River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-01-07

admiring the splendid calves Of the
man and the grace and ease with
which he moved along under his bur
den The Indian dropped his pack on
the scales in front of the post. and Kit
Joined the group of admiring gold rush
ers who surrounded him The pack
weighed 125 pounds which fact was
uttered back and forth i'll tones of awe.
Going to Lake LindemaE with it.
old MANI Kit asked
The Indian. swelling with pride,
grunted an affirmative.
Here Kit slid out of the conversation
A young woman standing in the door
way had caught his eye. Unlike other
women landing from the steamers, she
was neither short sklrted nor boomer
clad she was dressed as any woman
travelling anywhere would be dressed
The bright beauty and color of her
oval face held nim. and he looked over
cong looked till she resented and her
own eyes, long dashed and dark, met
MS in cool survey. From his face they
travelled in evident amusement down
to the big revolver at his thigh Then
her eyes came back TO his. and III them
was amused contempt She turned to
the man beside her and indicated Kit
The man glanced him over with the
same amused contempt
"Chekako" the girl said
The man. VINO looked like tramp in
MS cheap overalls aud diapldated
wooden jacket. grinned dryly and Kit
felt withered, though he knew not why
did you see that man with the
grip Kits neighDor asked him excit
eddy Know VINO he Isl"
Kit shook his head.
"Cariboo Charley He was just
pointed out TO me- HI struck it big Oh
klundike Old timer. Been on the
Yukon dozen years. He's just come
out"
What does .chekako' meanI" Kit
asked
You're one; I'm one." was the an
SWer- ''tenderfOot"
Kits first pack was success. Up
TO Finnegan's Crossing they had man
aged TO get Indians TO carry the 1900
pound outfit From that point their
own backs must do the work They
planned to move forward at the rate
Of mile day. 1t looked easy-on
paper
Since John Bellew was to stay In
camp and do the cooking. he would be
unab to make more than an Occa
sionai pack So to each OF the three
young men fell the task OF carrying
800 pounds one uIlle each day. II they
made fifty pound packs it meant
daily walk OF sixteen miles loaded ana
Of fifteen miles light because we
don't back trip the last time, Kit ex
piaincd the pleasant discovery. Eighty
pound packs meant nineteen miles
travel each day, and 100 pound packs
meant only fifteen miles.
II don't like walking" said Kit.
therefore | shall carry 100 pounds.
He caught the. grin OF lncrednllty on
his uncles face and added hastily:
LOT course | shall work up to it. I'll
start with fifty
He did and ambled gayly along the
trail He dropped the sack at the next
camp site and ambled back. 1t was
easier than be had thought But two
miles had rubbed off the velvet of his
strength and exposed the underlying
softness. His second pack was sixty
five pounds 1t was more difficult, and
he no longer ambled. Several times.
following the custom OF all packers. be
sat down on the ground, resting the
pack behind him on rock or stump,
With the third pack he became bold
He fastened the straps to ninety five
pound sack of beans and started Al
the end of a hundred yards he felt
that he must collapse. He sat down
and mopped his face
short hanIs and short rests" he
muttered That's the trick"
Sometimes be did not make hun
dred yards, aud each time he struggled
TO his feet for another short haul the
pack became undeniably heavier. He
painted for breath. and the sweat
stream med from him. Before be had Gov
cred a quarter of a mile he stripped off
his WOODEN shirt and hung it on a tree.
A little later he discarded his hat. AT
the end of half mile he decided he
was finished As he sat and painted
his gaze fell upon the big revolver and
the heavy cartridge belt.
Ten pounds of junk" he sneered as
he unbuckled it
He did not bother TO hang it on a
tree. but flung 1t into the underbrush.
His short hauls decreased At times
a hundred feet was all be could stag
ger, and then the ominOus pounding of
his heart against his eardrums and the
sickening tottering of his knees com
PEELED him 70 rest, And his rests grew
longer But his mind was busy. 1t
was twenty eight mile portage, which
represented as many days, and this by
ali accounts was the easiest part of it.
Wait till you get to Chilkoot," 9th
,.fs told him as they rested and talked.
where YOU climb with hands and feet. "
Wait till You hit the canyon You'll
nave 10 cross a raging torrent ON a