The evening world., 1914-03-02

Zen can bet I wouldn't . made
this trip for money II wasn't %
plumb anxious to Sc how Dubois
saves that -four gold. You take ono
ue These here 'canucks' and he's
blamed near a. good II not . better
placer minor than q Chink: more In
gsnAous and just a. savin'."
And 20. entertaining himself with
his own conversation and scolding
amicably At his saddle and pack
horses. the youthful prospector slid
for another hour down the mountain
trail. though. ~ = rock would fall
the log house Of the French Canadian
was not more than . thousand yards
below.
A. hs pulled his saddle horse In
the direction of the smoke he noticed
that there were no footprints In the
trail and . stiffness which impressed
I'm - peculiar pervaded the place.
There was something which he
nnfsoeo-what was It? To be cure
dogs! There were no barking dogs
. greet him. II was curious. he
Alwsyv had plenty Of dogs and no
fewer than elk. There were no shrlil
voices Of children at play. no sound
q IN axe or saw or q hammer.
Blamed funny" he muttered. yet
he knew whore there was smoke there
must be human beings.
He stopped short at some sound
ana listened attenttvely. A whimper-
ing minor wall reached him family.
It was unlike any sound he ever had
heard. yet no know II was . wouan's
voice. There was something in the
cadence which sent q chill over him.
He dropped the bride reins and
walled softly down the trail. Sud-
denly he halted and his lips parted in
rnent and horror. He was young
then. Dick Kincaid. but the sight
which met his eyes stayed with hun
distinct In every detail. through all
his adventurous life.
Two children, boys OF eleven and
thirteen or thereabouts. were roasting
. ground squirrel In the smouldering
embers OF what had been a cabin.
A dead baby lay on q ragged soogan
near . partially dug grave. Cross
lskged on the ground beside IL was q
woman wailing INCREASINGLY as she
rocked her gaunt and nearly naked
body to and fro. The eagerness Jf
famished animals cleaned In the
boyp eyes as they tore the half
cooked squirrel In two. yet each Of
fsfed his share to his mother. who
seemed not to see the proffered food.
"Jtnt . little piece. mother" coaxed
the elder. and he extended an emaci-
ated arm from which hung the rags
Of . tattered shirtsleeve.
Both children were dressed In the
remnants Of copper-riveted overalls
and their feet were bound in strips
Of canvas torn from q ''tarp." Their
straight black hair hung over faces
synken and shallow. and from the
waist UP they were naked.
Tho boy held the food before her
as long a. he could endure II. then
he tore It with his teeth in the feroc-
!ty Of starvation.
"Can you beat It? Can You beat
THAR" The boys did not hear Kim
caid's shocked exclamation.
While he took cold biscuits and
bacon from his pack they told him
what had happened-briefiy. simply.
without the smallest attempt to col
Or the story for his sympathy.
I'VE couldn't have held out much
longer. m'sieu. we're 30 weak" Tho
cider boy was the spokesman. "And
the strawberries and sarvis- berries
won't b ripe for long time yet. 1t
wasn't 20 bad till tho cabin burned.
We could keep warm. But We went
on In the woods to see II We could
XIII something. and when We came
back the cabin was burned and tho
baby dead. Mother went Grassy moro
than . month ago, I guess II was.
She wouldn't let us bury tho baby
TIL yesterday. and whom We started
to dig We found We could only dig
a little At q time. We got tired 20
Quick, and. besides. We had to try
matches"
The boy did not cry a. no told the
story nor did his lip so much an
culver at the recollection OF their
sufferings. He made no effort to de-
scribe them, but the hollows in his
cheeks and the dreadful thinness of
his arms and little body told II all
more eloquenNy than words.
KincaAd noticed that he had not
mentioned his fathers name, 20 he
where's dubois. Where's your
father? came to sec him."
The childish face hardened in
II don't know. He cleaned up the
si,sice boxes late last fall after tho
ufUy Ir00z0. nOtueT u0ipoU MIN cream
up. He got . lot OF gold-tho most
yot-and he took It with him and all
the horses. He said no was going out
for grub. but he never came back.
Then the big SHOWS came in the
mountains and We knew no couldn't
got n. We ats our bacon up first,
then the hour gave out and the
beans. The baby cried all the time
cause twas hungry. and Petite and
mo wore our shoes out huntin'
through the hills. II was awful.
ri'sieu."
"Is might have stayed outside
longer than he intended and found
he couldn't got In for the snow. or
hs might have tried and froze In tho
pass. It's deep there YET" was Kin
caid's evasive reply.
Hell never como back" said tho
older boy slowly. "and-hs wasn't
froSo In the pass"
Il was stiii May whom Dick Kincaid
climbed out Of the valley with the
Whimpering sQuaw clinging to tho
horn Of his saddle while the swarthy
little breeds trudged manfully In
TIE trail close to his heele They
ufonpod % rest and lot horses
- 3Anap 6rnAtA WhNn the Ur0An6oA