Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-09-05

"she's Comm, Fellows, Gold From
the Grass Roots Down, Hundred
Dollars to the Pam"
from the grass roots down, q hun.
dred dollars to the pan, and STAN
pede In from the Outside fifty thou
sand strong"
IF was you, Daylight, wouldn't
mush today" Joe Hines counseled,
Pcoming in from consulting the spirit
| thermometer outside the door. Were
in for good cold snap. It's siXty-two
below now, and still goin' down. Bet
ter wait till she breaks"
Daylight laughed, and the old sour
doughs around him laughed.
IT'S thousand miles to Dyea," Bet
ties announced, climbing on the chair
and supporting his swaying body by
an arm passed around Daylights neck.
LISA thousand miles, I'm saying, an
most of the train unbroke, but | bet
any chechaquo-anything he wants
that Daylight makes Dyea in thirty
days"
That's an average of over thirty
| three miles a day" Doc Watson
warned, "and I've travelled some my
self. A blizzard on Chilcoot would
tie him up for week."
yep" BEETLES retorted, "an' Day
light'll do the second thousand back
again on end in thirty days more, and
got FIVE thousand dollars that says
so. and damn the billiards..
t. emphasis ~ remarks. he
I pulled out a gold sack the size Of
bologna sausage and thumped 1t down
on the bar. DoceWatson thumped his
own sack alongside.
Hold oni" Daylight cried. BEETLES
right, and | want in on this. 81 bet
FIVE hundred that sixty days from now
I pull up at the Tivoll dooy with the
Dyea mail"
A skeptical roar went up. and doz-
en- men pulled out their sacks.
"Of. course he'll make It," Kearns
whispered in BEETLES ear. "And
there's FIVE hundred Dayllght's back
in sixty days." he added aloud.
Billy Rawlins closed with the wager,
and BEETLES Rugged Kearns ecstatical.
ly.
by Jupiter ban take that bet"
Olaf Henderson said, dragging Day
light away from BEETLES and Kearns.
Winner pays!" Daylight shouted,
closing the wager. "And I'm sure go
ing to win, and sixty days is a long
time between drinks, so | pay now.
Name your brand, you hochinoos!
Name your brandt"
Somebody opened the outer door. A
vague gray light filtered in.
Burning Daylight, Burning Day.
light" some one called warnlngly.
Daylight paused for nothing, head
ing for the door and pulling down his
ear.haps. Kama stood outside by the
sled, long, narrow affair, sixteen
inches wide and seven and half feet
in length, its Slated bottom raised six
inches above the steel-shod runners.
On II, dashed 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
It, in single line, lay curled five
frostrimmed dogs. They were husk-
les, matched In size and color, all I'M
usually large and all gray. From their
/ cruel Jaws to their bushy tails they
were as like as peas In their likeness
to timber wolves. Wolves they were,
domesticated, 1t was true, but wolves
In appearance and in all their charac-
teristics. On top the sled load, thrust
under the lashings and ready for Inn
mediate use, were two pairs Of snow
shoes. Daylight was saying good-by
to those who clustered around him.
The Virgin wanted to kiss him, and,
fuddled slightly though he was with
the whisky, he saw his way out with.
out compromising with the apron
string. lie kissed the Virgin, but he
kissed the other three women with
equal Partially. He pulled on his
long mittens, reused the dogs to their
feet, and took his place at the gee
pole
"NIush, you beautiesl" he cried.
The animals threw their weights
against their breastbands on the In
slant, crouchlng low TO the snow and
digging in their claws. They whined
eagerly, and before the sled had gone
half dozen lengths both Daylight
and Kama Tin the rear were rnnnlng
TO keep up. And so, running, man and
dogs dipped over the bank and down
to the frozen bed of the Yukon. and in
the gray light were gone. On the
river whore was packed trail and
where snoTshoes were unnecessary
the dogs averaged six miles an hour
To keep UP with them, the two men
we're compelled TO run. Daylight and
Kama relieved each other regularly
at the gee.pole, for hero was the hard
work Of steering the flying sled and