 1906-10-26
CHAPTER ~.


do this night what they have not done
for days-dis a great grave Of snow.
and building a FIRE OF pine wood at
each end Of this strange house. get
protection and something like comfort.
They sit close 10 the fires. Jaspar
Hume Ia writing with his numbed
fingers. The extract that follows IL
taken from his diary. IL tells that
days life. and so gives an idea OF
harder. sterner days that they have
spent and will spend. on THE weary
journey.
December 25th.-This IL Christmas
day and Camp %. We have
marched only FIVE miles today. We
are 20 miles from Great Fish river.
and the worst yet TO DO. We have dis.
covered no signs. Jen Hyde has had
a bad Two days with his frozen foot.
Gaspe Toujours helps him nobly. One
Of the dogs died this morning. Jacques
is q great leader. This nights shell.
ter Ia a Eodsend. C~loudin.the. SKY
has n plan whereby some OF us will
sleep we'll. We are In latitude SO
1s8fttr v iulliNfE anu loUklAuut lie
degrees 90 minutes II seconds. Have
worked out lunar observations.
Have marked a tree JH.-27. and
and raised cairn NJ. 3 We are able
10 celebrate Christmas Day with q
good basin OF tea. and u standby OF
beans cooked In fat. ! was right about
them. they have great sustaining pow.
er. Tomorrow ~ viii start At ten
o'clock"
The writing done. Jaspar Hume puts
his book away aud turns toward the
rest. Cloud.in.the.Sky and Late Car.
scallcn are smoking. Little can DO
seen ~ their faces: they are muf.
Ned to the eyes. Gaspe Toujours Is
drinking n basin OF tea. and JET Hyde
Is htfully doziag by the FIRE. The dogs
are above In the tent. all but Jacques.
who tonight In permitted TO be near
his master. The S%ub.factor rises. takes
from a k~napsack q small tin pail. and
puts II near the nre. This operation is
watched by the others. Then he takes
fiye little cups that NJ snugly into each
other. separates them. and puts them
atHS htai tht NV NoHN VI Nnt patty
speak, a change seems TO pass over
the faces OF all except Cloudinihe-
Sky. He smokes on unmoved. At
length the Sub.factor speaks cheer
lily: Now. men. before we turn In
well do something In honor OF the
day. Liquor we none OF US have
touched since we started: but back
there In the fort, and maybe In
other places, too. they will be think.
ing to u.s.: &C wen drink a health
TO them though it's but a spoonful.
and to the day when we see them
again"
The cups were passed round. The
Sub-factor measured out n very small
portion TO each. They were not
men OF uncommon sentiment; their
lives were rigid and isolated and
severe Ffresi@s comforts under
fortunate conditions they saw but
seldom, and they were not given 10
expressing their feelings demonstra-
lively. But each man then, save
Cloudin.the.Sky. had some memory
worth a resurrection. and hearts are
hearts even under all uncouthness.
Jasper Hume raised his cup; the
rest followed his example. ITO
absent friends and the day when We
see them again." he said and they
all drank. Gaspe Toujours solemnly.
and as II nc one was near. made
the sign OF the cross: for his mem.
DRY was with q d%ark.eyed. soft.
checked peasant girl OF the parish OF
Saint Gabrielle. whom he had left
behind ive years before. and had
never seen since. Word had come
from the parish priest that she was
dying. and though he wrote back in
his homely patois OF his grief, and
begged that the good father would
write again, no word had ever come.
and he thought Of her now as one Of
whom the candles had been lighted
and masses had been said.
But JEFF Hyde's eyes were bright,
and suffering al he was, the heart in
him was brave and hopeful. He
was thinking Of a glorious Christmas
day upon the Madawaska river
three years agone; OF Adam Henry.
the blind nddler; OF bright, warm
hearted Pattie Chown, the belle OF
the ball. and the long drive home In
the frosty night.
Late Carscallen was thinking Of
brother whom he had heard preach
his nrst sermon In Edinburgh ten
years before. And Late C~arscallen.
slow OF speech and thought, had
been full OF pride and love OF that
brilliant brother. : But they, in the
natural course OF things. diffted
apart; the slow and uncouth one, to
make his home at last not far from
the arctic circle, and to be- this
night ON his way to the Barren
Grounds. But ~ he stood with the
cup to his lips he recalled the words
Of : newspaper paragraph OF q few
months before. II made reference
70 the fact that the Rev. James
C~aracaII6n. d n nrearhAA haSora