Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-10-25
The Spoilers.
BY REX e. BEACH.
copyrisht. 1905. by Beach.

he inquired.
II am wishing for sight of the
midnight sun or the aurora borealis,"
she replied.
'Too late for one an too fur south
for the other" Dextry interposed.
"We'll see the sun further north,
though"
'Iave you ever heard the real origin
of the northern lights?" the young man
inquired.
Naturally, never have" she an
swered.
"Well. here it is. 1 have 1t from
the lips of a great hunter Of the
Tananas. He told 1t to me when was
sick once in his cabin. and inasmuch
as he is wise Indian and has a
reputation for truth l have no doubt
that it is scrupulously correct.
"In the very old days, before the
white man or corned beef had invaded
this land, the greatest tribe in all the
north was the Tananas. The bravest
hunter of these was Itika, the second
chief. He could follow moose till it
fell exhausted In the snow. and he had
many belts made from the claws Of the
brown bear. which Is deadly wicked
and. as every one knows, inhabited by
the spirits of 'yabla men, or devils.
zone winter terrible famine settled
over tho Tanana valley. The moose
departed from the gulches, and the car
ibou melted from the hills like mist.
The dogs grew gaunt and howled all
night the babies cried, the women be-
came hollow eyed and peevish.
"Then 1t was that Itika decided to
go hunting over the saw tooth range
which formed the edge Of the world.
They tried to dissuade him, saying it
was certain death because pack Of
monstrous white wolves taller than the
moose and swifter than the eagle was
known to range these mountains. run
ming madly in chase. Always Oh clear,
cold nights could be seen the flashing
Of the moonbeams from their sieam
ing, hungry sides, and. although many
hunters had crossed the passes Ia other
years, they never returned, for the pack
slew them.
Nothing could deter 1tika. however,
80 he threaded his way up through the
range and, night coming, burrowed into
a drift to sleep in his caribou skin.
Peerine out into the darkness, he saw
the flashing lights thousand times
brighter than ever before. The whole
heavens We're ablaze with shifting
streamers that raced and wrlthed back
and forth in wild revcl. Listening, he
heard the hiss and whine of dry snow
under the feet of the pack and dis
tant noise as Of rushing winds, al
though the air was deathly still
with daylight he proceeded through
the range till he came out above a
magnificent valley. Descending the
slope, he entered forest of towering
| spruce, while on all sides the snow
was trnmpled with tracks as wide as
snowshoe. There came to him q
noise which as he proceeded Increased
till it filled the woods. 1t was fright
full din, as though thousand wolves
were bowling with the madness Of the
kill. Cautiously creeping nearer, he
found n monstrous white animal strug.
Cling beneath spruce which had fallen
| upon it In such fashion rs to pinion 1t
securely.
"Ali brave men are tender hearted,
50 Itika set to work with his Ak and
cleared away the burden. regardless of
the peril to himself. When he had
released 1t the beast arose and, III
stead Of running away, addressed hin
III the most polite and polished Indian
| without q trace of accent.
"'You have saved my life. Now
what can ! do for you?'
81 want to hunt in this valley. My
people are starving said Itika, a
which the wolf was greatly pleasec
and rounded up the rest of the pacl
to help in the kill.
always thereafter when ltika camt
| to the valley of the Yukon the giun
drove hunted with him. To this da,
| they run through the mountains OF
cold, clear night in multitude, while
the light OF the moon tlckers from
their white sides, flashing up into thu
i sky In weird, fantastic figures. Some
| people call 1t northern lights, but ole
Isaac assured me earnestly, toothless
ly and with the light of ancient trutl
as lay snow blind in his lodge thu
| 1t Is nothing more remarkable thai
| the spirit OF Itika and the great Whit
wolves"
"MThat queer legend" she said
i "There must be many Of them in thi
country. I feel that am going t
like the north"
"Perhaps you WILL" Glenlster re
Piled, although 1t Is not woman
land"
"Tell me what led you out here Il
the first place. You are an eastern
man. You have had advantages. edu
cation, and set you choose this. io
must love the north"
"fndeed do! 1t calls to fellow
in some strange way that gcntls
country never could. When once yo
have lived the long. lazy June day
that never end and heard geese honl
ing under a warm, sunlit midnight, o
when ONCE you've hit the trail OH
winter morning SO sharp and clea
that the air stlnss your lungs and tn
whole white. silent world glistens lill
A jewell yes, and when you've seen tn
dogs romplng In harness till the Sic
runners ring and the distant mountai
ranges come out like beautiful cary
ings, so close you can reach them
well, there's something IN It tina
brings you back-that's all, no matte
where you've LOST yourself. It mean
health and equality and unrestrain
i lin dana