Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-08-16
REX BEACH
ADVENTURE
s T o R IE S
Where Northern Lights
Come Down o''Nights
By REX BEACH
copyr,sht BY Mcclure. Phillip. 4 Co.

died around It q swarm Of dirt
covered igloos grovel in an ecstasy Of
abasement.
Many natives crawled out Of these
and stared across the bay AS down q
gully camo an arctic caravan. men
and dogs. black against tho de.adly
straddling awkwardly on his Eve foot
webs. while the straining pack pat
tered Ut his heels. Big George. tho
driver. urged them with strong words.
idioms Of the nofthland. and his long
whip bit sharply at their legs.
His companion. chnging to tho sled,
stumbled now and then. while his face,
splitting from the snap Of the frost.
was smothered In 4 mumer. Some
times he fell, plunSing into the snow,
rising painfully and groaning with the
misery Of 'tsnow blindness"
''Most there now. Cap. Keep up
your grit"
I'm all right" answered tho az
6:cscd man YEARLY. Don't mind me-
George. too, had suffered from the
sheen Of tho unbroken Wilderness. and,
while his eyes had not wholly closed.
i1e saw but 5::!y. H!e cheeks were
grease smeared and blackened with
charrod wood to break the snow glare,
but through his mask showed signs Of
suffering, while his bloodshot eyes
dripped scalding tears ana throbbed
disressfully. For days he had not
dared to lose sight Of the guide. Once
he had caught him aneaking tho dogs
away, aad ho feared he had killed the
man for time. Now Jaska broke
trail ahead. his sullen, swollen fea-
lures baleful in their injury.
Down the steep bank they slid.
across the bumped up sea ice at the
river mouth and into the Village.
At tho greeting Of their guide to his
tfibesme1 George started. Twelve
years Of coast life had taught him the
dialect from Point Barrow south, and
he glanced ct Captain to fnd whether
he, too, had heard the message. Az
Jsska handed talisman to the chief
he strobe to him ana snatched it
'sOho! It's Father OrloR,, Is It? D.
him!' He gaxed at the token. . white
spruce chip with strange marks and
carvings.
.sWhat does It mean. GeergeT' said
tho blind man.
ITS . long story. Charlie. and
black. You should have known It be-
fore We started. I'm marked man In
this coast country. It's Orlofrs work.
the renegade! Father he calls him
self-father TO these devils he rules
and robs for himself in the name Of
the church. His hate Is bitter. and
he'd have my life II these watery liv-
cred ours didn't dread tho sound Of
my voice. God help him when we
meet"
He shook his hairy claws at the hos
tile circle, then cried to the chief in
the native tongue:
"Oh, Shaman! We come bleeding
and hungry. Hunger grips us, and our
bones are stin with frost The light IL
gone from my brothers eyes. and We
are sick. Open you the door to the
mission house that tho 'Minoks' may
rest and grow strong"
The Indians clustered before the
portal, with its rude cross above. and
stared Indignantly while the chief
spoke. At the name Of his enemy tho
unsightly eyes Of George cleaned. ana
he growled contemptuously. advancing
among them. They scattered at the
manner Of his coming. and he struck
tho padlocked door till 1t ratified stiff
". Then, spying the cross overhead.
hs lifted up and gripped the wood. 1t
came away ripping. and. with walls
OF rage ana horror at the sacrilege.
they closed about him.
..Here, Cap! Bust her In quick"
He dragged Captain before the en-
trance, thrusting the weapon upon
him. then ran ferociously among the
people. He snatched them to him, cuff
ins like Q bear and trampiing them
into the snow. Those who came into
the reach Of his knotty arms crumpled
up and twisted under his feet He
whisled Into the group. roaring hoarse-
u, bis angry. grease blackened face
hideous with rage. The aborisine Is
not q Aghting machine. For him tho
side step and counter have no being.
They melted ahead of his blazing
wrath. and he whisked them. fleeing,
~ their garments, 20 that they felt
3 the stamp Of bis moceasined heels.
Captain dragged tho team within.
4 and George. following, blocked the
shattered door.
sWe're safe a. long a. we stay in
the church,, said be.
..Risht Of sanctuary. oh? Does It
occur to you how we're going to got
outT
..Nsyer mind. We'll get out some
1 how. said he. and that night as
Charlie Captain. late university man
ana engineer. lay with eyes swathcG
ii steamiug cloths the whaier spoke
ocerosely and with the bitterness Of
ertat wrong.
sIt happened when we rocked the
pafs Of Forty Mile before ever q
Ghechako had crossed the Chilkoot.
went over to the headwaters of tho
Tanana. Into the big valley l went
ana Tot lost in the Oats. IT'S a wild
comtry, trimmed by high mountains.
fu1l Of niggerheads and tundra. with
IL river winding clean back TO the
apuloo of ths Copper. I run out OF
Erab We always did them days and
bSloe : saft 20 nost down to the Yu-
A4oa NJ etAryatiop. And .