The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-11-22

sit was the oosh-dangeest
stampede I ever seen. A thou
sand dos-teams hittin' the zee
You couldn't see EN- ier
smoke. TWO white men an
Swede froxe TO death that
nlaht. an there was dozen
busted their lungs. But didnt
see with my own eyes the bot
torn OF the waterholef II was
veiIow with gold like mus
tsrd plaster. That's what made
the stampede. An then there
was ncthin' 10 a.. NOTriN
TO t."-Narrative Of Shorty.
John Messner chung with nit
tened hand 70 the hucking gee-pole
and held the sled In the trail With
the other mittened hand he rubbed
his cheeks and nose every little
while. In point Of fact. he rarely
ceased from rubbing them. and
sometimes, as their numbnesS III
creased. he rubbed fiercely.
Behind him churned heavily
loaded Yukon sled. and before him
tolled a string OF five dogs The
rome BY which they dragged the
sled rubbed against the side OF
Messner's leg. When the dogs
swung on a bend In the trail. he
stepped over the rope. There we're
many bends. and he was compelled
10 step over II often. Sometimes
ne tripped on the rope. or stumbled,
and at all times he was awkward,
betraying a WEAKNESS so great that
the sled now and again ran upon
his heels.
"lt's too cold 10 travel. anyway.
he said. He spoke aloud. after the
manner OF men who are much by
themselves. only a fool would
travel at such a temperature. II II
liant eighty below it's because rs
oeventy-nine."
He plodded on silently for few
minutes. and then. as though there
had been no lapse in his speech. ne
added:
"And no ground covered, and IT'S
too cold to travel
Suddenly he yelled. Whoa at
the dogs and stopped. He seemed
in a mild panic over his hight hand.
and proceeded 10 hammer II furi-
ously against the gee-pole.
"You-pOor-devils'" he ad-
dressed the dogs. which had drop
ned down heavily on the Ice to
rest. His was a broken. jerky ut
terance. caused by the violence
with which he hammered his numb
hand upon the wood What have
YOU done. anyway. that two-leg
xed other animal should come
along. break you TO harness. curb
All your natural procllvities and
make slave-beasts out OF YOU
He rubbed his nose. not reflec-
lively but savagely. in order TO
drive the blood into II. and urged
the dogs to do their work again
He Travelled on the frozen surface
OF a great river.
John Messner seemed succumb-
ing to the apathy OF Il all. The
frost was benumbing his spirit.
gut the dogs were observant, and
suddenly they stopped, turning
their heads and looking back at
their master out OF eyes that were
vistful and questioning.
The man was about to urge them
on. when he checked himself.
reused I'D with an effort and look.
ed around. The dogs had stopped
beside a water-hole, not fissure.
but a hole man.made, chopped la
boriously with an ak through three
and a half feet OF ice
"All right. You sore-fOoted
brutes." he said I'll Investigate.
You're not a bit more anxious to
quit than | am
He climbed the bank and disap-
peared. The dogs did not lie down.
but on their feet eagerly waited
his return. He came back to them.
took a hauling rope from the front
OF the sled and put It around his
shoulders. Then he gee'd the dogs
TO the right and put them at the
bank on the run.
They cleared the bank with a
rush, swung 10 the left and dashed
up To a small log cabin II was a
deserted cabin OF a single room.
Messner Embarrassed the animals,
unloaded his sled and took posses
sion. Messner set up his light
sheet.iron stove and started fire.
While waiting for the water 10
boil. he held his face over the stove.
The moisture from his breath had
collected on his beard and frozen
into a great mass Of ice. and this he
proceeded 10 thaw out.
A wild outcry from the dogs with
out did not take him from his task.
He heard the wolfish snarling and
yelping OF strange dogs and the
sound OF voices. A knock came to
the door.
Come In" Measner called.
The door opened. and gazing out
OF his cloud Of steam he saw man
and a woman pausing on the TIRES
hold.
Come in" he said peremptorily
"and shut the door"
Peering through the steam, he
could make out but little Of their
personal appearance. The nose and
cheek strap worn by the woman and
the trail wrappings about her head
allowed only pair Of black eyes to
be seen. The man was dark dyed
and smooth shaven all except his
mustache, which was 10 iced up az
to hide the mouth
I'VE Just want 10 know n there
IL any other cabin around here" no
said, at the same time glancing
over the unfurnished state OF the