Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-28
Big Shows
AwGh0r of 1.-The
Danger 1Trail''

Ledoq no man ever guessed or knew,
for it was not until the late spring
SHOWS had gone that the people at Lac
Balm found what the foxes and the
wolves had left Of him far to the south.
Fearlessiy Jan plunged into the white
world of the lake. There was neither
rock nor tree to guide him. for every
where was the heavy ghost raiment OF
the Indian god. Day came, only 1T
tie lighter than the night He crossed
the lake, his snowshoes sinking ankle
deep at every step, and once each half
hour he fred a single shot from his
rife. He heard shots to the south and
knew that 1t was Ledoq, each report
coming TO him more family than the
last until they had died away entirely.
Across the lake he struck the forest
again, and his shouts echoed in futile
inquiry In It's weird depths. At noon
Jan stopped and ate bis lunch; then he
went on, carrying his ride always upon
his right shoulder, 50 that the steps OF
his right leg would be shortened and he
would travel In a circle, as he believed
Dixon had done.
The storm thickeaed with the falling
ot night, and he burrowed himself q
great hole in the soft snow and filled
it with balsam boughs for a bed.
When he awakened, hours later, he
stood up and thrust out his head and
found himself buried to the armpits.
With the aid Of his broad snowshees
he drew himself out until he stood
knee deep in the surface.
He lifted his pack. As he swung II
before him, one arm thrust through q
strap, he gave a startled cry. Half OF
one side Of the pack was eaten away
A thin trickle of flour ran through his
fingers upon the snow. He pulled out
a gnawed pound Of bacon, a little tea
and that was all.
Frantically he ripped the rent wider
in his search, and when he stood up his
wild face staring into the chaos about
him, he held only the bit of bacon II
his hand. In it were the imprints Of
tiny teeth-sharp little razor edged
teeth that told him what had happen
ed. While he had slept a mink hat
robbed him of his food
With one Of his shoes he began dig
ging furiously in the snow He tor,
his balsam bed to pieces. Somewher,
somewhere not very far away-th,
little animal must have cached IT
theft. He dug down until he came 4
the frozen earth. For an hour b.
worked aud found nothing.
Then he stopped. Over a small fir
he melted snow for tea and broiled
slice of the bacon, which he ate wit
the few biscuit crumbs he found Il
the pack. Every particle of -four tina
he could find he scraped up with hi
pockets of his caribou coat. After tina
he set out in the direction In which b
thought he would find Lac Balm.
Still he shouted for Dixon and fire
an occasional shot from his rife. B
noon he should have struck the LAKE
Noon came and passed: the gloom G
! second night fell upon him. Fl
! built himself a fire and ate two-third
of what remained of the bacon. TIL
handful of -four In his pocket he di
, not disturb.
1t was still night when he broke h
, rest and struggled on. His first fear
were gone. In place of them thel
: filed him now a grim sort of pleasur
t A second time he was battling wit
death for Melissa. And this. after al
. was not very hard fight for hin
4 When he ate the last bit of his baco
! he made up his mind what he woul
( do when the end came. In the stoC
: Of his rifle he would scratch a fe
last words to Melissa. He even a
e ranged the words in his brain-four
3 them-"Melisse, love you" He r
peated them to himself as he stagge
e ed on, and that night beside the fl
D he built he began by carving her nam
: Tomorrow" he said softly, II W
: do the rest"
n He was growing very hungry, but
/, did not touch the -four For six hou
o he slept and then drank his fill of b
Z tea.
{ I'VE will travel until day, JansTh
n reau," he informed himself, land the
= II nothing turns up we will build o.
t last camp and eat the -four. 1t will
the last OF US, for there will be !
meat above this snow for days"
!. His snowshoes were an impedime
!. now. and he left them behind alol
!, with one OF his two blankets, viii,
d had grown to be like lead upon I
II shoulders. He counted his cartridg
It ten OF them. One of these he FIR
!! into the air.
Was that an echo he heard?
g A sudden thrill shot through hil
d He strained his ears TO catch a repe
J. ton OF the sound In a moment
n came sgain-cleariy no echo this tin
4 The shot came from just oyer (
mountain