Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-12-29
CHAPTER II.-continued.

"Of course he'll make It," Kearns
whispered in BEETLES ear. "And
there's five hundred Daylight's back
I'm sixty days." he added aloud.
Billy Rawlins closed with the wager.
and BEETLES Rugged Kearns ecstatical
ny.
by Jupiter, ban take that bet"
Olaf Henderson said, dragging Day
digit away from BEETLES and Kearns.
winner pays!" Daylight shouted.
closing the wager. "And I'm sure 60
ing to win, and sixty days is a long
time between drinks, SO pay now.
Name your brand, you hochinoos!
Name your brandt"
Somebody opened the outer door. A
vague gray light filtered In.
Burning Daylight, Burning Day
hight" some one called warningly.
Daylight paused for nothing, head
ang for the door and pulling down his
ear-faps. Kama stood outside by the
sled, a long, narrow affair, sixteen
inches wide and seven and half feet
I'm 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
1t, In a single line, lay curled five
frost-rimmed dogs. They were husk-
des. matched in size and color, all I'M
usually large and all gray. From their
cruel jaws to their bushy tails they
were as like as peas in their likeness
20 timber wolves. Wolves they were,
doInesticated, it was true, but wolves
in appearance and In all their charac-
teristics. On top the sled load, thrust
under the lashings and ready for i'm
mediate use, were two pairs of snow
shoes. Daylight was saying good-by
TO those who clustered around him.
The Virgin wanted to kiss him, and,
1uddled slightly though he was with
the whisky, he saw his way out with
out compromising with the apron
string. He kissed the Virgin, but he
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 Gin the rear) were running
to keep up. And so, running, man and
dogs dipped over the bank and down
20 the frozen bed OF. the Yukon, and In
the gray light were gone. On the
river, where was packed trail and
where snowshoes were unnecessary,
the dogs averaged six miles an hour.
To keep up with them. the two men
were compelled to run. Daylight and
Kama relieved each other regularly
at the gee-pole, for here was the hard
work of steering the flying sled and
Sof keeping in advance of it. The man
relieved dropped behind the sled, oc-
lcasionally leaping upon 1t and resting.
As II through a wall, Daylight had
passed from the hum and roar of the
ITivoli into another world-a world of
Gilence and immobility. Nothing
stirred. The Yukon slept under coat
Sof ice three feet thick.
The cold snap continued. Only men
of iron kept the trail at such low
temperatures, and Kama and Day
Hight were picked men of their races.
But Kama knew the other was the bet
ter man, and thus, at the start, he was
himself foredoomed to defeat. Not
that he slackened his effort or willing
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 incarnated
An his white companion.