The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-09

chunk of meat, coeval with Father
Adam, and il was fine.
Il was awakened that night by the
dismal howl of wolf pack. and heard
! the scurry of feet about the cabin. The
hellish din lasted till the tardy daylight
showed the Beach swarming with them.
They came like vultures, dropping of
the hills, ravening at the smell of meat,
and tearing each other in their struggles
at the cavern mouth.
Imagine me held prisoner by cau-
Gus of blood-maddened wolves, as they
gorged $4,000 worth of archaic beef
steak. / fell to on that Winchester,
working feverishly for fifty hours. And
the mountains oozed wolves from erery
gully. They appeared like specks, down
the bay and on the hills, resolving into
pairs and packs, bowling. leaping and
slavering. They boiled at the foot of
the glacier, a writhing, shJeking gray
mass of ragged fur. that tramped the
loose snow as smooth as goif-links,
packed and bloody
"On the third day opened FIRE. It
was like i rabbit kicking mudballs at
the Sphynx. / spoiled tubful of cart
ridges before they left. The survivors
looked fat and contented as they trotted
out of range.
Il knew before l entered the cavern
over the barricade of bodies, what
would greet me. There it lay, as clean
and bare as the bleaching sand-scoured
timbers of a stranded ship, and | sat
among the bones and wept as Philetus
had done.
"A week later he landed at the bay,
and snow-Shoed back over the melting
sGHte OF wolf He was a game loser,
me up When the snoY went off we
bones, and assembling them on the
beach for shipment.
The spring opened up sudden and
hot, and we'd no sooner got the frame
work out of the cave than the Kayak
began to perspire. The sun beamed
strong, and bright, and the icebergs COM
menced to drop.
"One morning the smoke of the Elihu
Thompson showed down the bay,
coming for her cargo, but as we watched
her threading up the inlet, at our backs
came a roar that was the grand-daddy
OF anything l ever heard. 1t simply
fiuttered our eardrums like rags in a
gale.
AN acre of ice. big as the Call Build
ing in Frisco. had peeled off from the
cliff, and scared out OF the dizzy heights.
It ground our precious bone-heap into
tooth-powder under a hillock of shat
tered bergs that would take weeks to
thaw.
That's about all. The Thompson
pulled out taking the Professor a
broken and soured man. We only
saved the skin. It's aboard here now"
Fits relapsed into meditative sad
ness, broken at last by the wondering
ordinations and ready sympathy OF his
hearers Certainly! II you want to
see the skin, we'll go below
He led them into the vitals of the i'll.
smelling steamer. climbing down grinIy
ladders and worming through low,
tortuous passages. filthy and black. He;
was genial and courteous, though
amazingly awkward. Each time he
tramped heavily on a lady's garment,
his apologies rose fertile and profuSe.
So insistent were his attentions that the
dripping oil OF his lantern notified their
dresses copiously.
Isn't it terrible" complained Mrs.
Van S1yke. I'm sorry came"
Hes simply ruined my dress"
whispered her daughter, and papa's
clothes are a sight. Oh, what terrible
odor"
They had squeezed through the greasy
engine room apd entered the forward
hold where the cargo lay. Here stencil
aSsailed them, the ,horrid Sickening
smell OF raw skins battened INTO the
tight quarters for weeks past. In the
dim flicker they saw a huge pile of
burlapped bundles Fits slit a cover
ing with a knife.
Here's the skin in these bundles.
Feel the hair Yes. longer and coarser
than anything nowadays"
Let US get out OF here quickly"
walled Mrs. Hatfield, I'm going to
faint"
Mr.. Fits was at her side. trampling
her skirts and scattering grease in
vain attempt at relief
Il at least have the satisfaction of
knowing that It was spoiled in the pur-
suit of knowledge said the lady, sur
veying the remains OF her gown with
dignity.
How can we thank you for your in
tensely interesting evening" said Hat
field, ruefully regarding a rent in his
coat4
Should you require any assistance
in financing your skin he added,
''or in gaining consideration among the
scientific Institutions, l should feel
honored.' He motioned grandly.
Fits left them immersed in discus
sion, and Captain Moore found thens
stepped in foam of theory and con-
lecture.
"A most intelligent young man, that
Fits" said Hatfield.
You bet he is agreed the captain,
He stayed in my cabin all the way up
from Seattle"
From Seattle! Why, he's been in
Alaska two years" asserted Hardine.
Nonsense What's he been filing
YOU up on? He's the worst josher in
Frisco"
Mr. Hatfield. as spokesman. cleared
his throat, while the others dwelt in
tently on his words.
Who is this-NIr. Fits"
You must have heard Of him. the
young club man and Frisco society
He's the junior partner in
the firm that owns this line of steam
ers. He takes trip with me every sum-
mer. way out to Dutch Harbor. look
ing after the Company's stores and col
Letting skins and furs from the trad