The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-24


 the foriorn droop of her lips stayed him. Without thought of conse- euences and prompted largely by his !eaping spirits, he stopped and, before she could divine his purpose. kissed her.
 "Goodby," he laughed. with dancing eyes That's my answerr' And the nsxt second he was at the sled. The dogs leaped at his shout, and the caval- cade was in motion
 But the girl stood without sound or gesture, bareheaded under the wintry sky, a startled. wondering light in her eyes which did not fade until the men were lost to view far up the river trail. Then she breathed deeply and turned hto the house, oblivious to Constan- hne and the young squaw. who held Ee sick baby up for her inspection. The hazards of winter travel in the forth are manifold at best. but the t:ountry which Emerson and his com ranions had to traverse was particu- larly perilous' owing to the fact that their course led them over the back bone of the great Alaskan range, that desolate. skyscraping rampant which interposes itself between the hate of the arctic seas and the tossing wilder ness of the north Pacific.
 A week of hard travel found the party camped in the last fringe of cottonwood that fronted the glacial slopes, their number augmented now by a native from a Russian village with an unpronounceahle name. who. at the price of an extortionate bribe. had agreed to pilot them through. For three days they lay idle. the taut walls of their tent drumming to an inces- sant fusillade of ice particles that whirled down ahead of the blast, while Emerson fumed to be gone
 The fourth morning broke still and quiet. but after a careful scrutiny of the peaks the Indian shook his bead and spoke to Bait, who nodded in agreement.
 What's the rnatterw growled Em- erson. "Why don't we get under way?' But the other replied:
 Not today. Them tips are smok- ing. see" He indicated certain gauzy streamers that floated like vapor from the highest pinnacles. That's snow, dry snow. and it shows that the wind is blowing up there. We dassent tackle it."
 Do you mean we must lie here wait. ing for an absolutely calm day"
 Exactly
 "Why. 0 may be a weekr'
 Tt may be two of them; then. again It may be all right tomorrow"
 Nonsense. That breeze won't hurt anybody"
 Breeze" Bait laughed. "It's more like tornado up wonder. No; we've just got to take it easy till the right moment comes and then make dash. It's thirty miles to the nearest stick of timber. and once you get into the pass you can't stop till you're through The next dawn showed the mountain peaks limned like clean cut ivory against the steel blue sky, and as they was so motionless that the smoke of their pipes hung about their heads while the creak of their soles upon the dry surface of the snow reused echoes from the walls on either side At first their progress was rapid, but in time the drifts grew deeper and they came to bluffs where they were forced to notch footholds, unpack their load and relay it to the top. then free the dogs and haul the sled up with 8 rope hand over hand.
 1t was early in the afternoon when the Indian stopped aud began test ing the air.
 Feels like wind.'' said Bait. with a shake of his head. The native began to chatter excitedly, and as they stood there a chill draft famed theil cheeks. Little wisps of SHOW vapor began to dance upon the ridges, whisk ing out of sight as suddenly as they appeared. They became conscious o1 . sudden fall in the temperature and they knew that the cold of interstellaI space dwelt in that ghostly breath which smote them Before they were we'll aware of the ominous signifi canoe of these signs the storm was upon them. sweeping through the