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

A mile distant lay the city, stretched
like white ribbon between the gold
of the ocean sand and the dun of the
moss covered tundra. 1t was like no
other in the world At first glance 1t
seemed all made Of new white canvas.
In n week its population had swelled
from 1000 to 10000. 1t now wandered
in slender. sinuous line along the
coast for miles, because only the beach
afforded dry camping ground. Mount
ing to the bank behind, one sank knee
deep in moss and water and, trea1ing
twice Ia the same tracks. found a bog
of oozing. icy mud Therefore as the
town doubled daily in size, it grew
cndwise like a string of dominoes Till
the shore from Cape Nome to Penny
river was n long reach of white. CLINT
ing in the low rays of the arctic sun
set like foamy breakers on tropic
island
That's Anvil creek up yonder," said
Glenister. "There's where the Midas
lies. See" He indicated a gap in the
buttress of mountains rolling back
from the coast. ITS the greatest
creek in the world. You'll see gold by
the mule load and hillocks of nuggets.
Oh. I'm glad to get back. This is life.
| That stretch of beach is full of gold.
These hills are scanned with quartz.
The bedrock Of that creek IS yellow.
, There's gold, gold. gold everywhere
more than ever was in old Solomon's
! mines--and there's mystery and peril
and things unknown"
oct US make haste" said the girl
II have something I must do tonight
After that | can learn to know these
things"
Securing a small boat. they were
rowcd ashore the partners plying theil
ferrymau with eager questions. Hav
ing arrived five days before, he was
exploding with information and volun
teered the fruits of his ripe experience
till DeXtry stated that they were
"sour doughs" themselves and owned
the Midas. whereupon Miss Chester
marveled at the awe which sat upor
the man and the wondering stare will
which he devoured the partners, t'
her own utter exclusion.
"Sufferin' cats. Look at the freight!
CALCULATED DcXtry. "If storm CONF
up. it would bust the community
The beach they ncareh was VALE,
and crowded TO the high tide mari
with ramparts Of merchandise. Will
every incoming craft deposited its quo
Ia upon whatever vacant foot wa
close Mt hand til bales. boxes, boiler
snd baggage of all kinds were cor
; fuscdly intermixcd in the narrow space
Singing longshorcmcn trundled burden
from The lighters and piled them o
the heap. while yelling curslng crowd
fought over it all, selecting, sortins
loading.
There was no room for more. "
hourly they added to the mass. Team
; splashed through the tapping surf {
stuck in the deer sand between hi
locks Of goods All was noise, pr
family, congestion and feverish hurr'
' The burning haste rang in the yoiC
of the multitude. showed in its violent
i of gesture and redness Of face, pc
= meated the atmosphere with a ma
netic, electrfyinc energy.
Its somethin fierce ashore sa
the oarsman. Il been up fer thr'
days an nights steady. There amt I
:, room nor time nor darkness to slet
- in. Ham an eggs is a dollar an
half an whiskys bits a throw I
walled the last sadly, as Il complai'
II unSpeahable.
" Any trouble doin':" inquired the o
), man
" Won know it, the other cried 90
10 loquially. There Was massacre
+, the Northern last night
~ "Gambllu' row.
yep. 'Tinhorn' called Nilsson do
" it."
"A "Sho" said Dextry ~ know hi
= He's a bad actor" All three men nc
ded sa9ely, aud the girl wished
III further light, but they volunteered
H. explanation
ie Leaving the skif, they plunged in
C. turmoil. lodging through the tang
they came out into fenced lots whc
n tents stood wall to wall and eve
H. inch was occupied. Here ANA the
III was a vacant spot guarded jealous
'e bv its owner. who gazed sourly up
Il all mcn with the forbidding eye
T. suspicion. Finding an eddy in
y confusion. the men stopped.
IN Where 90 you want 10 go?' IL
~ asked Miss Chester
y There was no longer IN Glenste
III glance that freedom with which
OF had come to regard the women or
W. north. He had conc 10 realize dn
he that here was a Eirl driven by so
~ strong purpose into II position reI
J.! lent 10 ner. In man of his type
III independence aWoke only admirat
ri ard her coldnesS served but TO infa
50 him the more. Dclicacy in GleniS
he was lost in remarkable singleneSs
us purpose. lie could laugh at her loa
D. ing, smile under her abuse and rem
ne utterly ignorant that anything IN
IN than his action in Selling her t
night lay at the bottom OF her dish
/. lie did not dream that be posses
~, characteristics abhorrcnt to her, ;
INT he felt n keen reluctance at parting
M She extended both hands
Il can never thank you enough
OF what you have done-yOu two-bu
an shall try. Goodbye
ho, Dpxtry Ga2ei douhtfuliy at his G
ng hand rough and gnarly, then TAX
Ell, hers as he would have handled
ng ms egg wacgled it Imply.
al,