The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1913-07-24

~ASSA .hoS AiupoTIduI event. Iuo TIVcT
steamer, Cassiar, captained by her
brother, was scheduled to sail. The
Cassiar had the mingled honor and
misfortune to be both the treasure
snip and the hospital ship Of the year.
In her strong boxes she carried five
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.
clpation 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. net yet having penetrated the
fdismal dominions of the north, the
Cassiar cast off her lines, with passen.
gers, freight and chattels packed like
badly assorted sardines. Wolf-dogs,
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
proYocation. Stalwart Stick Indians
Of the upper river regions, lightened
their heavy money pouches in brave
endeavors to best the white man st
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;
rot among the whites was the jangle
of nationalities less pronounced. The
pations 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 implanted pine
box, corresponding in size to the con-
Nentional last tenement of man. The
rush of life has little heed for death,
so this box was piled precariously
uron pyramid of freight on the Cas-
Stars deck But Bat Morganston, hav-
ing lain till the moment Of shipment
in comfortable ice-cave. did not
care Nobody cared. There We're no
mourners, save huge wolf-dog, to
whom the taste of his masters lash
was still sweet. He crept aboard I'M
noticed, and ere the lines were cast
off 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-
ing to leave him alone with his dead.
Tiitl cabins were crowded with the
sick, SO the marriage began on the
sitting deck. 1t was near midnight.
but the sun, red-disked and somber,
slanted it's 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
scufling among half a dozen drunken
cargo had crowded about the center
of interest. And also the dogs.
Still, all would have been we'll, had
not a Labrador dog sought 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.
} guarded the pine boz, interested him.
He drew in. his naked fangs shining
like ieweled ivory. They closed with
snap and snarl, the careiessly piled
freight tottering beneath them
At this moment Father Mahan bless
ed the two which were now one and
Jack Crellin sulennly 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 it
fell, end on. There was a 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
It 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
fell together to the deck. This would
seem impossible, seeing that the man.
was dead; but there are those who
swear that these things were done.
However. Frona Payne shrieked ter,
ribly as they drew her from beneath
the body Of her Tilted lover, nor did
her shrieking cease till land was
made at Circle City And Bat Nor