The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-10-26

meat II tsa ofxsoxk let's ~eTx sssu
eeanT rns1e. thcwwa TIE eds roe ess
hy bes. axsinss Us ssccsss ncws =
Der heart the yfrwsn believed he -
failed. yex she made D De- Ct t~s7u
ounces With CA2sssy RzsSs- against
forty osneex. thai Daylight wos4 A.
rive before msasixht
she ti Vas Who beard The nrxs ysaps
os the aogx
~IIssent- she cried ITS Day
light
There was d general stampede fcr
the door: but when the double stcrna-
doors were thrown vide open. the
crowd fell back. They heard the eager
whining Ct dogs. the snap O. DOG
whip and the Voice Of Daylight crying
announcement a. the weary animals
capped NIL they had done By dragging
the sled In over the wooden coor.
They came In with . rash. and With
them rushed In the frost. o visible
vapor OF smoking white. through
which their heads and backs showed.
% they strained In the harness, I'll
they had all the seeming Of swimming
in q river. Behind them. II the gee
pole. came Daylight. hidden to the
knees By the swiriing frost through
which he appeared TO wade. He was
the same old Daylight. w.thal lean
and tired-locking. and his black syes
were sparkling and flashing brighter
than ever. His parka Of cotton drill
hooded him like q monk. and fell In
straight lines to hts knees. Grimed
and scorched by campSmoke and IRE.
the garment In itself told the story OF
his trip. A two-months' beard COW
cred his face: and the beard. Tn turn,
was matted with the ice OF his breath.
ing through the long seventy-mile
run.
He experienced a thrill Of surprise
as the roar Of welcome went up and
as every familiar detail o. the Tivon
greeted his vision-the long bar and
the array of bottles. the gambling
games, the big stove, the weigher at
the gold-scales, the musicians, the
men and women, the Virgin, Celia,
and Nellie, Dan Macdonald, BEETLES,
Billy Rawlins, Olaf Henderson. Doc
Watson-all of them. 1t was just as
he had left it, and In all seeming
1t might we'll be the very day he had
left The sixty days of incessant trav-
Ell through the white wilderness sud
denly teIescoped. and had no exis-
tence In time. They were moment,
al incident He had plunged out and
into them through the wall of silence.
and back through the wall of silence
he had plunged, apparently the next
instant, and into the roar and tur-
moil Of the Tfvoli.
He drew a deep breath and cried:
THE winner pays, and I'm the win
ner, amt I? Surge up, you-all Male
mutes and Siwashes, and name your
poison! There's your Dyea mail,
straight from Salt Water, and no horn
swogglin about it! Cast the lashings
adrift, you-all, and wade into it,"
A dozen pairs of hands were at the
sled-lashings, when the young lie
Barge Indian, bending at the same
task. suddenly and Imply straight
ened up. In his eyes was great sur
prise. He stared about him wildly,
for the thing he was undergoing was
new to him. He was profoundly
struck by an unguessed limitation. He
shook as with palsy, and he gave at
the knees, slowly sinking down to fall
suddenly across the sled and to know
the smashing blow of darkness across
his consciousness.
Exhaustion" said Daylight. Take
him off and put him to bed, some OF
you-all. He's sure good Indian.
A few minutes later, Daylight was
whirling around the dance-foor, waltz
| ing with the Virgin. And small won
der it was that the Virgin yielded her
self to his arms, as they danced dance
after dance, and sick at heart at the
knowledge that he found nothing Id
her more than a good friend and an
excellent dancer Small consolation
it was to know that he never loved
any woman She was sick with love OF
him, and he danced with her as he
would dance with any woman, as ne
would dance with a man who was
good dancer and upon whose arm was
|
him into a woman.
At one In the morning he saw Elijah
Davis herding Henry Finn and Joe
Hines, the lumber-5ack, toward the
door. Daylight interfered.
where are you-al going?" he de-
manded, attempting to draw them to
the bar.
Bed" Elijah Davis answered.
"Got to-" Joe Hines added apollo
Retically. Were mushing out In the
mornin'."
Daylight still detained them.
Where to? What's the excite
ment?"
mo excitement" Elijah explained
We're just a-goin' to play your
bunch, an tackle the Upper Country
Don't you want to come along?"
81 sure do" Daylight affirmed.
| But the question had been put IN
e. ond Elijah ion0rod the accaDt.