The Bossier banner., 1912-10-17

his life Rowland felt th-
spirit Of romance. of adven-
(S4Y& ture. of sympathy for the
picturesque and the unknown surglng
through his veins. A billion stars
glowed like yellow, passionIess eyes
in the polar cold of the skies. Behind
him. white in its sinuous twisting
through the snow smothered wilder
ness, lay the icy Saskatchewan, with
a few scattered lights visible where
Prince Albert. the last outpost of civ,
ilizatiOn, came down to the river half
mile away.
But it was into the north that How
land looked. From the top of the
great ridge which he had climbed he
gazed steadily into the white gloom
which reached for a thousand miles
from where he stood to the Arctic sea.
Family in the grim silence of the win
ter night there came to his ears the
soft kissing sound of the aurora bore
alis as 1t played in its age old song
over the dome of the earth. and as he
watched the cold flashes shooting like
pale arrows through the distant sky
and listened to its whispering music
of unending loneliness and mystery
there came on him strange feeling
that it was beckoning to him and call
ing to him. telling him that up there
yerv near to the end of the earth lay
all that he had dreamed Of and hoped
for since he had grown Old enough to
begin the shaping of destiny of his
own.
He shivered as the cold nipped at
his blood and lighted fresh cigar.
half turning to shield himself from
wind that was growing ont of the
east. AS the match fiared in the cup
OF his hands for an instant there came
from the black gloom of the balsam
and spruce Mt his feet waiiing. nun
gerful cry that brought a startled
breath from his lips. 1t was cry
such as Indian dogs make about the
tepees of masters who are newly dead
He had never heard such cry he
fore, and yet he knew that 1t was
VOLTS. 1t impressed him with an awe
which was new to him. and he stood
us motionless as the trees about nm
until from out the gray night gloom
| to the west there came an answering
cry and then from far to the north
still another
sounds as though I'd better 20 back
to town." he said to himself. speaking
aloud. by George. but it's lonely"
| Jack Rowland was Chicago man
For fifteen of his thirty-on years he
had been hustling Since he cou'e
easily remember he had possessed t.
Il large measure but one ambition ant
one hope. With persistence whiri
had left him peculiarly a stranger II
the more frivolous and human sides o
life he had worked toward the achiev"
ment Of this ambition, and tonight he
cause that achievement was very nea
at hand he was happy. fle had neve
been happier. There flashed across hi
mental vision swiftly moving pictur
Of the fight he had made for success
It had been magnificent fight. Win
out vanity he was proud Of it. for fat
had handicapped him at the beginning
and still he had won out He saw bin
self again the homeless little farma
boy setting out from his Illinois villa:
to take up life In great city
though it had all happened hut yeste'
day he remembered how for days an
weeks he had nearly starved. how T.
had sold papers at 6rst and then y
lucky chance became errand boy in
! big drafting establishment. II We
there that the ambition was born
him. He saw great engineers com
and go-men who were greater tina
presidents to him and VIII" sought o'
the ends Of the earth in the fcliowln
of their vocation. He made :; slave
himself in the nurturing and strength
eping of his ambition to become or
of them-to be builder of railroad
and bridges, a tunneler of mountain
A creator of new things in new land
Voluntarily he had kept himself
bondage. fighting ceaseIess!y the o
stacles in his way. triumphing over b
handicaps as few other men had Il
umphed. rising slowly. steadily. resls
I lessly, until now He flung back n
! head and the pulse Of his heart quic
:. ened as he heard again the words
Van Horn. president of the create
engineering company on the continri
"Howland. we've decided to put y
In charge of the building OF the Hu
n son Bay railroad. It's one of the viii
9 est jobs we've ever had. and GreGs'
and Thorne don't seem to catch 9
They're bridge builders and not wilde
: ness men. We've got to lay sirl
line Of steel through 300 miles "f
widest country in North America. ii
from this hour your nnttn is 'iin il
bustv You can report at lie i'as
soon as you get your traps together.