The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-01-31

cane hollow eyed and peevish-
Then Il was that Itika decided &
20 hunting over the saw tooth rang
which formed the edge Of the world
They tried 10 dissuade him. saying ]
was certain death because q pack o
mOnstr6us white wolves taller than th'
moose and swifter than the eagle wa
known 70 range these mountains, run
ding uladly in chase. Always on clear
cold nights could be seen the flashing
Of the mOOnbeams from their CLEAN
lng, hungry sides, and, although many
hunters had crossed the passes In Other
years. they never returned. for the pacs
slew them.
"Nothing could deter Itika, however
20 he threaded his way up through the
range and. night coming. burrowed into
a drift to sleep in his caribou skin.
Peering ont into the darkness, he saw
the flashing lights thousand times
brighter than ever before. The whole
heavens were ablaze with shifting
streamers that rac.-d and writhed back
and forth In wild revel. Listening, he
heard the hiss and whine Of dry snow
under the feet Of the pack and a dis.
tant noise as Of rushing winds, al
though the air was deathly still.
/ with daylight he proceeded through
the range till he came out above a
/ magnificent valley. Descending the
slope, he entered forest of towering
spruce, while on all sides the snow
was trampled with tracks as wide as
snowshoe. There came to him a
noise which as he proceeded increased
till 1t filed the woods. 1t was fright
tul din, as though thousand wolves
were bowling with the madness of the
kill Cautiously creeping nearer, he
found monstrous white animal stTug-
Cling beneath a spruce which had fallen
upon it in such fashion as to pinion it
securely.
"All brave men are tender hearted,
so Itika set to work with his ak AMI
cleared away the burden. regardless Of
the peril to himself When he had
released 1t the beast arose and, III
stead of running away, addressed hi.I
al Tic lnOoI pOlllC ana HOlAoAOA AhH't'''
without trace of accent.
You have saved my life. No"
what can | do for you?
"T want TO hunt iIs this valley. ME
people are Starvin5, said ltlka, al
which the wolf was greatly pleased
and rounded up the rest of the pack
to help in the kill.
ALWAYS thereafter when Itika came
to the valley of the Yukon the giant
drove hunted with him. To this day
they run through the mountains on
cold. clear night In multitude, while
the Ii0ht of the moon 4iclars from
their white sides, flashing up into t!le
sky in weird, fantastic figures. Some
people call 1t northern lights, but Of
Isaac assured me earnestly, toothless,
" and with the light of ancient trutl
as | lay snow blind in his lodge that
It is nothing more remarkable than
the spirit of Itika and the great white
wolves"
"What a queer legend?' she said
'sThere must be many of them In this
country. / feel that ] am going to
like the north"
~Perhaps you WILL" Glenister re-
plied. although 1t is not womang
land"
'aTell me what led you out here III
the first place. You are an eastern
man. You have had advantages, edU
cation. and yet you choose TINS. ZOE
,,,,,.% Ioua tho north -"
'Indeed do! 1t calls to- fellow
in some strange way that gentler
country never could. When once you
have lived the long, lazy June days
that never end and heard geese honk
ing under a warm, sunlit Midnight o.
when once you've hit the trail on
winter morning so sharp and Gle
that the air stings your lungs ana the
whole white. silent world glistens HE
a Jewel: yes, and when you've seen the
dogs romping in harness till the sea
runners ring and the distant mountain!
ranges come out like beautiful cary
ings. so close you can reach them
well. there's something In 1t tha'
brings you back--that's all, no matter
where you've lost yourself. IL means
health and equality and unrestrain''
That's what l like best, dare say
the utter unrestraint.
"When | was schoolboy used 10
gaze at the map Of Alaska for hours
I'd lose myself in It. 1t wasn't any
thing but big, blank corner In the
north then, with a name and noun
tains and mystery. The word Yukon
suggested to me everything unknown
and weird-hairy mastodons, golden
river bars, savage Indians with bone
arrowheads and sealskin trousers.
When | left college, came as fast as
ever could-the adventure. | suppose
"The law was considered my destiny.
How the shades of old Choate anu
Webster and Patrick Henry must have
walled when | forswore 1t! I'll bet
Blackstone tore his whiskers."
81 think you would have made sue
cess" said the girl, but he laughed.
"Well, anyhow, | stepped out, leav-
ing the way to the United States su-