The Washington herald., 1910-09-25


Daylight cooking.
They pIodded days upon days and without end over
the soft unpacked snow. 1t was hard, monotonous
work, with OF the Joy and blood stir that went
with flying over hard surface. Now one man TO the
fore In the snowshoes and nOw the other It was
case or stubborn. unmitigated pOd yard OF
Dowdery snow had to be pressed down. and the wide
weDbed shoe, under mans weight, sank full dozen
inches into the soft surface. Snowshoe work, under
such conditions. called for the OF muscles other
than those used in ordinary walking. From step TO
step the rising foot could not come up and forward
on slant. 1t had 10 be raised perpendicularly
When the snowshoe pressed into the snow its
nose was confronted by vertical wall OF snow twelve
tncnes nigh II the foot, In rising, slanted Forward
the slightest bit Of the shoe penetrated the
oostructing wall and tipped downward TIL the heel
OF the shoe struck the mans leg behind. Thus up.
straight up twelve inches each foot must be raised
every time and all the time the forward swing
from the knee could begin.
On this partially packed surface followed the
dogs the man at the geepoe and the sled. At
the best toing as only picked could toll, they
made no more than three miles hour. This
meant longer hours Of travel and Daylight for good
measure and for margin against accidents. hit
the trail for twelve hours day. Since three hours
were consumed by making camp ar night and cook
ing beans at the midday meal nine hours left
Tor sleep and recuperatiOn. and neither nor
dogs wasted many minutes Of those nine hours.
AT Selkirk, the trading post Pelly River,
DhyhghT suggested that Kama lay over. retoining
MN on the back trip from Dyea. A strayed Indian
from Lake lie Barge willing 10 take his place,
lntonation OF resentment and that was all The
dogs. however. Daylight changed. leaving his
exhausted team 10 rest up against his return, while
ne went on with six fresh dogs.
They travelled TIL ten o'clock the night they
reached Selkirk. and at six next morning they
plunged ahead into tie next stretch Of wilderness
or nearly i've hundred miles that lay between Sell
Kirk and Dyea. second cold snap on, but,
cold or warm, II all the same, an unbrOken
trail When the thermometer went down 70 fifty
below 1t was even harder 10 travel FOR at that low
temperature the hard frost crystals were more Ike
sand grains in the resistance they offered 10 the
sled runners. The dogs had 10 pull harder than
over The same snow at twenty thirty below zero.
Daylight increased the days travel to thirteen
hours He jealousy guarded the margin be had
gained, for he knew there difficult stretches
to come
1t was not yet quite mldwinter and the turbulent
F1ft; Mile River vindicated his Judgment. In many
places IL wide open, with precariOus rim ice
frnging It on either side. In places where
the water dashed against the steepsided bluffs. rim
Ice was unable 70 form They surned and twisted
now crossing the river, now coming back again.
times making half dozen attempts before they found
way over particularly bad stretch. II was slow
work. The ice bridges had 10 be tested. and either
Daylight Kama went in advance sn0wshoes on
their feet and long poles carried crosswlse In their
hands. Thus, II they broke through they could cling
TO the pole that brdged the hole made by their bodies
Several such accidents were the share of each. At
fifty below zero man wet 10 the waist cannot
travel without freezing, each ducking meant delay
AS soon as rescued The wet man ran 10 and down to
keep up his circulation, while his dry companion
built q fire. Thus protected change OF garments
could be made and the wet ones dried against the
next misadventure.
To make matters worse this dangerous river travel
could not be done in the dark and their working day
was reduced 10 six hours Of twilight Every moment
was precious, and they stroye never 10 lose one.
Thus before the first hint of the coming Of gray
camp was broken, sled loaded dogs harnessed and
The two men crouched waiting over the fire Nor did
they make the midday halt 10 eat. AS II was, they
were running far behind their schedule each day
eating into the margin they had run up There were
days when they made fifteen miles and days when
they made dozen. And there one bad stretch
where in two days they covered nine miles being
compelled 10 turn their backs three times on the river
and TO portage sled and outfit over the mountains.
At last they cleared the dread Fifty Mile River and
out on Lake lie Barge. Here was no open water
nor jammed ice. For thirty miles or more the snow
lay level table, withal il lay three feet deep and
soft -four. Three miles an hour was the best
they could make, but Daylight celebrated the passDe
Of the Fifty Mile by travelling late. At eleven In
the morning they emerged ar the foot OF the lake
At three in the afternoon, the Arctic night closed
down, he caught his first sight of the head of the
lake. and with the first stars took his bearings At
eight in the evening they left the lake behind and
entered the mouth OF the Lewes River Here a hair
of half an hour was made, while chunks of frozen
boiled beans were thaWed and the dogs were given
an extra ration Of fish. Then they pulled on IN the
river till one in the morning, when they made helr
regular camp.
They had hit the trail sixteen miles on end tbat
day. The dogs had come in toe tired to fight among
themselves or even smart, and Kama had perceptibIv
limped the last several miles yet Daylight was on
trail next morning at six 0clOcl By eleven he was
at the foot OF White Horse and that nigh saw him
camped beyond the Box Canyon the last bad river
stretch behind him. the string of lakes before him
There no let up in his pace Twelve hours q
day. six In the twilight aud six the dark they toied
the trail. Three hours were consumed in cooking
repairing harnesses and making and breaking camn
and the remaining nine hours dogs and men sept AZ
If dead. The iron strength of Kama broke Day nv
day the terrific toll Sapped him. Day by day he CON.
sumed more Of his reserves OF strength He hecona
slower OF movement, the reslliency went opt of his
muscles, aud his limp became permanent Yer ba
abored stoically on, never shrkng never grunting .
hint OF complaint Daylight was thnfaced and tired
lie looked tired; yet somehow, with that marveIous
mechanism OF body that was his he drove IN aVar
on, reInOrseleSsy Never was he moro a ood a.
Kama's mind than in the last DAYS OF the soutbDo3
traverse, the failing Indian watched him arar -
the FORE pressing onward with urgency of endurance
such Kama had seen nor dreamed cIrIJ
thrive in human form. ~
The time came when Kama was unahIa IN 90 IN .to
lead and break trail, and it was a proof thar he vvas
far gone when he permitted Daylight 10 foil All dav o
the heavy snowshoe work Lake by lake they rroSsaS
the string OF lakes from Marsh 10 LInderman and
began the ascent OF Chcoot. By all rights Daylght
should have camped below the last pitch of the n9s
at the dim end Of day. but he kept on and over and
down to Sheep Camp. while behind him ragged a snow
storm that would have delayed him twenty-four
hours.
This last excessive strain broke Kama connlata,v
In the morning be could not travel At Ave when
called. he sat up after severe struggle groaped ana
tt