Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-03-24

Is!i- LAol f1tO-NAIGhs
~ ~ ANY men were in debt 10 the
trader ut Flambeau, and
many counted him as
friend. The latter never rea-
soned why, except that he had done
them favors, and In the north that
counts for much. Perhaps they built
likewise upon the fact that he was ever
the same to all and that In days OF
plenty or IN times of, famine his store
was open to every man, and all recelv-
ed the same measure. Nor did he raise
his prices when the boats were late.
They recalled one bleak and blustery
autumn when the steamer sank at the
Lower Ramparts, taking with her all
their winters food, how lie eked out
his scanty stock, dealing to each and
every one his portion month by month.
They remembered well the bitter Win
ter that followed, when the specter of
famine haunted their cabins and when
for endless periods they cinched their
belts and cursed and went hungry to
sleep, accepting day by day the ra-
lions doled out to them by the grim,
gray man at the log store. Some OF
them had money belts weighted low
with gold washed from the bars at
Forty Mile, and there were others who
had wandered in from the KOyukuk
with the first frosts, footsore and drag
ging, the legs Of their skin boots eaten
to the ankle and the taste Of dog meat
still in their mouths. Broken and dis
pirited, these had Jared as well through
that desperate winter US their brothers
from up river and received pound for
pound of musty flour, strip for strip of
rusty bacon, lump for lump Of precious
sugar Moreover, thesprice Of no single
thing had risen throughout the famine.
He mixed in no mans business. He
took and paid his dues unfalteringly.
He spoke in level voice, and he smil-
ed but rarely. He gazed at u stranger
once and weighed him carefully; there
after his eyes sought the distances
again, as If in search Of some visitor
whom he knew or hoped or feared
would come.
This day he stood in the door of his
post staring up the sunlit river, abb
sorbing the warmth of the arctic after
noon. The Yukon swept down around
the great bend beneath the high, cut
banks and past the little town, disap-
pearing behind tile wooded point be-
low, which masked the upcoming
steamers till one heard the sighing Ia
Dor of their stacks before he saw their
smoke.
The sound Of shouting caused him
to turn his head. Downstream, II thou
sand yards away, men were raising a
Flagstaff made from the trunk Of a
slender fir, from which the bark had
been stripped, heaving Oh their tackle
as they sang in unison. They stood
well out upon the rivers bank before
group of well made houses, the peel
cd timbers of which shone yellow In
the sun. He noted the symmetrical
arrangement of the buildings, noted
the space about them that had beel
smoothed for Il drill ground and from
which the stumps had been removed
noted that the men Wore suits of blu
Ind noted in particular the figure o
an officer commanding them.
lie llueS uDOul luS AuOUti
deepened, ard LIS heavy brows con
tracted.
'.That means the law" he murinuret
half aloud.
He stood so, meditating somberly
till the fragment of song humme'
lightly by girl fell pleasantly on Iii
ears, whereupon the shadows vanishe
IL, Nd In t,rp
antly, the edges of his teeth shown
beneath his mustache, the corners Q
his eyes wrinkling with pleasure
The sight was good to him. for til
girl approaching down the trail wa
like some wood sprite, light footed
slender and dark, with twin braids c
hair to her waist framing an ova
face colored by the wind and sun. Sh
was very beautiful. and Il great feve
surged up through the old mans vein
till he gripped the boards at his sid
and bit sharply at the pipe betwee
his teeth.
1.-The salmon berries are ripe" sh
announced, land the hills back Of til
village are pink with them. too
Constantine's squaw with me. and W
picked quarts and quarts. ate thel
all!'
Her laughter was like the tinkle {
silver bells. Every move of her grace
full body was unrestrained and flow
Ing. with hint Of Indian freedol
about it Beaded and. trimmed like
native princess, her garments man
tested an ornature that spoke of say
agery, yet they were neatly cut an
held to the pattern of the whites.
Constantine was drunk again las
night. and had TO give him n talkin
to when we came back. Oh, but lai
him out! He's frightened to death o
me when I'm angry"
She furrowed her brow in scowl-
the daintiest. most ridiculous quicker o
n brow that ever man saw-and drey
her red lips into an angry pout as sh
recounted her temperance talk till til
trader broke In, his voice very soft. hi
gray blue eyes as tender as those o
Il woman:
Its good to have you home again
Necia. The old sun don't shine a
bright when you're away. and when