Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-10-29

out upon living swarms OF scows. tugs
stern wheelers and dories. Here and
there Eskimo oomiaks, fat, walrus hide
boats, Slid about like huge, many leg.
ged water bugs. An endless, antlike
stream OF tenders, piled high with
freight, piled to and from the shore.
A mile distant lay the city, stretched
like 4 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 it
seemed all made of new white canvas.
In week its population had swelled
from 5000 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, treadins
twice In the same tracks. found bog
Of oozing, icy mud. Therefore as the
town doubled daily in size, 1t grew
endwise like n string of dominoes till
the shore from Cape Nome to Penny
river was long reach Of white CLINT
Ing in the low rays Of the arctic sun
set like foamy breakers on a tropic
island.
That's Anvil creek up yonder," said
Glenister. There's where the Midas
lies. See' lie indicated 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 hllocks 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 So!omon's
mines-and there's mystery and peril
and things unknown"
LET Us make haste" said the girl
II have something must do tonight
After that | can learn to know these
things"
Securing small boat, they were
rowed ashore, the partners plying their
ferryman with eager questions. Hay
Ing arrived five days before, he was
exploding with information and voun-
tCCiCu AhS liulkS VI lib llpC GADSlNAtt
til Dextry stated that they We're
''sour doughs" themselves and owned
the Midas, whereupon Miss Chester
marveled at the awe which sat upon
the man and the wondering stare with
which he devoured the partners, to
her own utter exclusion.
"Sufferin' cats! Look at the freight"
A4o fN1 .,tNs
up. 1t would bust the community
The beach they neared was walled
and crowded to the high tide mark
with ramparts Of merchandise, while
' every incoming craft deposited Its quo.
ia upon whatever vacant foot was
close at hand till bales, boxes, boilers
and baggage Of all kinds were con-
fusedly intermixed In the narrow space.
Singing longshoremen trundled burdens
from the lighters and piled them on
| the heap. while yelling, cursing crowds
fought over it all. selecting, sorting,
loading.
There was no room for more, yet
hourly they added to the mass Teams
splashed through the tapping surf or
stuck In the deep sand between bill
locks Of goods. All was noise, pro-
family, congestion and feverish hurry.
The burning haste rang In the voice
Of the multitude. showed in It's violence
Of gesture and redness Of face. per-
meated the atmosphere with q mag
netic, elcctrifying energy.
Its somcthin fierce ashore" said
the oarsman. II been up fer three
days an nights steady. There amt no
room nor time nor darkness to sleep
in. Ham an eggs is dollar an a
half an whisky's 4 bits throw" He
walled the last sadly, as n complaint
unspeakable.
ANY trouble DOING" inquired the old
man.
you know it," the other cried col
loquially. There was a massacre in
the Northern last night"
"Gamblin' row?"
"Yep. 'Tinhorn' called Nilsson done
it."
"Sho!" said De1try. II know him.
He's bad actor" All three men nod
ded sagely, and the girl wished for
further light, but they volunteered no
explanation.
LeavinS the Skin, they plunged into
turmoil. lodging through the tangle,
they came out into fenced lots where
tents stood wall to wall and every
! inch was occupied. Here and there
was vacant spot guarded jealousy
by its owner, who gazed sourly upon
all men with the forbidding eye of
suspicion. Finding an eddy In the
confusion, the men stopped.
"Where do you want to go?" they
asked Miss Chester.
There was no longer in Glenister's
glance that freedom with which he
had come to regard the women OF the
north. He had como to realize daily
that here was a girl driven ny some
strong purpose into n position repcl-
lent to her. In Il man of his type her
Independence awokc only admiration,
and her colGneSS served but to inflamc
him the more. Dclicacy in GlcnistcI
was lost III Il remarkable sinClcnc:s OF
purpose. He could laugh ut her lou;!i-
Ing, smile under he: abuse and remain
utterly Ignorant tiat any thing more
than his action IN seeing lcr that
night lay ut the hotton uf hep dislike.
He did not dream that he possessed
characteristics nbhorrent 10 her, and
he felt a keen reluctance ut parting.
She extended both hands.
II can never thank you enough for
what you have done--you twp-but !
shall try. Goodhy:"
pextry gazed doubtfully at his own
hanl rOurh AMI .,nuri. ihnn tntinn