Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-09-26

orOtIS AND iutcllirCnt, but here nc seem
oil uutu.nllv TO fake on the attributes
OF his surroundings, acquiring Il PIE
turcsGuc ncGliecc Of dress ana morals
nnd suggesting rugged. elemental
chilling potcntialities. While with
him and he he'd sought her repeat
edlv that cay she vas uncasily aware |
of hi, strong personality Juggling at |
her: awrrr of the unbridled passion
atc food of nature unhrooklna of !
delay ana needless of denial. ms II
was that antaconized her and set her
every mental sincw in rigid resistance. |
During pcxtrys garruous ramblings
| Glenister emerged from the darkness
| and silently took his place beside her
against the rail-
! "Whal portent do You see that makes
Won stare irto the night so anxiously|
he inquired.
Il am wishing for n sight Of the
midnirht sun or the aurora borealis,'
she replied.
''ro5 late for one an too FUR south
for the other" Dcyt7y interposed.
"N'c'n SEQ ,ha sun further north,
though"
";Iayc you over heard the real origin
of the northern lights" The young man
inquired.
Mature ". never have she an
swercd
"Wen. here it Is have 1t from
the Inns { great hunter OF the
Tanaras lie told it to ne when was
sick once f. his cabin and inasmuch
as he is n wise Indian and has
reputation for truth have no doubt
that it is scrupuou>iy correct.
"Ip the very old DAYS, before the
white man or corncd beef had invaded
this land. the greatest tribe in all the
north was the Tananas. The braveSt
hunter of these was itita, the second
chief He could follow a moose till IT
foil exhausted in the snow, and he had
many belts made from the claws OF the
brown bear which is deadly wicked
and. MS every one knows, Inhabited by
the spirits Of 'yabla men,, or devils.
zone winter a terrible famine settled
over the Tanana valley. The moose
dopnrtcd from the gulches. and the car
ibou melted from the hills like mist.
The dogs grow gaunt and howled all
night. the babies cried. the women be
came hollow eyed and pcevish.
"Then it was that Itia decided to
go hunting over the saw tooth range
which formed the edge Of the world
; They tried TO dissuadc him, saying it
; was certain death because pack OF
monstrous white wolves taller than the
, moose and swiftcr than the eagle was
known to range these mountains. run
, ming madly in chase. Always on clear
. | cold nights could be seen the flashing
I of the moonbeams from their CLEAN
Q ing. hungry sides. and. although man!
| hunters had crossed the passes in othel
wears. they never returned, for the PACK
! slew them.
: Nothing could deter ltka. however
50 he threaded his way up through tn
. range and. night coming. burrowed int
g drift to sleep in his caribou skin
t, reering out into the darkness, he saw
:. the flashing lights thousand time
d brighter than ever before. The Who'll
y heavens wee abla2e with shifting
$ streamere that raced and writhed bac
@ and forth in wild revei. Listening, h
|. heard the hiss and whine of dry snoN
II under the feet of the pack and dis
l. tant noise as Of rushing winds, n
g though the air was deathly still.
e "Nth daylight he proceeded throug
l. the range til he came out above
magniilcen' valley. Descending I'll
is slope, he entered Il forest of towern
a spruce. while on all sides the sno'
le was tranpled with tracks as wide
ID a snowshoe. There came to him
rs noiS" which as he proceeded increase
IS til il filed the woods. 1t was frigh
20 fri din as though Il thousand wolve
!, were bowling with the madness of Il
klN. Cautiously creeping nearer, l.
fouud n nonstrous white animal stru
1t Cling beneath spruce which had falie
:. upnn It in such fashion as to pinion
is securely.
a. "All brave men are tender hearte
10 so Jtikn Sc. to work. with his TX ~
vi clcarrI away thu burden. regardless
49, the pcr! to himself When he hf
or released it the beast arose and i
cd rtead Of running away, addressed hi
~ In the most polite and polished India
n, without trace Of accent.
ia ''You have saved my life. No
ar what can do for you!
ri 81 want to hunt in this valley. \
,t people are starving said ltika,
ha which the Volf was greatly pleas
Inv and rounded up the rest of the pa
II to help in the kill
90 always thereafter when ltlka car
,h- to the valley of the Yukon the gih
70 drove hunted with him. To this d
,,a they run through the mountains
70 cold. clear night in multitude, VIII
ioI the light Of the moon hlckerS Ire
~, their white sides flashing mp into
sky in weird fantastic figures. Sol
-. neople call IT northern lights. but {
os Isaac assured me earnestly, toothle
-, ~ and with the light of ancient tr,
-. as | lay snow blind in his lodge Il
w.. II Is nothing more remarkable til
49, the spirit of Itika and the great VIII
,r1 wolves
.ha what Il queer Legend she sa
"Ihere must be many of them In I
o country. ! feel that l am going
,,th like the north
,'s, perhaps you will" Glenister
,o piled. although it Is not woma
tor- land"
49, "Tell me what led you out here
~ the first place. You are an east