River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-01-28

size. yellow as no goIG any onlooEer
had ever seen. Skunk Wilson gasped
Half a dozen. catching one glimpse.
made il break for the door They
reached it at the same moment and
with cursing and scutf1ing. damned
and DivOted through. The judge emp
tied the contents of the pepper can on
the table. and the sight of the rough
lump gold sent half dozen more to
ward the door.
where are you goin'?' Eli Harding
asked as Skunk started to follow.
For my dogs. of course
Amt you goin to hang bim?"
ltd take too much time right now.
He'll keep till we get back, SO ! reck
on this court is adjourned This amt
no place for lingerin"
Harding hesitated. He glanced saw
agely at Smoke. saw Pierre reckoning
to Louis from the doorway, took one
last look at the lump gold ON the table
and decided
No use you tryin' to get away" he
flung back over his shoulder BE
sides. I'm goin' TO borrow your dogs
What is iti Another one of them
blamed stampedes?" the old blind trap
per asked in a queer and petulant fa.-
setto. as the cries of men and dogs and
the grind of the sleds swept the silence
of the room.
1T sure is" Lucy answered An
never seen gold like it. Feel that. ole
man"
She put the big nugget in his band.
The door opened. and Breck entered.
Well" he said. I'VE four are all that
are left in camp It's forty miles to
the Stewart by the cutoff ] broke. and
the fastest Of them can't make the
round trip in less than five or six days.
But it's time you pulled out, Smoke,
just the same"
Breck drew his hunting knife across
the others bonds Smoke stood mp,
rubbing his wrists where the thongs
had impeded the circulation.
I've got a pack all ready for you"
Breck said Ten days grub bian-
kets. matches, tobacco. an ak and d
rife"
Go to it," Lucy encouraged. Hit
the high places, stranger. Beat it as
fast as God'l let you"
I'm going to have a square meal
before start" Smoke said And
when start it will be up the McQues'
ton. not down. I'm going to search
that other bank for the man that real
ly did the killing"
Half an hour afterward. with a big
plate of moose steak before him and a
big mug Of coffee at his lips. Smoke
half started up from his seat. He had
heard the sounds first. Lucy threw
open the door.
Hello, Spike. Hello, Methody! She
greeted the two frost trimmed men who
were bending over the burden on theii
sled.
I'VE just come down from Upper
Camp" one said as the pair staggered
into the room with Il fur wrapped OBJ
ject which they handled with exceed
ing gentleness. An this is what we
found by the way. He's all in,
guess"
Put him in the rear bunk there.
Lucy said She bent over and pulled
back the furs. disclosing Il face com
posed principally of large. staring
black eyes and Of skin, dark and ScaO
bed by repeated frostbite, tightly
stretched across the bones.
IF it amt Alonzo!" she cried. "Yo'
pore. starved devilr'
That's the man on the other bank,
Smoke said in al undertone 60 Breck
I'VE found it raidin' q cache tina
Harding must "a made" one of TIN
men was explaining. He was eatin
raw -four an frozen bacon, and whel
we got m be was cryin' an squealin
like hawg Look at him! He's al
starved, an most of him frozen. He'l
kick at any moment"
Half an hour later, when the fur
had been drawn over the face of th
still form in the bunk. Smoke turne'
to Lucy. "If you don't mind, Mrs
Peabody. III have another whack a
that steak. Make it thick and not $
well done I'm a meat eater, ! am"