Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-08-07

kept II secret for a long time, and 1t
only now that It's coming out. Goo
dog teams will be at premium in an
other twenty-four hours. Now, yOu'v
got to get away as decently as you ca
as soon as dinner Is over An India
Will come with a message for you
, You read II, let on that you're YER
much put out, make your excuses am
get away"
I-er-I fail to follow"
"Ninnyp she exclaimed. what yOl
must do is to get out tonight and hus
tie dog teams. know Of two There's
Hanson's team-seven big Hudson bay
dogs. He's holding them at $500 each
That's top price tonight, but 1t wont
be tomorrow. And Sltka Charley has
eight Malemutes he's asking $500 for
Tomorrow he'll laugh at an offer OF
$1,000. Then you've got your own
team Of dogs. And you'll have to buy
seVeral more teams. It's dogs as well
as men that will win this race. It's
40 miles, and you'll have to relay as
frequently as you can"
"Oh, see; you want me to 60 in
for itF' Smoke drawled. "But aren't
you afraid this Is gambllng?"
TITS a sporting proposition. II that's
what you mean-a race for million
and with some OF the stiffest dog
mushers and travellers In the country
entered against you. Big Olaf Is In
town. He Is one Of the most terrible
dog mushers In the country, and II he
enters he Will be your most dangerous
man.
Arizona Bill is another He has
been a professional freighter and mail
carrier for years. II he goes in, inter-
est will be centered on him and Big
Olaf"
"And you intend me to come along
as a sort Of dark borse2
She nodded and continued earnestly:
Remember, | shall never forgive my.
self for the trick played on the
Squaw creek stampede unless you win
this Mono claim. And II any man can
win this race against the old timers
It's you"
II was the way she said II. He felt
warm all over and in his heart and
head. He gave her quick, searching
look, involuntary and serious, and for
the moment that her eyes met his
steadIly ere they fell 1t seemed TO him
that he read something Of vaster i'm,
port than the claim Cyrus Johnson had
failed TO record.
"Tll do It," be said. "I'll win t."
Smoke had Travelled in lelsurely
fashion up to Mono creek Also he
had famllInrized himself with every |
mile OF the trail and located relay
camps
SO many men had entered the big
race that the 40 miles OF It's course
were almost Il continuous village. Re.
ny cnmps We're everywhere along the
trail.
Won Schroeder, who had gone In
purely for the sport had no less than !
eleven dog teams-a fresh one for ev.
Try ten miles, Arizona Bill had been
'orced to content himself with eight
cams. Big OLAF had seven, which was
no complement OF Smoke. In add.
lon' over twoscore OF other men wero
n the running.
NO q below Discovery was ten miles
Up Mono creek from its mouth. The
100 miles were TO be run ON
he frozen breast Of tho Yukon On
80. Itself were llfty tents and over
40 dogs. The old stakes, blazed and
crawled sixty days before by Cyrus
ohnson, stIll stood, and every man had
ono over the boundaries OF the claim
gain aud ngaln, for tho race with tho
ogs was to be preceded by a foot ana
bstacle race.
Each man IN the contest had 10 re-
ocate the claim for himself. ana this
Meant that he must place two center
Mhes and four corner stakes and
ross the creek twice before he could
TART for Dawson with his dogs.
Not untll tho stroke OF midnight OF
riuay night was the claim open for
eloeauon, and not until the stroke az
Midnight could a man plant stake
.nls was the ruling OF the geld com.
missioner at Dawson, aud CAPTAIN
onsadlne had sent up squad OF
aouhted police 10 enforce t.
lhe Mono trail ran along the level
reeN bed and, less than two reet in
,'u'h' was Ike u groove. walled ON al.
ner SIDE by tho snowfall OF months
no problem OF how forty odd slcds
hu SOO dogs were to start m so
mind. N''''oouy
uuh'' said Shorty, "Ira roIo' n ho
10 gosh dangdcst mlyup that evcr
.'s can't see NO way out. Smoke
A'ept main strength an sweat an, n
low through, got hunch right now ,
lrys goln' to be heap OF scrapnln,
e'oN they got strung out An If snv
{ u comes our way you got to let ma J
. tue punchin' You can't handle tors
hundred mlles with a busted knnct.
|, an. that's whatll happen Il Won
nd on somebody's Jaw. wv !
AN Just rcmembor" shorty won't f,
= that got to do an the shown for =
lem urt ten miles, an you ro, N
he N u easy as you can IN sure ierk !,
~ through TO the Yukon. Say. what :,
Wv tnink schmedcr's scheme isY Has y
y n's urst team a quarter Of a milo y
'Wh the creek, an hell know n nv u
I