The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-10-06


Il Cnsuy 0Wm = oann9y saeA DmssssA
0sorgs Best and ~ 90 ipte pa1nwshi0.
@msrSoa daD15beo his failure - make
Ivood' IN AlA0ka.
nmsrssa kAssss cAary sseny. Dast.
! 0sasR aAA Dmsr0ea nsasiy jooe thsir
bevss - xssmai pass end mass ~ steam
- q xaeDA - thar wy est to get
b CHAPTER ".
@IDARKNESS found them stag.
III wherever possible. At length
- he became unable to guide
them further, and Bait, who had once
made the trip. took his place, while
l4ho others dragged the poor creature
Song at the cost Of their precious
strength.
They had long since lost all track Of
time and place, trusting blindly to a
downward course. The hurricane
still harried them with undated fury.
when all at once they came to another
blur where the ground fell away
abruptly. without waiting to investi.
este whether the slope terminated in
Q drift or q precipace. they nung them
selves oyer. Down they doundered.
the two half sensible men tangled to-
eether 40 II In q race for total oblivion.
only to plunge through q thicket of
willow tops that whipped and stuns
them. On they went. now vastly heart
ened. over another ridge. down an
other declivity. and then into . grove
ef spruce timber. where the air sud-
denly stilled. and only the treetops told
Of the rushing wind above
II was well nigh an hour before Bait
and Emerson succeeded In starting a
IRE. for It was desperate work cropping
for dry branches. and they themselves
were on the verge Of collapse before
the timid blaze finally showed the
/ two more unfortunate ones huddled to-
p gether.
Cherry had given Emerson q flask
i now divided between Fraser ard the
guide. having wisely refused it to
them until shelter was secured. Then
he melted snow In Balt's tin cup and
poured pints Of hot water into the pair
until the sdventurer began to rally.
but the Aleut WAS too far gone, and
an hour before the iaggard dawn came
he died
The day was well spent when they
struggled into Katmai and plodded mp
to half rotted log store. A globular
quarter breed Russian trader took them
in and administered to their most cry.
ing needs.
AZ soon 40 Emerson was able to
tAlk he inquired concerning the mail
boat.
"She called here three days ago.
bound west" said the trader.
That's all right. She'll be back In
about . week. eh?''
"She won't stop coming back"
"whatw Emerson felt himself sick
enips.
mo: she won't call here till next
month, and then II it's storming she'll
20 on to the westward and land on her
way back"
How long will that be?''
"Maybe seven or eight weeks"
In his weakened condition the young
man CROPPED for the counter to support
himself. SO the storms delay At the
foot of the pass had undone him!
Fate. In the guise Of winter, had I'M
1urled those floating snow banners
from the mountain peaks to thwart
him once more!
Out Of consideration for his compan.
sons Emerson did not acquainr them
with the evil tidinSs until the mex,
morning: moreover, he vas swallowed
up In black despair and had NO heart
left In him for any further exerion
He had allowed the Russian to show
him to q bed. upon which he lung him.
self. half dressed, while the others fol
lowed suit.
Emerson fell into q deep sleep. and
Il was late In the day when he awoke
every muscle aching. every joint stin
every step attended with pain. He
found his companions up and already
breakfas;ed. Big George none the worse
for his ordeal. while Fraser. bandaged
and smarting. was his old shrewd self
Have you heard about the mai
boat?'' asked Emerson.
"No."
We've missed her"
.what d'you mean?" demanded Biz
George blankly.
II mean that that storm delayed III
1ust long enough to ruin u.s."
e.. "why-er-let's wait TIL the mex
"trip" offered the fisherman.
Emerson shook his head. "She maj
not be back heDe for eight weeks. No
We're done 4
Bait was IKE q big boy In distress
His face wriDkied a. II be were abou
90 burst into loud lamentations. Thez
q thought sei1ed him.
"where IN blazes Is this stea mer =