The Washington herald., 1910-10-02

ingoing mail and grub fresh dogs harnessed
and fresh Indian engaged. Kama never
spoke from the time OF his arrival till the
moment Daylight ready to depart. stood beside him
TO say goodby. They shook hands.
''You kill um dat Indian Kama said "savvee
Daylight? You kill um"
Hell sure last as far as Pely," Daylight grnned.
Kama shook his head doubtfully and rolled over on
his side, turning his back in token OF farewell
Daylight across Chilcoot that same day, drop
ping down five hundred feet in the darkness and the
hurrying snow to Crater Lake where he camped 1t
was cold camp, far above the timber line, and he
had not burdened his sled with hrewood That night
three feet of covered them and in the black
morning. when they dug themselves out, the Indian
tried to desert He had had enough of travelling with
what he considered a mailman. But Daylight per-
suaded him In grim ways 10 stay by the outfit and
they pulled Deep Lake and Long Lake and
dropped down 10 the level going Of Lake Linderman.
II was the same killing pace going IN coming out
and the Indian did not stand it well Kama. He
too. complained Nor did he try again 10 de-
sert He toied and did his best while he renewed
his resolve 10 steer clear Of Daylight in the future
The days slipped into days. nights and twil1ghts al
ternating cold snaps way to falls and cold
snaps came again. and all the while. through the
long hours the miles piled up behind them
But on the Fifty Mile accident befeIl them.
Crossing an ice bridge the dogs broke through and
were swept under the downstream ice The traces
that connected the team with the wheel dog parted
and the team never seen again. Only the one
wheel dog remained ard Daylight harnessed the
Indian and himself 10 the sled But cannot
take the place OF a dog AT such work, and the two
men were attempting to do the work of FIVE dogs.
At the end Of the first hour Daylight hghtened up.
Dog food extra gear and the spare thrown
away. Under the extraordinary exertion the dog
snapped tendon the following day and hope
lessy disabled. Daylight shot it and abandoned the
sled On his back he took hundred and sixty
pounds OF mail and grub. and the Indians put
hundred and twenty-five pounds The strip
ping or gear remOrSeleSs. The Indian
appalled, when b: saw every pound Of worthless
mail matter retained, while BEANS cups. pals,
plates and extra clothing thrown by the board
One robe each kept axe one tin pail and
Il scant supply OF bacon and flour Bacon could be
eaten a pinch and nOur stirred In hot
water could keep men going Even the rife and
the score OF rounds of ammunition left behind.
And in this fashion they covered the two hundred
miles 90 Selkrk. Daylight travelled late and early,
the hours formerly used by camp making and dog
tending being now devoted to the tran. At night
they crOuched a small fire wrapped in their
robes drinking hour-broth and thawng, bacon on the
ends Of sticks; and In the morning darkness without
a word they arose, slipped their packs, adjusted
head straps. and hit the trail. TIE last miles into
Seklrk. Daylight drove the Indian before him, hol-
low checked, gaunt eyed wrath Of a man who else
would have lain down and slept abandoned his
burden Of mail.
uon, were harnessed. and the day saw Daylight
plodding on, alternating places at the gee-poe as d
matter OF course, with the lie Barge Indian who had
volunteered on the way out Daylight was two days
behind his schedule and falling SNOW and unpacked
trail kept him TWO days behind all the way to Forty
Nile. And here the weather favored 1t was time
for big cold snap, and he gambled on IT, cutting
down the weight Of grub for dogs and men. Tue
men or Forty Nile shook their heads omnously and
demanded to know what he would do II the snow still
fell
That cold snaps sure got to come" ne laughed.
and mushed out on the tran.
number OF sleds had passed back and forth al
ready between Forty Mile and Circle CITY and the
iran was well packed. And the cold snap came and
remained, and Circle City was only two hundred
miles away. The lie Barge Indian was Young man
unlearned yet In his limitations and filed with
pride He took Daylighrs pace with Joy and even
Dreamed, at first that he would play the white man
out The nrst hundred miles he looked for signs of
weakening, and marVelled that he saw them not
throughout the second hundred miles he observed
signs IN himself, and gritted his teeth and kent nm
Ana ever Daylight flew on and on running ar tbe
gee-poie or resting his spell top the flying sled
Inc last day. clearer and colder than ever gave Der
lect going, and they covered seventy miles II was
ten at night when they pulled up the earth bank and
new along the main street of Circle City: and the
young indian. though II his spell TO ride leaned
OH ana ran behind the sled 1t was honorable bray
gadacio and despite the fact that he had found his
limitations and was pressing desperately against
them, he ran gamely on
puvEp VI