River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-03-11

so that the SKIS broke through, and
before 2 O'Clock the web shoes were
breaking through. Camp was made
and the first meal eaten. Smoke took
stock Of the food. Means supply
was a disappointment. So many silver
fox skins had he stuffed into the bot
tom of the meat bag that there was lit
tie space left for meat.
Enough food for a month. with care
full outstanding and appetites that new
er blunted their edge. was Smokes
and Labiskwee's judgment. Smoke APP
portioned the weight and bulk of the
packs. yielding in the end to Labisk-
wees insistence that she, too. should
carry a pack.
Next day the stream Swallowed out in
a wide mountain valley, and they were
already breaking through the crust on
the fats when they gained the harder
surface of the slope of the divide.
Ten minutes later. and we wouldn't
have got across the fats Smoke said
when they paused for breath on the
bald crest Of the summit. I'VE must
be thousand feet higher here
But Labiskwee. without speaking.
pointed down to an open fat among
the trees. In the midst of it, scattered
abreast. were five dark specks that
scarcely moved.
THE young men," said Labiskwee.
"They are wallowing to their hips"
Smoke said They will never gain the
hard footing this day. We have hours
the start of them Come on, McCan.
Buck up. We don't eat till we can't
travel"
In the higher valley in which they
now found themselves the crust did
not break till in the afternoon, at
which time they managed to gain the
shadow of q mountain where the crust
was already freezing again.
Black darkness came on, after long
twilight, at O'Clock, when they made
camp in a clump of dwarf spruce. Nc
Can was helpless. The days march
had been exhausting. but in addition.
despite his nine years experience in
the arctic, be had been eating snow
and was in agony with his parched and
burning mouth He crouched by the
fire and groaned while they made the
camp.
In the night came wind and snow,
and through the day Of blizzard they
fought their way blindly, missing the
turn Of the way that led up small
west. For two more days they wan
dered, crossing other and wrong dl-
vides. and in those two days they
dropped spring behind and climbed up
into the abode Of winter.
1.-The young men have lost our trail
an what's to stop US reStin' a day.
McCan begged.
But no rest was accorded. Smoke
and Labiskwee knew their danger
They were lost in the high mountains,
and they had seen no game nor signs
Of game. Day after day they strug-
gled on through an iron cOnfguratiOn
Of landscape that compelled them to
labyrinthine canyons and valleys that
led rarely to the west. The terrible
, toll and the cold ate up energy. yet
they cut down the size OF the ration
they permitted themselves.
One night Smoke was awakened by a
sound of struggling. Distinctly he
heard a gasping and strangling from
where McCan slept. Kicking the fire.
into flame. by it's light he saw Labisk-
wee, her hands at the mans throat and
forcing from his mouth chunk OF
partly chewed meat. Even as Smoke
saw this her hand went to her hip and
flashed with the sheath knife in it.
"Labiskwee!' Smoke cried, and his
voice was peremptory.
The hand hesitated.
"Don't!' he said, coming to her side.
She was shaking with anger, but the
hand, after hesitating moment longer,
descended reluctantly to the sheath.
McCan sat up, whimpering and snarl-
ing
"Where did you get it?' Smoke de-
handed.
Feel around his body" Labiskwee
said.
Continued Next Week.