Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-08-14

moccasln' impression. Smoke
in the lead, pressed the fragile crystals
down under his fat, short snowshoes.
The task required lungs and muscle.
and he flung himself into 1t with all his
strength
Behind, on the surface he packed,
strained the string of six dogs, the
steam Jets Of their breathing attestlng
| their labor and the lowness Of the tenn
perature. Between the wheel dog and
the sled toiled Shorty, his weight dI.
vided between the guiding gee pole and
the haul, for he was pulling with the
dogs. Every half hour he and Smoke
exchanged places, for the snowshoe
work was even more arduous than that
Of the gee pole.
This was their sixth day out from
the lively camp Of Mucluc, on the Yu-
kon. And now they were breastlng the
big divide past the Bald buttes, where
the way would lead them down Por-
cupine creek to the middle reaches Of
Milk river, Higher up MIX river, It
was fairly rumored, were deposits Of
copper. And this was their goal-a
bill Of pure copper half a mile to the
right and up the first creek after Milk
river issued from deep gorge to flow
across a heavily tlmbered stretch Of
! bottom.
Smoke was in the lead, and the small
scattered spruce trees were becoming
scarcer and smaller when he saw one,
dead and bone dry, that stood in their
path There was no need for speech.
His glance to Shorty was acknowl-
edged by stentorlan "Whoar The
dogs stood in the traces till they saw
Shorty begn to undo the sed Iashlngs
ana Smoke attack the dead spruce with
an AK, whereupon the animals dropped
In the snow and curled into balls, the
bush Of eacll tail curved to cover four
padded feet and an Ice trimmed muzzle.
| In twenty minutes from the time they
matted the meal was ready to eat
About forty below" Shorty mumbled
through a mouthful Of beans. Hope
1t don't get colder-or wnrmer neither.
It's just right for trail brrakin'."
Smoke did not answer His own
mouth full Of beans, he had chanced to
glance at the lead dog lying hOlf a
dozen feet away That gray. frosty
wolf was gazing at him with the in
Unite wlstfulness and yearning that
gllmmer and haze so often In the eyes
OF northland dogs. Smoke knew Ii
well, but never got over the unfathom-
able wonder OF It,
AS II to shake Off the hypnotism he
set down his plate and coffee cup, went
to the sled and began opening the dried
fish sack.
"HeyF Shorty expostulated. "What
r you doln'Y"
Breaking all law, custom, precedent
and trail usage" Smoke replied, I'm
going to feed the dogs In the middle Of
the day-just this once. Bright there
has been talking to me, telling me all
UNRELIABLE things with those eyes of
him.
Shorty laughed skeptlcally. "oh, IL
It's hunch, so to II. A mans always
got to follow his lunches"
1T Isn't a bunch, Shorty. Bright Just
sort Of got on my Imagination for
couple Of twists, He told me more in
one minute with those eyes OF bis than
could read In tho books in a thousand
years. His eyes were a.crawl with the
secrets Of life. They were Just sQuIrm-
ing and wriggllng there. The trouble
IS almost got them, and then didn't
I'm no wiser than was before, but |
was near them.n
Boiled down into simple American,
you got hunch," Shorty insisted.
somethln's goin' to happen before
the day is out. You'll see, An them
dried hsh'll have a bearIn."
You've got to show me-" said
Smoke.
NO, amt The dayll take care Of
Itself an show you. Now, listen to
what I'm tellln' you. got a huneh
myself out OF your hunch. I'll bet
e'eVen ounces against three ornery
toothpicks I'm right"
You bet the toothplcks, and I'll bet
the ounces" Smoke returned.
Nope, That'd be plain robbery.
WIN know hunch when II tickles
me- Before the days out somethln' VI
happen an them fsh'll have a mean