Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-03-30

800 pounds one mile each Gay. II the.
made fifty pound packs 1t meant
daily walk Of sixteen miles loaded ant
of fifteen miles light because VI
don't back trip the last time" Kit ex
plained the pleasant discovery. Eight!
pound packs meant nineteen mile
travel each day, and 100 pound pack
meant only fifteen miles.
II don't like walking" said Kit
therefore 1 shall carry 100 pounds.
BE caught the grin OF incredulity OF
bis uncle's face and added hastily
.Of course l shall work up to It. IT
start with fifty"
He did and a,nbled gayly along th'
Trail. he dropped the sack at the mex
camp site and ambled back. 1t wal
easier than be had thought But twt
miles had rubbed OF the velvet Of BIZ
strength and exposed the underlying
softness. His second pack was sixty
Eve pounds. 1t was more difficult, ant
he no longer ambled. Several times
following the custom Of all packers. ht
sat down on the ground, resting thu
pack behind. him on a rock or stump
With the third pack he became bold
BE fastened the straps to ninety'dVe
pound sack Of beans and started Al
the end Of a hundred yards he fell
that he must collapse. BE sat down
and mopped bis face.
"Short hauls and short rests" he
muttered That's the trick"
Sometimes he did not make a bun
dred yards, and each time he struggled
to bis feet for another short haul the
pack became undeniably heavier. BE
painted for breath. and the sweat
streamed from him. Before he had GOV
cred a quarter of mile he stripped Of
his woolen shirt and hung 1t on tree
A little later he discarded his hat Al
the end of half mile he decided be
was finished AS be sat and painted
bis gaze fell upon the big revolver and
the heavy cartridge belt
"Ten pounds Of junkv he sneered as
he unbuckled 1t.
He did not bother to hang 1t on q
tree, but flung 1t into the underbrush.
His short hauls decreased. At times
q 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.
swat till you get to Chilkoot," 9th
ers told him as they rested and talked.
where you climb with hands and feet "
"Wait dll you hit the canyon. You'll
have to cross a raging torrent on u
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 u pack on your back there's
no getting ont of the straps You just
stay there and drown"
He and the sack Of beans became a
perambulating tragedy. 1t reminded
him of the Old Man Of the Sea who sat
on Sindbad's neck. Again and again
he was nearly seduced by the thought
Of abandoning the sack Of beans IN the
brush and of sneaking around the
camp to the beach and catching a
steamer for civilization
Before the mile pack was ended II
ever man was Il wreck he was. As
the end of the pack came In sight be
strained himself In desperation. gained
the camp site and pitched forward on
bis face, the beans on bis back 1t did
not kill him. but he lay for fifteen min
utes before be could summon sufficient
shreds Of strength to release himself
from the straps. Then he became
deathly sick and was so found by
Robbie, who had similar troubles OF
bis own.
"And | am twenty.seven years old
and a man." he privately assured him
self many times In the days that fol
lowed. There was need for it. At the
end Of a week. though be had sue
ceeded in moving bis 800 pounds for
ward a mile day, he had lost fifteen
pounds Of bis own weight His face
was lean and haggard. All residence
had gone out of bis body and mind.
he no longer walked. but plodded. and
on the back trips. travelling light bis
feet dragged almost as much as when
he was loaded.
He had become q work animal. he
fell asleep over his food, and bis sleep
was heavy and beastly save when ne
was aroused. screaming With agony.
by the cramps In his legs Every part
of him ached he tramped on raw
blistera
When they bad moved the outfit
across the foot logs at the mouth OF
the canyon they made q change IN
their plans Word had come across
the pass that at Lake Lindeman the
last available trees for building boats
we're being cut The two cousins, with
tools. whipsuw. blankets and grub on
their backs, went on. leaving Kit and
bis uncle to hustle along the outfit
John Bellew now shared the cooking
with Kit. and both packed shoulder to
shoulder. Time was flying, and on the
peaks the Hrst snow was falling. To
ha caught on, the wrong side Of the
pass meant delay Of nearly a year.
The older man put bis iron back
under 100 pounds Kit was shocked
but be gritted his teeth and fastened
bis own straps to 100 pounds. 1t
hurt, but he had learned the knack.
and his body. purged of all softness
and fat, was beginning to harden up
With lean and bitter muscle.
Also he observed and devised DE
took note of the head straps worn oy
the Indians and manufactured one Tor
himself. which be used In addition to
the shoulder straps. II made things
easier, 80 that be began the practice
of piling any light cumbersome piece
of luggage ON top. Thus be was soon
able to bend along with 100 pounds In
the straps. fifteen or twenty more ",
Ing loosely ON top the pack and against
his neck, an az or u pair OF oars IN
one hand and In the other the nesteo
cooking pals Of the camp.
But work as they would the toll IN
ri, yuo6.