Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-04-13
SMOKE
BELLEW
By
JACK
LONDON
IcoNr1NUED.l
copyrisht. 1914. BY the Whselse
Syndicate


N~~~~~>~~~>~~~
IcoNT1NUED.l
They're leadin' the procession" /"
Smoke said as darkness fell again
@Come ON, let's get them"
At the end Of half an hour. not yet
having overtaken the two In front,
Shorty broke into a run. III we catch
'em wen never pass EN-" be painted
Lord, what a pace they're hittin''
They're the real sour dough variety.
you can stack on that"
Smoke was leading when they final
y caught up. and he was glad to ease
10 q walk at their heels Almost i'm
mediately he got the impression that
the one nearer him was a woman.
How this impression came be could
not tell Hooded and furred. the dark
form was as any form. yet there was
4 haunting sense Of familiarity about It
"How do you do. Miss GastellT
Smoke addressed her.
"How do you dor she answered.
with q turn Of the head and q quick
glance. Its too dark to see Who
are your
Smoke"
She laughed In the frost, and be was
certain It was the prettiest laughter he
had ever heard "How many cheka-
kos are there behindT
.several thousand, imagine We
passed over 300"
"Its the old story" she said bitterly.
The newcomers get in on the rich
creeks and the old timers, who dared
and suffered and made this country.
get nothing. Old timers made this dis
covery on Squaw creek-how 1t leaked
out Is the mystery-and they sent word
up to all the old timers on Sea Lion.
But it's ten miles farther than Daw'
son. and when they arrive they'll find
the creek staked to the sky line by
the Dawson chekakos."
1T Is too bad" Smoke sympathized.
"But I'm hanged If know what you
are going to do about It"
IT wish I could do something" she
flashed back at him. "I'd like to see
them all freeze on the trail or have
everything terrible happen to them. 30
long as the Sea Lion stampede arrived
Hrst And now. II you'll forgive my
TRADE. I'll save my breath, for don't
know when you and all the rest may
try to pass dad and me-"
No further talk passed between Joy
and Smoke for an hour or 30. though
he noticed that for time she and her
father talked in low tones
~ know 'em now" Shorty told
Smoke. Hes old Louis Gastell. an
the real go,ks That must be his kid
he come into this country 30 long ago
they amt nobody can recollect an he
brought the girl with him. she only a
baby" :.
81 don't think wen try to pass them"
Smoke said. Were at the head OF
the stampede. and there are only four
Of Ms"
Another hour OF silence followed.
during which they swung steadily
along. At Z o'clock the blackness was
broken by a last display OF the aurora
borealis, which showed to the west q
broad opening between snow clad
mountains.
"Sauaw creekr' Joy exclaimed.
aGoin' some" Shorty exulted
II was at this point that the Dyea
trail. bafled by ice Jams. swerved ao-
ruptly across the Yukon to the east
bank. And here they must leave the
hard hacked. main Travelled trail. mount
the tams and follow a dim trail but
slightly packed that hovered the west
bank.
Louis Gastell, leading. slipped in the
darkness on the rough Ice and sat up
holding his ankle in both bis hands
He struggled to his feet and went on
but at q slower pace and with q per
ceptible limp. After few minutes ne
abruptly halted.
.It's no use," he said to his daugh'
ter. "Tve sprained tendon. You 90
ahead and stake for me as well as
yourself"
Cant we do somethingT Smoke
asked
Louis Gastell shook his head. "she
can stake two claims as well as one
I'll crawl over to the bank. start nrs
and bandage my ankle. I'll be al
right Go on. Joy. Stake ours above
the Discovery claim. Its richer high
er up"
"Here's some birch bark" Smoke
said, dividing his supply equally
even take care Of your daughter"
Louis Gastell laughed harshly
Thank you Just the same" he said
.but she can take care of herself Fol
low her and watch her"
do you mind If l lead?" she asket
Smoke as she headed on. Il kno"
this country better than you"
Lead on" Smoke answered gallant
h, though l agree with you it's darI
shame all us chekakos are going Il
beat that Sea Lion bunch to It. ISM
there some way to shake themT
She shook her head. I'VE can't hidt
our trail and they'll follow 1t hk'
sheep"
After a quarter Of mile she turnee
sharply to the west Smoke noticed
that they were going through unpack
| ed snow, but neither he nor Shorty OBJ
served that the dim trail they had
been on still led south Had they Wit
messed the subsequent procedure o.
Louis Gastell the history Of the Klon
dixie would have been written diner
emily, for they would have seen tina
old timer, no longer hmping. running
with his nose to the trail like hound
following them; also they would have
l 49, vanilla and xufdor tho turT