The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-02-17

pulled out n COLE sack the size Of q
bologna sausage and thumped Il down
ON the bar. Doc Watson thumped his
own sack alongside.
Hold on!" Daylight cried. Bottles
right. and I want IN on this. 81 bet
I've hundred ;hat sixty days from now
I pull up NJ the Tivoli door with the
Dyea mail"
A sksptical roar went up. and doz.
en- men pulled out their sacks.
"Of course hell make IT," Kearns
whispered In Be:t.es' ear. "An1
there's Ave hundred Dayl.sht's back
In sixty days" be added aloud.
Biliy Rawllns closed with the wager.
and Bettlos hugSed kearns ecstat!cal.
~.
'By yuY.ter. l ban take that bet"
Olaf Henderson said, dragging Day
Hight away from BEETLES and Kearns.
Winner pays!" Daylight she ted.
closing the wager. And I'm sure go
ing 10 Win. a1d sixty days is long
time between drinks. so I pay now.
Name your branc you hochinoos!
Name your brsnd!"
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-naps. Kama stood outside by tho
sled. a long. narrow affair. sixteen
inches wide and seven and half feet
In length. it's SLATED bottom raised six
inches above the steel-shod runners.
On IL. lashed 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
IL. In . single line. lay curled fve
frost-rimmed dogs. They were husk-
les. matched In sise and color, all un-
usually large and al gray. From their
cruel Jaws 70 their bushy tails they
~ere % liks 90 psAs In thelr rkenesS
20 timber wolves. Wolves they were,
domessicated. II was true. but wolves
IN appearance and In all their charao-
teristics. On top the sled load, thrust
under the lashinGs and ready for I'm
mediate ues. were two pairs Of snow
shoes. Daylight Was saying good-by
TO those vho clustered around him.
The Virgin wanted to kiss him. and,
fuddls< slightly though he was with
the whisky. hs cav his way out with
out compromising with the apron
string. He ksssd the Virgin. but hs
hisse1 the other three women with
equal partiaifty. He pulled on his
long nittsns, soussd the dogs to their
feet. end took his place at the gee
pole.
Mush. you bsautiss!" he cried.
The animAlsl threw their weights
against their brsasthands on the In
stant erouehing low to The snow and
1igging IN their claws. They whinsd
eagerly. aad before the slsd had gone
half q doesn lengths both Daylight
and Kama Tim the rsar) were running
70 keep up. And 90. running. man and
dogs dipped over the bank and down
60 the ffossa bed Of the Yukon. and In
the srsy hight we're gone. On the
river. where va . packed trail and
where snovshC>s we're unnecessary.
the dogs average six miles IN hour.
To sssp up with them. the two men
vsre compelled to run. Daylight and
Kama rslSsved each other regularly
a. the gsspols. for here was the hard
work Of steering the nying alsd and
OF keeping In advance OF II. The man
relieved cropped behind the alsd. 90
casionaiiy lsapins upon II and resting.
A n through . wall. Daylight had
paused from the hum and roar OF the
rivon into another worid-a world Of
silence and immobuity. Nothing
seirrsd- The Yukon slept under coat
of Ice three fsst thick.
The cold snap continued. Only men
OF iron kept the trail at such low
temperatures. and Kama and Day.
light we're picked men Of their races.
But Kama knsw ths other was the bet
tor man. and thus. ut the start, he vas
himself foredoomsd 70 defeat. Not
that he slackensd his effort or Wiling.
ness BY the slightest degrees. but that
hs wee beaten by the burden he oar
red In his mind His attitude toward
Daylight was worshipful. Stoical. tao
turn. proud OF his physical prowess.
hs found sil these qualities ineArnatsd
IN his white COMPANION.