The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-12-14
PART |.
CHAPTER t..

1t was a quiet night in the TivOh
At the bar. which ranged along one
side OF the large chinked-log room
leaned hall a dozen men. two of whom
were discussing the relative merits
OF spruce tea and lime juice as rene
dies for scurvy. They argued with an
air OF depression and with intervals
of moose silence The other men
scarcely needed them In a row,
against the opposite wall were the
gamoiing games. The crap table was
deserted One lone man was playing
at the faro table. The roulette was
not even spinning, and the gamekeep-
er stood by the roaring, red-hot stove,
talking with a young, dark-eyed WON
an, comely OF face and figure, who was
known from Juneau to Fort Yukon as
the Virgin. Three men sat in at stud
poker but they played with small
chips and without enthusiasm, while
there We're no OnIOOkers On the floor
of the dancing room, which opened out
at the rear three couples were waltz
Ing drearily to the strains of violin
and a piano
Circle City was not deserted. nor
was money tight. The miners were in
from Moosehead creek and the other
diggings to the west the summer
washing had been good, and the mems
pouches were heavy with dust and mug
gets. The Klondke had not yet been
discovered, nor had the miners Of the
Yukon learned the possibilities of deep
digging and woOdfiring No work was
done in the winter, and they made
practice Of alternating in the large
camps like Circle City during the long
Arctic night. Time was heavy on their
hands, their pouches We're well filled
and the only social diversion TO be
found was in the saloons. Yet the Ii
wolf was practically deserted. and the
Virgin. standing by the stove, yawned
with uncovered mouth and said to
Charley Bates
"f something don't happen soon, I'm
goin' TO bed What's the matter with
the camp, anyway? Everybody dead?
Bates did not even trouble to reply,
but went on moodily rolling a ciga-
rette Dan Macdonald. pioneer sa-
loonman and gambler on the upper
Yukon, owner and proprietor of the
Tivoli and all its games wandered tor
lCrnly across the great vacant space OF
floor and Joined the two at the stove
"Anybody dead?" the Virgin asked
him.
Looks like it," was the answer.
Then it must be the whole camp
she said with an air OF hnahiy ana
with another ya"n.
Macdonald grinned and nodded, and
opened MS NOUN TO speak Wheh 'he
iIon' uool SWUNG ope" anu d man ap
peaFed IN lhe lIghI ne "ouIu n"'e
appeal Gu la Se man Hau "O' nus
FTeucI' dHauldh slePpeu up 70 nm
from me oar ana gFIPpeo MS hahu'
memo DaS ''Shl. Was MS sIeeti"s
10y Nar' you soou 'oI sore eyes
Hello. LOUIS, when dId you-aIl oIo"
In? returned the newcomer come
up and have drink and tell US al
ABOUT Bone creek why doSsohe
you-aH shake again. Where's that
pardner OF yours? I'm looking tol
MIN,
Another huge man detached himself
from the bar to shake hands. Oiai
henderson and French Louis, partners
together on Bone creek, We're the two
largest men in the country and though
they were but half a head taller than
the newcomer, between them ne was
dwarfed completely
Hello, Olaf" said the one called
Daylight "Tomorrow's my birthday
And you, too. Louis. Come up and
drink, and III tell you-an about it."
The arrival NJ the newcomer seemed
- send Aood of warn-+ through the
uIooo "1t's Farming DAYLIGHT" the
viroin c-iad the first to recognize
biro &C no came into the light Charley
pa+os, tiqbt foatu-es RELAXED at the
stoht and NacDoraId went over and
ta;nad tho tbroo Of tho bar With the
aaror+ of Purning DAYLIGHT the whole
nIoco suddenly became brighter and