Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-04-19
PAR /.
CHAPTER |.


were discussing the relative merits
of spruce tea and lime juice as RENE
dies for scurvy. They argued with an
ar of depression and with intervals
Of morose silence. The other men
scarcely needed them. In row.
against the opposite wall, were the
gambling games. The crap table was
deserted. One lone man was playing
at the faro table. The roulette was
not even spinning, and the gamekeep-
err stood by the roaring. red-hot stove
talking with a young, dark-eyed Wom-
an, comely of face and figure, who was
known from Juneau to Fort Yukon as
the Virgin. Three men sat in at stud
poker, but they played with small
chips and without enthusiasm, while
| there were no onlookers. On the floor
of the dancing room. which opened out
at the rear, three couples were waltz
ing drearily to the strains of violin
! and piano
Circle City was not deserted. nor
was money tight. The miners were IN
from Moosehead creek and the other
diggings to the west, the summer
washing had been good, and the mems
pouches were heavy with dust and mug
gets The Klondike had not yet been
discovered nor had the miners OF the
Yukon learned the possibilities of deep
! digging and wood firing. No work was
done in the winter and they made
practice of alternating in the large
camps like Circle City during the long
! Arctic night Time was heavy on their
hands. their pouches were we'll filled
and the only social diversion to be
| found was in the saloons. Yet the II
voii was practically deserted, and the
| Virgin. standing by the stove, yaWned
with uncovered mouth and said to
! Charley Bates:
IF something don't happen soon, I'm
| gcin' to bed What's the matter with
/ the camp, anyway? Everybody dead"
| Bates did not ever trouble to reply.
out went on moodily rolling ciga-
j rette. Dan Macdonald. pioneer sa-
! loonman and gambler on the upper
/ Yukon, owner and proprietor OF the
| Tivoli and all it's games, wandered tor
! lornly across the great vacant space OF
! floor and joined the two at the stove
"Anybody dead?" the Virgin asked
| him.
Looks like it, was the answer.
Then it must be the whole camp,
she said with an air Of fnality and
with another yawn
Macdonald grinned and nodded, and
opened his mouth to speak, when the
front door swung open and man ap
peared In the light. lie would have
appeared a large man had not huge
French Canadian stepped up to him
from the bar and gripped his hand.
Hello, Daylight" was his greeting
BY Gar, you good for sore eyes,!
Hello, Louis, when did you-all bio"
in?" returned the newcomer. Come
IN and have a drink and tell us all
about Bone creek. Why, dog-gone
you-all. shake again. Where's that
pardner of yours? I'm looking fol
him.
Another huge man detached himself
from the bar to shake hands Olaf
Henderson and French Louis. partners
together on Bone creek. were the two
largest men in the country. and though
they were but half a head taller than
the newcomer, between them he was
dwarfed completely
Hello, Olaf" said the one called
DAYLIGHT. "TomorrOw' my birthday
And you, too, Louis. Come up anc
drink, and I'll tell you-ali about it.
The arrival of the newcomer seemed
to send a flood of warmth through me
rlace. ITS Burning Daylight" tie
Virgin cried, the first to recognize
him as he came into the light Charley
Bates tight features relaxed at the
sight. and Macdonald went over anf
Joined the three at the bar. With the
advent of Burning Daylight the whole
place suddenly became brighter an(
cheerier. The barkeepers were active
Voices were raised. SOmebod!
laughed, And when the fiddler. peer
ing into the front room, remarked K
the pianist: IT'S Burning Daylight,
the waltz time perceptibly quickened
and the dancers, catching the conta
gion began to whirl about as if the!
really enjoyed it. 1t was known tt
them of old-time that nothing Ian
guished when Burning Daylight was
around.
He turned from the bar and saw thu
woman by the stove and the cage
look of welcome she extended him.
Hello. Virgin, cid girl" he called
Hello, Charley What's the matte
with you-all? Why wear faces lik'
that when collins only cost three
ounces? Come up. you-all. and drink
Come up, you unburied dead, an na1n
your poison. Come up, everybody
This is my night. and I'm going t.
ride it. Tomorrow Pm thirty, AM
| then I'll be an Old man. It's the las
. ling of youth. Are youa!l with me
} | urge along then. Surge along.