The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-16

suggested itself of buying a share in the KIondike
town site from Harper and Joe Ladue They would
surely sell third interest cheap. Then, II the strike
came on the Stewart, he would be ell In on it with
the Elan Harnish town site; if the klondike, he
would not be quite out Of it
In the meantime he would gather strength He
stretched out on the ice full length face downward
and for half hour he lay and rested Then he
arose shook the flashing blindness from his eyes and
took hold Of the boat He knew his condition accu-
rately If the first effort failed the following efforts
were doomed to fail. He must put all his rallied
strength into the effort and so thoroughly must
he put all of il in that there would be none left for
other attempts
He lifted, and he lifted with the soul Of him as
well as with the body, consuming himself body and
spirit in the effort. The boat rose He thought he
was going to faint. but he continued TO lift He felt
the boat give, il started on its downward slide
With the last shred Of his strength he precipitated
himself into it, landing in a sick heap on Elltah's
legs. He was beyond attempting to rise and as he lay
ne heard and felt the boat take the water BY watch
IN the tree tops he knew II was whiring A smash
ing shock and flying fragments of lee told him that
had struck the bank. A dozen times it whirled and
struck. and then ii hoated, easily and free
Daylight TO and decided he had been aseen.
The sun denoted that several hours had passed 1t
was carly afternoon He dragged himself into the
stern and sat up. The boat was In the middle of the
stream. The wooded banks, with their base lines of
flashing ice, were slipping by. Near him foated
huge uprooted pine. freak of the current brought
the boat against 1t. Crawling forward he fastened
the painter TO a root The tree deeper in the water
was travelling faster. and the painter tauened as the
boat took the tow Then with last giddy look
around, wherein he the banks fitting and sway.
ing and the sun swinging in pendulum sweep across
the sky, Daylight wrapped himself in his rabbitskin
robe, lay down in the bottom and fell aseep
When he awoke it was dark night. He was lying
on his back and he could the stars shining sub
dued murmur Of swollen waters could be heard. A
sharp jerk Informed him that the boat swerving slack
into the painter had been Strengthened out by the
swlfter moving pine tree A piece of stray drift ice
thumped against the boat and grated along Its side.
Well, the following jam hadn't caught him yet was
his thought closed his eyes and slept again.
1t bright day when next he opened his eyes.
The sun showed it to be midday. glance around
the faraway banks and he knew that he 'was on
the mighty Yukon Sixty Mile could not be far away.
He was abominaby weak. His movements vyase slow.
fumbng and inaccurate accompanied bySPanting
and head swimming, be dragged hirGgef into a sit
tingup position In the stern his rifle beside him. He
looked long time at Elijah but could whether
he breathed or not and he too UNNECESSARILY far
away to make an investigation.
He fell TO dreaming and meditating again. dreams
and thoughts being often br, ken b. stretches of
Darkness, wherein h Meth slept was uncon
scious nor was aware Of anything It ieemed to him
more like cOgs slipping in bis br in And in this inter-
mttent way he eyie, ed the situau He was still
alive and most likely would b" saved but how came
ii that he was not lying deal across tin boa on top
the ice rim? Then be recoecta1 the great final effort
he had made But why had he made It? he asked
himself II had not been fear Of death. He had not
been afraid. that was sure Then he remembered the