Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-10-27

pulled out a gold sack the size OF q
bologna sausage and thumped it down
on the bar. Doc Watson thumped MS
own sack alongside.
Hold on" Daylight cried. BEETLES
right, and want in on this. I bet
five hundred that sixty days from no"
| pull up at the Tivoli door with the
Dyea mail"
A skeptical roar went up, ana uo|
en- men pulled out their sacks.
"Of course he'll make IT," kearns
whispered in BEETLES ear. And
there's five hundred Daylight's back
in sixty days" he added aloud.
Billy Rawlins closed with the wager,
and BEETLES Rugged Kearns ecstatical'
~.
"By Jupiter, ] ban take that bet,
Olaf Henderson said, dragging Day
I light away from BEETLES and kearns.
/ Winner pays!' Daylight shouted,
closing the wager. "And I'm sure go
inc to win, and sixty days IS long
time between drinks, so | pay now.
Name your brand, you hochincos!
Name your brandt"
Somebody opened the outer door. A
vague gray light filtered in.
Burning Daylight, Burning Day.
light" some one called warningly.
Daylight paused for nothing, head
ing for the door and pulling down his
ear.haps. Kama stood outside by the
sled. a long, narrow affair, sixteen
inches wide and seven and half feet
in length, its Slated bottom raised SIX
inches above the steel.shod runners.
On it, dashed with thongs OF moose
hide. were the light canvas bags that
contained the mail, and the food and
gear for dogs and men. In front OF
it, in single line, lay curled hve
frost-rmmed dogs. They were husk-
les. matched in size and color, all I'M
usually large and all gray. From thelr
cruel laws to their bushy tails they
were as like as peas in their likeness
to timber wolves. Wolves they WERE
domesticated, it was true, but wolves
! in appearance and in all their charac-
teristics. On top the sled load, thrust
under the lashings and ready Tor I'M
mediate use, were two pairs OF snow
shoes. Daylight was saying good-oy
to those who clustered around MIN.
The Virgin wanted to kiss him, and,
fuddled slightly though he was with
the whisky. he saw his way out With
out compromising with the apron
string. He kissed the Virgin, but ne
kissed the other three women with
equal Partially. He pulled on his
long mittens, reused the dogs to their
feet, and took his place at the gee
pole.
"Mush, you beauties!" he cried.
The animals threw their weights
against their breastbands on the IN
slant. crouching low to the snow and
digging in their claws. They whined
eagerly, and before the sled had gone
half a dozen lengths both Daylight
and Kama Tin the rear were running
to keep up. And so, running, man ana
dogs dipped over the bank and down
TO the frozen bed of the Yukon, and IN
the gray light were gone. On the
river, where was a packed trail anu
where snowshoes were unnecessary,
the dogs averaged six miles an hour.
To keep up with them, the two men
we're compelled to run. Daylight ana
Kama relieved each other regularly
at the gee-pole, for here was the nara
work Of steering the flying sled and
of keeping in advance OF 1t. The man
relieved dropped behind the sled, &C.
casionally leaping upon 1t and resting.
AS if through wall, Daylight mao
passed from the hum and roar Of the
Tiyoli into another world-a world OF
silence and immobilty. Nothing
stirred. The Yukon slept under 4 coat
of ice three feet thick.
The cold snap continued. Only men
os iron kept the trail at such low
temperatures, and Kama and Day
light were picked men OF their races.
But Kama knew the other was the pet
ter man. and thus, at the start, ne was
himself foredoomed to defeat. Not
that he slackened his effort or Wiling
ness by the slightest degree, but that
he was beaten by the burden he car
ried in his mind. His attitude toward
Daylight was worshipful. Stoical, tao
turn. proud OF his physical prowess,
he found all these qualities incarnateo
in his white companion.
ITO BE CONTINUED