Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-06-01
SMOKE
BELLEW
By
JACK
LONDON

copyitha. 1914. BY the Whseaes {
Syndicate
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CHAPTER XXI.
Captured by Indians.
- MOKE, sitting on the edge OF
- sleeping robe, examined the
- feet Of q dog he had rolled,
snarling, on its back In the
snow.
We've got to rest over tomorrow
and make moccasins," he vouchsafed
THAT little crust Is playing the devil
with their feet"
I'VE oughta keep goin' somehow"
Shorty objected. I'VE amt got grub
enough to turn back with, and we gotta
strike that run Of caribou or them
white Indians almighty soon or we'll
be eatin' the dogs. sore feet an all
Now, who even seen them white In
dams anyway? Nothin' but hearsay.
An how can a Indian be white?
Smoke, we just gotta travel tomor-
row.
they'll travel all the better with a
days rest for their feet and moccasins
all around" Smoke counseled. IF you
get a chance at any low divide take a
peep over the country beyond. We're
likely to strike open rolling country
any time now. That's what La Perle
told US to look for"
Huh! BY his own story 1t was ten
wears ago that La Perle come through
this section, an he was that loco from
hunger he couldn't know what he did
see. An he said himself he never seen
any white Indians. That was Anton's
yarn. An Anton kicked the bucket
two years before you an me come to
Alaska. But I'll take look tomorrow.
An mebbe l might pick up moose"
Smoke spent the morning In camp
sewing dog moccasins. At noon he
cooked a meal for two and began to
look for Shorty's return. An hour LAT.
or he strapped on his snowshoes ana
went out on his partners trail.
The way led up the bed Of the stream
through q narrow gorge that widened
suddenly into a moose pasture. But no
moose had been there since the frst
snow Of the preceding fall. The tracks
Of Shorty's snowshoes crossed the pas
ture and went up the easy slope OF q
low divide. At the crest Smoke halted.
The tracks continued down the other
slope. The first spruce trees. IN the
creek bed, were mile away. and 1t
was evident that Shorty had passed
through them and gone on. Smoke
looked at his watch, remembered the
oncoming darkness, the dogs and the
camp and reluctantly decided against
going farther.
Until midnight Smoke maintained a
huge fire for the guidance OF Shorty.
And In the morning. waiting with
camp broken and dogs harnessed for
the first break of light, Smoke took up
the pursuit In the narrow pass OF
the canyon his lead dog pricked up his
ears and whined. Then Smoke came
upon the Indians, six Of them, coming
toward him. They were travelling light,
without dogs. and on each mans back
was the smallest Of outfits.
Surrounding Smoke, they immediate
" gave him several matters for sur
prise. That they were looking for him
was clear. That they talked no Indian
tongue Of which he knew word was
also quickly made clear. They were
not white Indians, though they were
taller and heavier than the Indians OF
the Yukon basin. Five Of them carried
the old fashioned. long barreled Hud-
son Bay company musket. and in the
hands of the sixth was Winchester
rife which Smoke knew to be Shorty's.
Nor did they waste time In making
him a prisoner. Unarmed himself,
Smoke could only submit The contents
of the sled were distributed among
their own packs. and he was given a
pack composed Of his and Shorty's
sleeping furs. The dogs were unhar-
messed, and when Smoke protested one
Of the Indians by signs indicated q
trail too rough for sled travel. Smoke
bowed to the Inevitable, cached the
sled end on in the snow on the bank
above the stream and trudged on with
his captors.
The first night was spent in a camp
which had been occupied for several
days Here was cached a quantity Of
dried salmon and sort Of pemmican,
which the Indians added to their packs
From this camp trail Of many snow
shoes led ofr-Shorty's captors, was
Smokes conclusion-and before dark
ness fell he succeeded In making out
the tracks Shorty's narrower snowshoee
had left
Always in the days that followed
they pointed north. and always the
trail. turning and twisting through q
jumble of outstanding peaks. rended
north.
In six days they gained and crossed
the central pass, low in comparison
with the mountains it threaded, yet
formidable in itself and not possible
for loaded sleds. Five days more OF
tortuous winding. from lower altitude
to lower altitude, brought them to the
open. rolling and merely billy country
La Perle had found ten years before.
Smoke knew 1t with the first glimpse
Far as he could see rolled the open
country. High In the east the Rockies
still thrust their snowy ramparts heav'
onward. To the south and west ex'
tended the broken ranges Of the pro.
jecting spur system they had crossed
And in this vast pocket lay the coun
try La Perle had traversed-snow
blanketed, but assuredly fat with game
at some time in the year and in the
summer a smiling. forested and dow
cred land.
Before midday, travelling down q
broad stream. they came upon the site
Of a large camp. recently abandoned
Glancing as he went by It Smoke es