The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-08

fockS- They were tired and weak, and
their faces had the drawn expression
long endured. They were heavily bur
Gened with blanket-packs. which were
strapped TO their shoulders. Head
straps, passing across the forehead.
helped support these packs. Each man
carried a rifle They walked in
stopped posture, the shoulders well for
ward, the head still further forward,
the eyes bent upon the ground.
IT wish we had just about two of
them cartridges that's laying in that
cache of ourn," SAID the second man.
His voice was utterly and drearily
oxpressionless. He spoke without en-
thusiasm; but the first man, limping
into the milky stream that foamed over
the rocks, Youchsafed no reply.
The man who followed slipped on a
smooth boulder. nearly fell, but recov-
cred himself with a violent effort at
the same time uttering a sharp excla-
nation of pain. He seemed faint and
dizzy and put out his free hand while
he reeled, as though seeking support
against the air. When he had steadied
himself he stepped forward. but reeled
again and nearly fell. Then he stood
still and looked at the other man, who
had never turned his head.
The man stood still for fully a min
ute, as though debating with himself.
Then ne called out:
Il say, Bill, I've sprained my ankle. q"
Bill staggered on through the milky
water. He did not look around The
man watched him go, and though his
face was expressionless as ever, his
eyes were like the eyes of a wounded
deer.
The other man limped up the further
bank and continued straight on with
out looking back. The man in the
stream watched him. His lips trembIed
little. so that the rough thatch of
brown hair which covered them was
Visibly agitated. His tongue even
strayed out to moisten them.
"Bill?' he cried out.
II was the pleading cry of a strong
man in distress. but Bits head did not
turn. The man watched him go, limp
ing grOteSquely and lurChing forward
with stammering gait up the low slope
toward the soft skyline Of the IOW-lying
hill. He watched him go till he passed
over the crest and disappeared. Then
he turned his gaze and slowly took in
the circle Of the world that remained
TO him now that Bill was gone
Near the horizon the sun was smoul-
dering dimly, almost obscured by
formless mists and vapors, which gave
an impression of mass and density with
out outline or tangibility. The man
pulled out his watch, the while resting
his weight on one leg. 1t was 4 o'clock
and as the season was near the last of
July or first of Augustine did not
know the precise date within a week
or two-he knew that the sun roughly
marked the northwest. He looked to
the south and knew that somewhere
beyond those bleak hills lay the Great
Bear lake; also, he knew that in that
direction the Arctic Circle cut its for
bidding way across the Canadian bar
rens.
Again his gaze completed the circle
of the world about him. 1t was not a
heartening spectacle. Everywhere was
soft sky line. The hills were all low
lying. There were no trees, no shrubs.
no grasses-naught but a tremendous
land terrible desolation that sent fear
swiftly dawning into his eyes.
''BiliP' he whispered, once and twice;
'"BiHr'
He covered in the midst of the milky
water. as though the vastness We're
pressing in upon him with Overwhelm-
ing force. brutally crushing him with
its complacent awfulness. He began
to shake as with an ague fit, till the
gun fell from his hand with a splash
This served to rouse him. He fought
with his fear and pulled himself to-
gether, cropping in the water and re-
pack further over on his left shoulder
so as to take a portion OF its weight
from off the injured ankle. Then he
proceeded, slowly and carefully, wine
ing with pain, to the bank
He did not stop. With a desperation
that was madness. unmindful of the
pain, he hurried up the slope to the
crest of the hill over which his COM
rade had disappeared-more grotesque
and comical by far then that Hmping
Jerking comrade. But at the crest he
saw a shallow valley, empty Of life
He fought with his fear again, over
came 1t, hitched the pack still further
over on his left shoulder, and lurched
on down the slope.
Though alone. he was not lost Fur
Their on he knew he would come tC
where dead spruce and fir, very small
and weakened, bordered the shore of a
little lake, the Observation-Disclosures the
tongue Of the country, the land OF
little sticks" And into that lake flow
ed a small stream, the water of which
las not milky. There was rush-grass
On that stream-thIs he remembered
well-but no timber, and he would fol
low It till its first trickle ceased at q
divide He would cross this divide to
the first triclkle OF another stream
flowing to the west, which he would
follow until it emptied into the River
Dease, and here he would find cache
under an upturned canoe and piled over
with many rocks. And in this cache
would be ammunition for his empty
gun, fish-hoOks and lines, a small net
all the utilities for the killing and
sharing Of food. Also, he would FIND
flour-not much-a piece of bacon and
some beans.
Bill would be waiting for him there
and they would paddle away south
down the Dease to the Great Bear Lake
South to some warm Hudson Ray
company post, where timber grew tai
and generous and there was grub
without end.
These were the thoughts of the mar
as he strove forward. But hard as he
strove with his body. he strove equally
hard with his mind, trying to think
that Bill had not deserted him, thai
Bill would surely wait for him at the
cache. He was compelled to think thi.
thought, or else there would not b,
any use to strive, and he would have
lain down and died. And as the din