Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-12

inquiry In us we1rQ 0eplnS. Al uOOu
Jan stopped and ate his lunch; then he
went on, carrying his rifle always upon
his right shoulder, so 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 thickened with the falling
OF night, and he burrowed himself a
great hole in the soft snow and filed
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 snowshoes
he drew himself out until he stood
knee deep In the surface.
He lifted his pack. AS he swung 1t
before him, one arm thrust through
strap he gave a startled cry. Half OF
| one side Of the pack was eaten away!
A thin trickle Of -four ran through his
fingers upon the snow. He pulled out
a gnawed pound of bacon, little tea
and that was all.
Frautically 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 in
his hand. In 1t were the imprints Of
tiny teeth-sharp little razor edged
teeth that told him what had happen
ed. While he had slept a mink had
robbed him of his food!
With one Of his shoes be began dig
ging furiously In the snow. He tore
his balsam bed to pieces. Somewhere
somewhere not very far away-the
little animal must have cached its
theft. He dug down until he came to
the frozen earth. For an hour he
worked and found nothing.
Then he stopped. Over a small fire
he melted snow for tea and broiled a
the few biscuit crumbs he found in
/ the pack. Every particle Of -four that
he could find he scraped up with his
knife and put into one Of the deep
| pockets Of his caribou coat. After that
he set out I'm the direction in which he
thought he would find Lac Balm.
Still he shouted for Dixon and fred
an occasional shot from his rifle. By
noon he should have struck the lake.
Noon came and passed; the gloom Of
a second night fell upon him. He
| built himself fire and ate o-thirds
Of what remained of the bacon. The
handful Of -four In his pocket he did
not disturb.
1t was still night when he broke his
| rest and struggled on. His first fears
were gone. In place of them there
| filed him now grim sort of pleasure.
! A second time he was battling with
! death for Melissa. And this. after all,
was not very hard fight for him.
| When he ate the last bit of his bacon
| he made up his mind what he would
do when the end came. In the stock
of his rife he would scratch a few
| last words to Melissa. He even ar
ranged the words in his brain-four Of
| -"Melisse. love you" He re-
peatei them to himself as he stagger
| ed on. and that night beside the, fire
| he built he began by carving her name.
Tomorrow" he said softly. Il will
| do the rest"
He WAS growing very hungry. but he
did not touch the -four. For six hours
he slept and then drank his Oil Of hot
tea.
I'VE will travel until day. Jan Tho,
reau," he informed himself. and then.
If nothing turns mp. we will build our
| last camp md eat the -four, 1t will be
| the last Of MS. for there will be no
ment above this snow for lays"
His snowshoes wee an impeachment
now, and he left them behind along
| with one Of his two blankets. which
had grown to be like lead upon his
shoulders. He counted his cartridges
ten Of them. One of these he fired
| into the air.
Was that m echo he heard?
l. A sudden thrill shot through him.
He strained his ears to catch reDeti-
ton of the sound. In moment II
| came again-clearly no echo this time.
The shot came from just over the
| mountain.