The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-04

yond strengths seeming, gave far more than he re.
ccived he gave not something due but in royal argess
MS gifts of toll or heroic effort falling generously
from his hands To pack for days over the gale swept
passes or across the mosquito ridden marshes and
to pack double the weight his comrade packed did
not involve unfarness or compuIsion. Each did his
best That was the business essence OF It Some
men were stronger than Others tne; but so long as
each man did his best It was fair exchange the bus-
ness spirit observed, and the square deal OBJ
tanned
But with women-no. Women gave little and wanted
all. Women had apron strings and were prone to tie
them about any who looked twice In their direc-
ton. There was the Virgin yawnIng her head Of
when he came in and nightly pleased that he asked
her to dance. One dance was all very well but be-
cause be danced twice and thrice with her and sew
eral times more she squeezed his arm when they
asked him to sit IN at poker It was the obnoxious
apron string the first Of the many compulsions she
would exert upon him If he gave in Not that she
was not nice bit Of woL1pr healthy and strapping
and good to look upon, also a very excellent dancer
but that she was a woman with all womans desire
to rope him with her apron strings and tie him hand
and foot for the branding Better poker Besides he
liked poker as well he did dancing
He resisted the pull on his arm by the mere mega
tive mass Of him. and said
sort OF feel a hankering to give you-an a autter"
Again came the pull on his arm. She was trying
10 pass the apron string around him For the frac-
uon OF an instant he was savage dominated by the
wave OF fear and murder that rose up in him. For
that nhnitesimal space Of time he was to all Dur
poses frightened tiger filed with rage and terror
at the apprehension Of the trap. Fad he been no
more than savage he would have lesped wildly
from the place or else sprung upon her and de-
sUoyed her But in that same instant there stirred
IN him the generations OF discipline by which man
mas become an inadequate social animal Tact and
sympathy strove with him, and he smiled with his
eyes into the Virgins eyes as he said
4ou-aH 90 and get some grub. I amt hungry.
AND wei dance some more by and by The nights
young yet. Go to It, old girl"
He released his and thrust her playfuliy on the
shoulder at the same time turning to the poker play
ers.
Take of the limit and III go you-aII"
Limits the roof" said Jack Kearns.
Take of the roof"
1he players glanced at one another and Kearns an
nounced, The roofs OF"
Elan Harnish dropped into the waiting chair
started to pull out his gold sack and changed his mind
Inc Virgin pouted a moment then followed In the
wake Of the other dancers.
III bring you sandwich. Daylight" she called
back over her shoulder
be nodded She was smiling her forgiveness. he
had escaped the apron string and without hurting her
feelings too severely.
Let's play markers" he suggested. "ChIps do
eVerlastngy clutter up the table If it's agreeable 70
you-aH"
m willing" answered Hal Campbell Let mine
run at five hundred"
Nine too" answered Harnish while the others
stated the values they put on their own markers
french Louis, the most modest issuing his at han
dred dollars each
IN Alaska at that time there were no rasca1s md
no tinhorn gamblers. Games were conducted hon
esty and men trusted one another. mans word
was as good as bis gold in the blower. marker
was nat, oblong composition chip, worth perhaps
4 cent But when man bet a marker in a game
and said 1t was worth five hundred dollars It was
accepted as worth FIVE hundred dollars. Whoever
Won 1t knew that the man who issued it would re-
deem it with five hundred dollars worth of dust
weighed out on the scales. The markers being Of
different colors, there no difficulty in identifying
the owners. Also In that early Yukon dav. no one
dreamed OF playing table stakes A man was good
for ali that he possessed no matter where his posses
sions were or what was their nature
Harnish cut and got the deal At this cood ano7,-v
and while shutting the deck he called to the barkeeD
ers to set up the drinks for the house As he dealt the
first card TO Dan Macdonald, on his left he called
OUT
Get down to the ground you-aH Malemutes. huskies
and siwash purps Get down and dig inl Tighten m
them traces! Put your weight into the harness and
bust the breastbands! Whoopla! Yowl We're or
and bound for Helen Breakfast, And I tell you-au
clear and plain there's goin to be stiff grades and
fast gon' tonight before we win to that same lady
And somebody's going to bump - hard"
Go be Continued)
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