The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-12-16
s large pacR. Kit swung In behind.


'I,au ami the grace and ease with
which ne moved along under his bur
'.en The indian dropped his pack On
he scales in front of the post. and Kit
joined the group Ut admiring gold rush
erS who surrounded nlm The pack
weighed l2I pounds, which fact wnS
uttered back and forth III tones of awe
fioing to Lake l.inGenIan with it,
,lG mau:" Kit asked
The indihn swelling with pride.
eruuted an affirmative
Here Kit slid out of the conversation
\ young wpii,an standing in the door
Hay had caught his eye. Unlike other
Women landing trou the steamers, she
WIS neither short sklrted nor bloomer
clad. Sae WAS dressed iis any woman
travelling anywhere would be dressed
The bright beauty aud colcr of her
oval face held him. and he looked over
iong--iooked till she resented. and her
own eyes, long dashed and dark. met
his in COO! survey. From his face they
travelled iu evident amusement down
to the big revolver at his thigh. Then
her eyes canle 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 pan. who looked like tramp In
his cheap overalls aud dilapidated
wooien jacket. srinned dryly. and kit
felt withered, though he knew not why
Did you see that man with the
girl;" Kits ueighbor asked him excit-
edly. Know who he is!'
Kit shook his head.
"Cariboo Charley He was just
pointed out to me. He struck it big on
klondke, Old timer Been on the
Yukon Il dozen years. He's just come
out"
What does 'chekako' meany" Kit
asked.
You're one; I'm one" was the an.
swer-'tenderfoot"
Kits tirsI pack WAS success. Up
10 Finneg;us Crossing they bad man
aged to get Indians to carry the $500
pound outfit. From that point their
own backs must do the work. They
planned to move forward at the rate
Of a mile Il day. 1t looked easy-on
paper.
Since John Bellew was to stay III
camp and do the cooking, he would be
unable to make more than an occa-
sioDal pack. So to each Of the three
young men fell the task Of carrying
800 pounds one miIe each day. II they
made fifty pound packs it meant
daily walk of sixteen miles loaded and
of fifteen miles light. BECAUSE we
planned the pleasant discovery. Eighty
pound packs meant nineteen miles
travel each day. and 100 pound packs
meant only fifteen miles.
Il don't like walking" said Kit,
therefore | shall carry 100 pounds"
he caught the grin OF incredulity on
his uncle's face and added hastily:
"Ot 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 he 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. he
hn a
pack behind him on a rock or stump.
With the third pack be became bold
He fastened the straps to ninety-fve
pound sack of beans and started. AT
the end Of hundred yards he felt
that be must collapse. He sat down
and mopped bis face.
"Short hauls and short rests" he
muttered. That's the trick"
Sometimes be did not make hun
dred yards. and each time he struggled
to his feet for another short haul the
pack became undeniably heavier. He
painted for breath, and the sweat
streamed from him. Before he had COW
cred quarter Of a mile he stripped off
his woolen shirt and hung it on tree.
A little later he discarded his hat. At
the end Of half mile he decided be
was finished. As be sat and painted
his gaze fell upon the big revolver and
the heavy cartridge belt.
Ten pounds Of junkY he sneered as
he unbuckled it.
He did not bother to hang it on
h,,& fn+o ho
His short hauls decreased. at times
Il hundred feet was all he could stag
ger. and then the ominous pounding Of
his heart against his eardrums and the
sickening tottering of his knees COM
PEELED him to rest. And his rests grew
longer. But his mind was busy. 1t
was a twenty-eight mile portage. which
represented as many days. and this by
all accounts was the easiest part of it.
wait till you get to Chilkoot." 9th
ers told him as they rested and talked.
where you climb with hands and feet"
Wait till you hit the canyon. You'll
have to cross u raging torrent on a
sixty foot pine tree. No guide ropes.
nothing. and the water boiling ut the
sag of the log to your knees. Ii you
fall with il pack on your back there's
no getting out of the straps. You just
stay there and drown"
He and the sack of beans became
perambnlating tragedy. 1t reminded
him of the Old Man of the Sea who Sat
OH Sindbad's neck. Again and again
be was nearly seduced by the thought
of abandoning the sack of beans in the
brush and OF sneaking around the
| ramp to the beach and catching ii
steamer for ciyiliZa ton