The Red Cloud chief., 1913-06-26

housekeeping after the primitive man
ner Of the northland
The Yukon broke early, and soon
after that important event. the river
steamer, Cassiar. captained by her
brother. was scheduled to sail. The
Cassiar had the mingled honor and
misfortune to be both the treasure
ship and the hospital ship Of the year
In her strong boxes she carried flve
millions OF gold, in her staterooms
ten score OF crippled and diseased
| And there were also lower country
| traders and kings. returning from
their winter labors or pleasures AT
Dawson. Among these-a little anti
cipation Of the event--were listed Mr.
and Mrs. Jack Crellin. but when the
sick and heart.weary lifted their
voices to heaven at the cruel delay,
and the goldshippers waxed clamorous,
/ the Cassiar was forced to sail before
her time. and Mr.. and Mrs. Jack Crel.
, lin were yet man and maid.
| Never mind, Frona," her brother
said; come aboard and I'll take
charge OF you Father Mahan takes
passage at Forty Mile. and you'll he
snugly one before we say goodbye at
Circle City"
Plimsol marks. boiler inspectors.
and protesting boards OF underwrit-
ers, not yet having penetrated tn"
dismal dominions Of the north, the
Cassiar cast off her lines, with passen-
gers, freight and chattels packed like
badly assorted sardlnes. Wolfdogs
whose work began and ceased with
the snow. and who grew high-stom.
ached with summer idleness. rioted
over the steamer from stern to stern
or killed each other on the slightest
provocation. Stalwart Stick Indians
of the upper river regions, lightened
their heavy money pouches In brave
endeavors to best the white man at
his games Of chance, or outraged
their vitals with the whisky he sold
at thirty dollars the bottle. There
were squat Mongolia. denatured Male
mute and Innuit wanderers from the
great delta two Thousand miles away;
not among the whites was the jangle
Of nationalities less pronounced. The
nations Of the world had sent their
sons to the north. and the tongues
they spoke were many.
At Forty Mile more passengers and
freight were crowded aboard. Among
the pilgrims was Father Mahan. and
in the baggage was an unpaintsd pine
box, corresponding in size to the con.
ventional last tenement Of man. The
rush Of life has little heed for death.
SO this box was piled precariously
upon a pyramid Of freight on the Cas-
Stars deck But Bat Morganston. hav-
ing lain till the moment OF shipment
in a comfortable ice.cave, did not
care. Nobody cared. There were no
mourners, save huge wolf-dog. TO
whom the taste Of his masters lash
was still sweet. He crept aboard un-
noticed, and ere the lines were cast
of had taken up his accustomed vigil
on the heap of freight by his masters
side. He was such vicious brute,
and had such fearful way OF barring
his fangs, that the other canine pas.
sengers gave him a wide berth. choos-
d ing to leave him alone with his dead.
The cabins were crowded with the
sick. so the marriage began on the
sitting deck. II was near midnight.
but the sun, red-disked and somber,
slanted Its oblique rays from just
above the northern skyline. Frona
Payne and Jack Crellin stood side by
side. Father Mahan began the serv'
ice. From aft came the sound of
scufFling among half dozen drunken
gamblers; but In the main, the human
cargo had crowded about the center
Of interest. And also the dogs.
Still, all would have been well, had
not Labrador dog sought a coign OF
vantage among the freight. He had
travelled countless Journeys. was a
veteran of dozen famines and a
thousand fights. and knew not fear.
The truculent front OF the dog which
guarded the pine box. interested him.
He drew in. his naked fangs shining
like jeweled ivory. They closed with
snap and snarl. the carelessly piled
freight tottering beneath them.
At this moment Father Mahan bless.
ed the two which we're now one and
Jack Crellin solemnly added. Even
unto death"
even unto DEATH" Frona Payne re-
peated, and her mind leaped back TO
the other man who had spoken those
words. For the instant she felt gen.
uine sorrow and remorse for what she
had done. And at that instant the
two dogs shut their Jaws in the death.
grip, and the long pine box poised on
the edge of its pyramid. Her hus.
band jerked her from beneath as II
fell. end on. There was crash and
splintering; the cover fell away: and
Bat Morganston. on his feet. erect.
just as In life. with the sun glinting
on his silky brown locks. swept for.
ward.
1t happened very quickly. Some
say that his lips parted In a fearful
smile, that he flung his arms about
Frona Payne and held her till they
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