Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-27

Thoreau's violin
Cummins saw the surrounding cor
don become thinner as man crushed
closer to man. and he saw strained
faces turned from the player TO where
the dogs sat full throated upon their
launches, with their heads pointed
straight to the stars in the sky.
For the love of heaven, play no
more Of THAR he cried in the boys
ear. PLAY something fast"
Jan lifted his head as If from |
dream. In an instant he perceived the
strange effect of his music. and his |
bow raced across the strings OF his |
violin in a rhythm swift and buoyant,
his voice rising shrill and clear in |
words familiar to them all:
'Oh. re cariboo-oo-oo. re carihoo-oo-oo. |
He roas' on high,
Jes under re sky.
Re beeg white cariboo-oo-oo!
"Oh. Re cariboo- oo-oo ze cariboo-oo-oo.
He brown an tuic' an sweet!
Re caTiboo-oo-oo he YER polite
He roas' on high.
Jes' under re sky,
He ready now to come an eatt'
With yells that rose above the last
words of the song Mukee and his Crees
tuGged at their poles. and the roasted
caribou fell upon the snow. Jan drew
back and. with his violin Rugged IN
der one arm. watched the wild jewellers
as. with barred knives flashing in the
freight, they crowded to the feast
Williams. the factor, Joined him.
Looks like a fight. doesn't it Jan?
Once | saw a fight at a carbon roast"
so did l." said Jan. who had not
taken his eyes from the jostling crowd
ut was far TO the west and NORTH"
continued Williams, beyond the Great
Slave country"
Far beyond" said Jan. lifting his
eyes quietly. 1T was YER near TO re
Great Bear For who you fight at re
Great Bear?"
The factor was silent and the mus
| Giles of his arms grew like steel as he
saw the madness in JAMS face Sud
! denly he reached ont and gripped the
boys wrists Jan made no effort TO
evade the clutch.
For who You tiGht?' he cried again.
| For who yon fight at re Great Bear"
/ 1--WE tried TO kill man. but he got
| away" said Williams. speaking so low
that only Jan heard. He was The
factor stopped.
lie missioner painted Jan.
The wild light went ont of his eyes
as he stared up at Williams. and the
softer glow which came into them
lOosened at once the factors grip on
the boys wrists.
Yes. the missioner"
Jan drew back. He evaded meeting
the eyes of Cummins as he made his
way among the men. There was a
new burst of song as Mukee and his
1 Crees pulled down a second caribou.
but the boy paid no attention to the
fresh excitement. He thrust his knife
into its sheath and ran-ran swiftly
through the packs OF dogs fighting and
snarling over the scraps that had been
thrown TO them, past Maballa. who
was watching the savage banquet
around the big FIRE. and into the little
cabin to Melissa.
Here he iung himself upon his knees.
and for the first time he caught the
baby IN his arms. holding her close to
him and rocking her to and fro as he
cried out sObbingly the words which
she did not understand.
An when 1 fin heem an kill heem
will come back to you, my angel
Melissa" he whispered And then
you will luf Jan Thoreau for letting
-.
He put her back into the little bed
kissed her again and turned to the
door
For few moments Jan stood with
his back to Melissa and his eyes upor
the carnival about a great fire. AS ht
looked the third carbon was pulled
down from its spit. and the multitude
OF dogs rushed in upon the abandoned
csrcssses OF the other two.
He caught his breath quickly as 6
loud shout and the wailing yelp of &
hurt dog rose for an instant above al
other sounds. Only one thing wal
wanting to complete another pictur'
in bis braiR-a scene which had burned
Itself into his life forever and which
be strove to nght back as he stooC
staring from the doorway. He hal
expected 1t TO come-the shrill scream
OF boyish voice, an instant's suIle
quiet, then the low throated thunder o
, impending vengeance-and the fight
With marvellous quickuess his excit
ed mind reconstructed the scene be
= fore him into the scene that had been
: He heard the scream again. which hat
been bis voice. saw as If in a dream
the frenzied rush OF men and the fiasl
: OF knives. and then from where he lay
: trampled and bleeding In the snow. tn
] long. lean team of swift huskies tina
? had carried 10 mad flight the on
; whose life those knives sought
Williams bad been there: be IN
seen the hSht-his knife mad fashe