Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-04-06

LONGER gave orders, and their one ~
sire was to gain Dawson.
The last night ashore was spent b.
tween the mouths Of the White h]ee
and the Stewart. At daylight they
found the Yukon. bali q mile vide.
running white from Ice trimmed bank
30 Ice trimmed bank.
We'll be the last boat this ye6 -
make Dawson" Kit said
'"But they ain't no water. Smoke"
.Then well ride the Ice d0wn.
Come on"
Fuulely protesting. Spragus ana
Slime were bundled on board Foe
half an hour with axes Kit and Shorty
struggled to cut a way into the swift
but solid stream. When they did sue-
ceed In clearing the shore Ice the mat
Ing ice forced the boat along the edgs
for a hundred yards. tearing away bali
Of one gunwale and making pardal
wreck of It Then at the lower end 0f
the bend they caught the current that
nung Of shore.
They proceeded to work farthss TO-
ward the middle. The stream was 10
longer composed Of mush ICE, but OF
hard cakes. In between the cakes
only was mush Ice that froze solidiy
an they looked at II Showing With the
oars agninst the cakes. sometimes
climbing out on the cakes In order 70
force the boat along. aftss an hsaf
they gained the middle.
Five minutes after they ceased theh
exertons the boat was frozen In. The
whole river was c0agulatins as Il ran.
Cake froze to cake until at last tie
boat was the center Of cake seventy
Hye feet in diameter. Sometimes tbey
noated sidewise. sometimes stern nrst.
while gravity tore asunder the forming
letters In the moving mass. only to b
manacled by foster forming ones.
Night came. and after many enortl
they gave up the attempt to force ~
boat to shore. and through the dark
ness they swept helpIessiy onward
Their speed began to diminish and
cakes Of Ice to upend and crash ami
smash about them. The river waa
jamming. One cake. forced upward,
slid across their cake and carried one
side Of the boat away. II did not sne'
for its own cake still upbOre It. but Ia
q whiri they saw dark water show fos
an instant within foot Of them. Then
all movement ceased.
At the end Of half an hour the whole
river picked Itself up and began to
move This continued for an hour
when again It was brought to rest By
a Jam. Once again It started. running
swiftly and savagely. With great
grinding. Then they saw lights ashone
and when abreast gravity and the 70
kon surrendered. and the river ceased
for six montha
For three days Kit and Shorty laboe
ed carrying the ton and a bali outa'
from the middle Of the river to the loa
cabin Stine and sprague had bought
on the bill overlooking Dawson. T1
work finished. In the warm cabin q
twilight was falling Sprague motioned
Kit to him Outside the thermomete'
registered Us below zero.
"Your full! month isn't up. Smoke
Eprague said But here It b In full
I wish you luck
"How about the agreementT XII
asked "You know there's famine
here. You agreed
II know Of no agreement" spragsd
interrupted. DO you. shne7 We IN
gagged you by the month. There's youi
pay. VIII you sign the receipt"
Kits hands clinched. and for the Gao
ment be saw red Both men shranl
away from him. Shorty saw bis trou
BILE and interposed.
Look here. Smoke. amt trarel0
no more with a onery outfit like this
Right here's where sure jump It
You an ne stick together. Savvyl
Now. you take your blankets and bffs
down to the Elkhorn. Wait for ma
III settle up. collect what's comm an
give them what's comm. amt nc
good ON the water. but my feet's on
terry Hrmy now. an I'm goin' to make
smoke"
Halt an hour afterward shorty ap
peared at the Elkhorn From nil
bleeding knuckies and the skin of ons
cheek II was evident that he had given
Slime and Sprague what was coming.
"You ought to see that cabin" b
chuckled as they stood at the bae
.Roughhouse ain't no name for T.
Dollars to doughnuts nary one OF 'em
shows up on the street for week.
AN now it's all nggered out for yod
an me. Grub's q dollar an half q
pound. They amt no work for wages
without you have Jour own grub
Moose meats sellin' for - pound. an
they amt none. We got enough money
for q months grub an ammunition,
an we hike up the Klondike to the
back country. II they amt no moose
We 20 an live with the Indians. But
II we amt got 5000 pounds OF meat
six weeks from now rll-I'Il sure &c
back an apologize to our bosses 10 y
q GOT"
Kits hand went out, and they shook
Then be faltered- II don't know any
thing about hunting" hs said.
Shorty lifted his glass. "But you're
4 sure meat enter. an ri learn yOu."
CHAPTER,
The stampede to squaw Creek.
- wO months after Smoke Bel.
lew and Shorty went aftes
moose for grubstnke they