Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-04-27

ing on SnoTt rOpe. Lie hicS hau oSSn
left in the rear, and they were tearing
through a wall of blackness as fast as
the dogs could spring into 1t.
CHAPTER XII.
sttti You'll Mush onI chook! chook!"
- MOKE felt the sled heel up on
- one runner as 1t rounded an in
~ visible curve, and from ahead
came the snarls Of beasts and
the oaths of men. This was known
afterward as the Barnes-Slocum jam.
1t was the teams Of these two men
which first collided, and into 1t at full
career piled Smokes seven big fighters.
Scarcely more than semi-domesticated
wolves, the excitement Of that night on
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 avalanches OF
dogs-each animal we'll fed, well rest
ed and ripe for battle.
What happened in the next half hour
Smoke never distinctly remembered.
At the end he emerged exhausted, sob
bing for breath, his jaw sore from fist
blow, his shoulder aching from the
bruise Of q club, the blood running
warmly down one leg from the rip OF
a dogs fangs, and both sleeves Of his
parka torn to shreds. AS in n 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 unabated strength down
Mono creek, across the long cutoff and
to the Yukon. Here, at the juno
ton with the main river trail, some
body had lighted 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, swaytng
and sinking down Imply in the snow,
yelling bis 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.
"How many ahead" Smoke asked
as he dropped his tired Hudson bays
and sprang on to the waiting sled at
the first relay station.
II counted eleven" the man called
after him, for he was already away
behind the leaping dogs.
Fifteen miles they were to carry him
on the next stage, which would fetch
him to the mouth of White river.
There were nine Of them. but they
composed his weakest team. The
twenty-five miles between White river
and Sixty Mile he had broken into two
stages because Of ice jams, and here
two Of his heaviest, toughest teams
were stationed.
He lay on the sled ut full length,
face down, holding on with both hands.
Whenever the dogs Stacked from top
most speed he rose to his knees and,
yelling and urging, clinging precarious-
ly with one hand, threw his whip into
them. Poor team that 1t was, he pass
ed two sleds before White river was
reached. Here at the freezeup a jam
had piled barrier, allowing the open
water that formed for half mile be-
low to freeze smoothly. This smooth
stretch enabled the racers to make fly
ing exchanges Of sleds, and down all
the course they had placed their relays
below the jams.
Over the jam and out on to the
smooth Smoke tore along, calling loud
ly: BILLY! Billy"
Billy heard and answered, and by
the light Of the many fires on the ice
Smoke saw a sled swing in from the
side and come abreast. Its dogs were
fresh and overhauled his. AS the sleds
swerved toward each other he leaped
across, and Billy promptly rolled off,
"Where's Big Olaf?' Smoke cried.
"LeadIngw Billy's voice answered
and Smoke was again flying through
the wall Of blackness.
In the jams Of that relay, where the
way led across chaos Of upended Ice
cakes and where Smoke slipped of the
forward end Of the sled and with
haul rope toiled behind the wheel dog
he passed three sleds.
Among the jams Of the next short re
lay into Sixty Mile he passed two more
teams. And that he might know ade
quately what had happened to them
one of his own dogs wrenched shoul
der. was unable to keep up and wal
dragged in the harness. AS he cut the
Injured animal out he heard the whin
lng cries of dogs behind him and the
voice Of a man that was familiar. Il
was Won Schroeder Smoke called
warning to prevent rear end COLL
sion, and the baron, having his AM
mails and swinging on the gee pole
went by a dozen feet to the side.
On the smooth stretch Of Ice beside
the trading post at Sixty Mile Smoke
overlook two more sleds. All had JUS,
changed teams, and for five minutes
they ran abreast, each man on his
knees and pouring whip and voice Into
the maddened dogs. But Smoke had
studied out that portion Of the trail
and now marked the tall pine on the
bank that showed family In the ligh,
of the many fires. Below that pine
was not merely darkness, but an alb
rupt cessation Of the smooth stretch
There the trail, he knew, narrowed tt
a single sled width. Leaning out ahead
he caught the haul rope and drew his
leaping sled up to the wheel dog. He
caught the animal by the hind legs
and threw It. With snarl Of rage
It tried to slash him with its fangs
but was dragged on by the rest Of thu
team. Its body proved an eficien
brake, and the other teams, still
abreast, dashed ahead into the dark
ness for the narrow way.
Smoke heard the crash and uproar o.
their collision, released his wheeler
sprang to the gee pole and urged hii
team to the right into the soft snow