Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-07-17
CHAPTER v.
The stampede to squaw Creek

RwA WO months after Smoke Bel
lew and shorty went after
moose for a grubstake they
we're back In the ElkhOrn sa-
loon at Dawson Tue hunting was
done, the meat hauled In and sold for
$3.50 pound, and between them they
possessed 5000 In gold dust and
good team of dogs, They had played
In luck. Despite the fact that the gold
rush had driven the game a hundred
miles or more into the mountains, they
had within half that distance bagged
four moose In a narrow canyon.
The mystery Of the strayed animals
was no greater than the luck Of their
killers, for within the dny four fam
lshed Indian families, reporting no
game in three days journey back.
camped beside them. Meat was trad.
ed for starving dogs, and after a week
Of feeding Smoke and Shorty harness
ed the animals and began ireighting
the meat to the eager Dawson market,
The problem Of the two men now
was to turn their gold dust into food.
The current price for flour and beans
was Sl.5O pound. but the difficulty
was to lind a seller, Dawson was In the
throes Of famine. Hundreds Of men,
with money, but no food had been com
PEELED to leave the country,
Smoke met Shorty in the warm sa.
loon and found the latter jubilant.
Life amt no pumpkins without
whisky an sweetenln'," was Shorty's
greeting rs be pulled Jumps OF ice
from his thawing mustnche and flung
them rattling on to the floor. AN |
sure just got eighteen pounds Of that
same sweeteniD', The gee2er only
charged 50 a pound for it. What luck
did you have"
81, too, have not been idle" Smoke
answered with pride. u bought fifty
pounds OF flour And there's man up
on Adam creek who says he'll let me
have afty pounds more tomorrow
Great! Wen sure live till the river
opens, Come on an have a drink. |
just got to celebrate them eighteen
pounds OF sweetenin'.'
Several minutes later, as be weighed
in on the gold scales FOR the drinks, be
gave a start OF recollection.
Il plumb forgot that man was to
meet In the TiyoH. He's got some
spoiled bacon he'll sell for a dollar an
a half a pound, We can feed Il to the
dogs, so long"
Hardly had Shorty left the place
when a fur clad man entered through
the double storm doors. His face light.
ed at sight OF Smoke, who recognized
bin as Breck, the man whose boat
they had run through the Box canyon
and the White Horse rapids.
~ heard you were In town" Breck
said hurriedly. Been looking FOR Won
Tor half an hour Come outside; /
want to talk with you"
AS they emerged Smoke drew on
one nitten, lighted a match and Clapc
ed at the thermometer that hung be.
side the door He remittened his max.
ed hand hastily, as Il the frost had
burned him.
What did II sayY' Breck asked
sixty below. An hour aro II wns
only o. Don't tell me it's stampede"
1T IS Breck whispered back eau.
uous!y' "You know sQuaw creek
emrties In on the other side the Yu.
Ron, thirty miles up;"
Nothing doing there" was Smokes
Judgment 1T was prospected years
agu" '>"''
so were all The other rich creets
Listen It's big. Only eight 10 twenty
leet to bedrock There won't be ,
claim that doesn't run to half a million
us a dead secret Two or three OF NV
close friends let me in on II. | told
my wife right away that | was going
70 und you before started. Now. 80
,ons My packs hidden down Tho
u'aS' In fact, when they told me thew
a''Ne ~ me promise not to pull orr un,il
UoWson was asleep. You know who,
" means II you're seen with a STAN.
ssIlas ,',, outht Get your partner nnd
'o.iow 10y, fou ought to stake fourth ar
Inn m claim from Discovery. Don, for.
se'-sQuaw creek. It's the third ot,sr
'Ul pass Swede creek"
When Smoke entered the llttls c.n,,
su ,. In' hillside back Of Dawson no
'ea,l a heavy, familiar breathing
s-,.',. Aw' % to bed" Shorty mumbled =.
smoke ,. shook bis shoulder.
~, SNk into your Clothes snos.
sid $40. We've 80, to stake a counls .VSS J,