The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-11-10
PART |.
CHAPTER I.

~ uiSCuSSluS Lue T6ldllse IlSIil6
spruce tea and lime juice as rene
S for scurvy. They argued with an
of depression and with intervals
morose silence. The other men
freely needed them. In a row
ainst the opposite wall. were the
milling games. The crap table was
Serted One lone nan was playing
h faro table. The roulette was
ever spinning. and the gamekeep-
stood by the roaring. red-hot stove.
King with a young. dark-eyed wom-
= conely Of face and figure, who was
loiwn from Juneau to Fort Yukon as
II Virgin. Three men sat in at t
!, Skter. but they played with small
ps n without enthusiasm. while
are were no onlookers. On the floor
b dancing room. which opened out
the rear, three couples were waltz
s.s 1rearily to the strains Of a violin
d ia piano
Circle City was not deserted, nor
: as money tight. The miners were in
s O m Moosehead creek and the other
! g gings to the west. the summer
aishing had been good. and the mems
'plches were heavy with dust and mug
It's. The Klondike had not yet been
Recovered. nor had the miners of the
III kon learned the possibilities of deep
:fsging and wood firing. Nc work was
olne in the winter. and they made a
ractice of alternating In the large
Amps like Circle City during the long
rctic night. Time was heavy on their
S.ands, their pouches were we'll filled
- II th1 ~-yy -~1ial Iiy~~oD to hn
und was in the saloons. Yet the tt
,li was practically deserted, and the
y rgin. standing by the stove. yawned
til uncovered mouth n said to
harley Bates:
~ "If something don't happen soon, I'm
bin to bed. What's the matter with
Ie camp. anyway? Everybody dead?'
q Bates did not even trouble to reply.
t e on modify rolling a ciga-
~ tie. Dan Macdonald. pioneer sa-
,onman and gambler on the upper
ukon. owner and proprietor of the
ivoli and all its games. wandered tor
,rnly across the great vacant space of
DOR and Joined the two at the stove,
Anybody dead?" the Virgin asked
i'm.
: Looks like It," was the answer.
Then it must be the whole camp"
4 ne said with an air of fnality and
with another yawn.
81 Macdonald grinned and nodded. and
opened his mouth to speak. when the
n door swung open n a man ap-
Soeared in the light. He would have
appeared a large man had not a huge
- Hroroh odior ctnnrna n IN him
from the bar and gripped his hand.
Hello. Daylight" was his greeting.
by Gar. o good for sore eyes!"
, Hello. Louis. when did you-all blow
In" returned the newcomer. Come
up and have a drink and tell is all
about Bone creek. Why, doggone
you-all. shake again. Where's that
pardner of yours? I'm looking for
|, him"
Another huge man detached himself
! from the bar to shake hands. Olaf
Henderson and French Louis. partners
i together on Bone creek. were the two
largest men in the country. and though
they were but half a head taller than
dwarfed completely.
Hello. Olaf" said the one called
q Daylight "Tomorrow's my birthday.
And you. too. Louis. Come up and
drink. and I'll tell you-all about it"
The arrival of the newcomer seemed
20 send a food of warmth through the
place. TITS Burning Daylight" the
Virgin cried. the first to recognize
him as he came into the light. Charley
Bates tight features relaxed at the
sight, and Macdonald wen over and
Joined the three at the bar. With the
advent of Burning Daylight the whole
place suddenly became brighter and
cheerier. The ~barkeepers were active
Voices were raised. Somebody
laughed. And when the fiddler. peer
ing into the front room. remarked to
the pianist: TITS Burning Daylight
the waltz time p%erceptibly quickened
and the dancers. catching the conta
gion. began to whirl about as II they
really enjoyed it 1t was known tc
them of old-time that nothing Ian
guished when Burning Daylight was
around.
He turned from the bar and saw the
woman by the stove and the eager
look of welcome she extended him.
Hello. Virgin, old girl" he called
; '@Hello. Charley. What's the matter
with you-all? Why wear faces like
. hat when collins only cost three
3 ounces? Come up. you-all. and drink
Come up. you unburied dead. an name
our poison. Come up. everybody
This Is my night. and I'm going tc
ride It Tomorrow I'm thirty, ant
then I'll be an old man. It's the las,
A~Hing of youth. Are you,all with me;
Surge along. then Surge along"
The waltz In the back room being
finished. the three couples. followed
by the fiddler and the pianist ant
heading for the bar. caught Daylight
eye.
Surge along. you-all!" he cried
Surge along and name 1t. This is mi
night and it amt q night that come
frequent Surge up. you S;washes ant
Saimon-eaters. It's my night. l tel
you-alE".
- blamed NANCY night" Charlie,
Bates interpolated.
YOU'RE right. my son. burning Day
neht went on. gayly. "A NANCY night
- III M niEAk you -. I'm III