River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-02-04

footing of the sled trail and made bet
ter time. Here. in packed harbors, be-
side the narrow trail. sledS and men
waited for runners that were still be-
hind From the rear came the whine
and rush of dogs. and Smoke had bare
ly time TO leap aside into the deep
snow. A sled tore past. and be made
out the man kneeling and shouting
madly. Scarcely was it by when it
stopped with a crash of battle The
excited dogs of harbored sled. resent
ing the passing animals. had got out
of hand and sprung upon them
Smoke could see the green lantern of
Von Schroeder and. just Yellow it. the
red fare that marked his own team
Two men were guarding Won Schroe
dcrS dogs. With short clubs interposed
between them and the trail
come on YOU Smoke! Come on. you
Smoke" be could near Shorty calling
auNinusiy.
BY the red flare he could see the
SHOW torn AZ ana trampled, and from
the way his partner breathed be knew
a battle had been fought He stagger
Ell to the sled. and in the moment he
was falling OH it Shorty's whip snap
ped rs be yelled:
"Alush. You devils. MuSh"'
The dogs Sprang into the breast
bands. and the sled jerked abruptly
ahead They were big animals Han
sons prize team Of Hudson bays--and
Smoke had selected them for the first
stage. which included the ten miles OF
Mono the heavy going of the cutoff
across the fiat at the mouth and the
first ten miles Of the Yukon stretch
How many are ahead:" he asked
You shut up an save your wind 9"
Shorty answered. Hi, you brutes,
hit her MP, Hit her up
He was running behind the sled tow
ing on a short rope The fires had been
left in the rear. and they were tearing
through 4 wall Of blackneSS as fast as
The dogs could spring into it.
CHAPTER Xii.
Hi! You! Mush on! Chook! Chook!"
GA NONE felt the sled heel up on
- one runner as it rounded an in
e,a=gY visible curve, and from ahead
came the snarlS of beasts and
the oaths of men. This was known
afterwnrd as the Barnes-S locum jam
1t was tile teams of these two men
which first cOllided, and into it at full
career piled Smokes seven big fighters
Scarcely more than semi-dOmesticated
wolves. the excitement Of that night OH
Mono creek had sent every dog fight
ing mad From behind sled after sled
hurled into the turmoil Men who had
their teams nearly eXtricated were
overwhelmed by fresh avaanches Of
fogs-each animal well fed. well rest
III and ripe for battle
What happened in the next half hour
smoke never distinctly remembered
At the end he emerged exhausted. sob
bling for breath. his jaw sore from fist
blow, his shoulder aching from the
bruisp Of club, the blood running
warmly down one leg from the rip Of
a dogs fangs, and both sleeves Of his
p2rka torn to shredS AS in a dream
While the battle still ragged behind. he
helped Shorty reharneSs the dogs One,
dying. they cut from the traces. and
in the darkness they felt their way to
The repair Of the disrupted harnesses.
Now you lie down an get your wind
back" Shorty commanded
And through the darkness the dogs
sped with undated strength down
Mono creek, across the long cutoff and
to the Yukon Here, at the june
ton with the main river trail some
body had lighted a fire, and here
Shorty said goodby. By the light Of
the fire, as the sled leaped behind the
flying dogs, Smoke caught another Of
the unforgettable pictures Of the
nOrthland. 1t was of Shorty, swaying
and sinking down Imply in the snow.
yelling his parting encouragement, one
eye blackened and closed, knuckles
bruised and broken, and one arm. rip
ped and fang torn, gushing forth a
steady stream Of blood