Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-08-08
BY REX E. BEACH.


she wondered at their apparent lack of
interest in her own identity and her
secret mission. She even construed
their silence as indifference, not realiz-
ing that these mortimer were offering
her the truest evidence Of camaraderie.
The frontier is capable of no finer
compliment than this utter disregard
of ones folded pages. It betokens that
highest faith in ones fellow man, the
belief that he should be measured by
bis present deeds, not by his past. 1t
says, translated: This is Gods free
country, where man is man, moth
ing more. Our land is new and pure,
our faces are to the front. If you have
been square, so much the better; if
not, leave behind the taints of artificial
things and start again on the level.
That's all"
It had happened, therefore, that,
since the men had asked her no Ques-
tons, she had allowed the hours to
pass and still hesitated to explain fur
Their than she had explained to Captain
Stephens. 1t was much easier to let
things continue as they were, and
there was. after ALL so little that she
was at liberty to tell them.
In the short time since meeting them
the girl had grown to like Dextry, with
his blunt chiyalry and boyish, whimsi-
cal philosophy, but she avoided Glen
lister, feeling shrinking, hidden ter
ror of him, ever since her eavesdrop-
ping of the previous night. At the
memory of that scene she grew hot,
then cold-hot with anger icy at the
sinister power and sureness which
had vibrated in his voice. What kind
of life was she entering where men
spoke Of strange women with this as
surance and limited thus of ownership?
That be was handsome and uncon-
scious of it she acknowledged, and
had she met him in her accustomed
circle of friends, CARRIED In the con-
yentionalities, she would perhaps have
thought of him as striking man, Wig
orous and intelligent, but here he seem
ed naturally to take on the attributes
of his surroundings, acquiring a pic
turesque negligee of dress and morals
and suggesting rugged, elemental,
chilling potentialities. While with
him-and be had sought her repeat
edly that day-she was uneasily aware
Of his strong personality tugging at
her; aware of the unbridled passion
ate food of d nature unbrooking of
delay and needless of denial. This 1t
was that antagonized her and set her
every mental sinew in rigid resistance.
During Dextry's garrulous ramblings
Glenister emerged from the darkness
and silently took his place beside her
against the rail.
what portent do you see that makes
you stare into the night so anxiously?"
be inquired.
81 am wishing for a sight of the
midnight sun or the aurora borealis,"
she replied.
TOO late for one an too fur south
for the other" Dextry interposed.
well see the sun further north,
though"
aHave you ever heard the real origin
of the northern lights?v the young man
inquired.
Naturally, never have" she an
swered.
eWell. here it is. have it from
the. lips of a great hunter of the
Tananas. He told it to me when was
sick once in his cabin, and inasmuch
as he is a wise Indian and has a
reputation for truth / have no doubt
that it is scrupulously correct.
SIN 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 a 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 a terrible famine settled
over the 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 peeyish.
seThen it was that Itika decided to
20 hunting over the saw tooth range
which formed the edge OF the world.
They tried to dissuade him, saying 1t
was certain death because a pack of
mongtrous white wolves taller than the
moose and swifter than the eagle was
known to range these mountains, run
ming madly in chase. Always on clear,
cold nights could be seen the flashing
Of the moonbeams from their gleam-
Ing, hungry sides, and, although many
hunters had crossed the passes in other
years, they never returned, for the pack
slew them.
Nothing could deter Itika, however,
SO he threaded his way up through the
range and, night coming. burrowed into
drift to sleep in his caribou skin.
Peering out into the darkness, be saw