Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-04-13

Ulk6 6lyGdLu9, ucFCI SCth6G a. ShO " w OSs
temperatures. A man stepping on dry
snow might break through half an inch
Of ice skin and find himself up to the
knees In water. In five minutes, un.
J less able to remove the wet gear, the
loss Of ones feet was the penalty.
They watched for blazed tree on
either bank, which would show the
center stake of the last claim located.
Joy, impulsively eager, was the first to
find It She darted ahead Of Smoke.
crying:
Somebody's been there! See the
snowl Look for the blaze! There 1t
is! See that sprucer' She sank sud-
denly to her waist in the snow. "Now
I've done it." she said woefully. Then
she cried: Don't come near me! I'll
wade out"
Step by step. each time breaking
through the thin skin Of Ice concealed
under the dry snow. she forced her
way to solid footing. Smoke did not
wait, but sprana to the bank. where
dry and seasoned twigs and sticks.
lodged among the brush by spring
freshets. waited the match By the
time she reached his side the first
flames and 6ickers of an assured 6re
were rising.
"Sit down" he commanded.
She obediently sat down in the snow.
He slipped his pack from his back and
spread a blanket for her feet
From above came the'voices OF the
stampeders who followed them.
"Let Shorty stake" she urged
"Go on, Shorty" Smoke said as be
attacked her moccasins. already stih
With ice. "Pace Off thousand feet
and place the two center stakes. We
can fx the corner stakes afterward."
With his knife Smoke cut away the
lacings and leather Of the moccasins.
So stiff were they with ice that they
snapped and cracked under the hack
ing and saving. The siwash socks and
heavy woolen stockings were sheaths
Of ice. 1t was as II her feet and calves
were incased in corrugated iron.
"How are your feet?" he asked as be
worked.
pretty numb. can't move or feel
my toes. But # will be all right. The
fire is burning beautifully. Watch out
you don't freeze your hands. They
must be numb now from the way
you're fumbling."
He slipped his mittens on and for
nearly a minute smashed the open
bands savagely against his sides. When
he felt the blood prlckle be pulled OF
the mittens and ripped and tore and
sawed and hacked at the frozen gar
uents. The white skin Of one foot ap.
peared, then that Of the other, to be
exposed to the bite of 20 below Zero
Then came the rubbing with snow.
carried on with an intensity Of cruel
derceness, till she squirmed and sbrank
and moved her toes and joyously com.
planned Of the hurt. He half dragged
her and she half lifted herself nearer
to the fire. He placed her feet on the
blanket close to the flesh saving flames.
You'll have to take care Of them for
awhile" he said
She could now safely remove her
mittens and work and manipulate her
own feet. with the wisdom of the ini-
tiated being watchful that the heat Of
the fire was absorbed slowly. While
she did this he attacked his hands. The
snow did not melt or moisten. Its
light crystals were like so much sand
Slowly the stings and pangs Of circu-
lation came back into the chilled flesh
Then be tended the fire. unstrapped
the light pack from her back and got
out complete change Of footgear.
Shorty returned along the creek bed
and climbed the bank to them. Il sure
staked q full thousan' feet" he pro-
claimed, mo. 27 an No. %, though
I'd only got the upper stake Of 27
when ! met the first geezer Of the
bunch behind He Just straigh; declar
ed I wasn't goin' to stake % An ]
told him.
"Yes. yes" Joy cried What did you
tell him?"
"Weil. l told him straight that II he
didn't back up plumb 500 feet Id sure
punch his froze nose into Ice cream an
chocolate eclairs. he backed up. an
I've got In the center stakes Of two
full an honest 500 foot creek claims
he staked next an l guess by now
the bunch has Squaw creek located to
headwaters an down the other side
Ourn is safe It's too dark to see now.
but we can put out the corner stakes
in the mornin'."
When they awoke they found a
change had taken place during the
night So warm was It that Shorty
and Smoke estimated the temperature
at no more than 20 below. On top of
their blankets lay six inches OF frost
crystals.
Good morning. How are your
feetr was Smokes greeting across the
ashes of the fire to where Joy Gasteli
was sitting up In her sleeping fnrs.
Shorty built the fire and quarried Ice
from the creek while Smoke cooked
breakfast Daylight came on as they
finished the meal
you 20 an fix them corner stakes,
Smoke" Shorty said. There's gravel
under where I chopped ice for the cof'
fee, an I'm goin' to melt snow IN
wash a pan of that same gravel FOR
luck"
Smoke departed. az in hand. to blaze
the stakes. Starting from the down
stream center stake Ut No. n. DC
headed at right angles across the mar
row valley toward its rim. BE pro
ceeded methodically. almost automat
ically. for his mind was alive with rec
elections Of the night before. BE fell
somehow that he had won to empery
over the delicate line and firm muscles
Of those feet and angles he had rub
bed with snow, and this empery seem
ed to extend to the rest and all Of thh
woman of bis kind. In dim and 6erJ
ways a feeling Of possession mastered
him. II seemed that all that was nee
essary was for him to walk mp to thii
Joy Gastell, take her hand In his ant
say "Come."
II was in this mood that he discov
cred something that made him forge