The Bossier banner., 1915-12-30
Smoke BelIeW.
Continued from Page One.

midst OF soft snow and veiled under
later snpwfaIls was line of irregular
tuinmocks If oue's foot missed Il
hn!nmock he plunged down through
unpacked SNOW and usually to Il fall.
Also. the moose hunter had been an
exceptionally long legged individual.
Joy. who WAS eager now that the TWO
men should stake and fearing that they
We're slackenins their pace on account
Of her evident weariileSS. insisted on
tax ing her turn in the lead. The speed
and manner In which she negotiated
the precarious footing called out
Shorty's unqualified approval
Look at her." be cried shes the
real goods an the red meat Look ut
them moccasins swing along: No high
heels there! She uses the legs God
gave her. She's the right squaw for
any bear hunter
Looking back MS they came TO the
bank nf SQuaw creek they could see
the stampede. strung ont irrrgl!arty,
struggling along the descent OF the di
vide.
They slipped down the bank to the
creek bed. no recent feet had disturb
ed the snow that lay upon its Ice. and
they knew they We're above the Dis
corery claim and the last stakes Of the
Sea Lion stampederS.
Look ont for springs 10y warned
as Smoke led the way down the Greek.
AT ~ below you'll lose your feet il
you break through"
These springs. common to most klon-
dixie strea Ills. never cease at the lowest
temperatures. A man stepping on dry
SHOW might break through half an inch
of Ice skin and find himself up to the
knees In water. In five minutes. un-
less able to remove the wet gear. the
loss Of ones feet was the penalty.
They watched for Il blaZed tree on
either bank. which would show the
center stake of the last claim located.
JOY. i,npulsively eager. was the first to
find It, She darted ahead of Smoke
crying:
Somebody's been there: See the
SNOW. l.apk for the blaze. There it
denly to her waist in the SNOW. Now
I've done it." she said woefuly. Then
she cried: Don't come near me. III
wade out"
Step by step. each tine breaking
through the thin skin OF Ice concealed
under the dry snow. she forced her
way to solid footing. Smoke did not
wait. but sprang to the bank. where
dry and seasoned twigs and sticks.
lodged among the brush by spring
freShets. waited the match By the
time she reached his side the first
tlames and hickers OF an assured fire
were rising.
sit down." be commanded
She obediently sat down IN the snow
He slipped his pack from his back and
spread Il blanket for her feet
From above cume the voices OF the
stampeders who followed them.
LET Shorty stake" she urged.
Go on. Shorty" Smoke said as he
| attacked her moccasins. already stiff
with Ice. "Pace off IL thousand feel
and place the two center stakes. We
| can fix the corner stakes afterward."
With his knife Smoke cut away the
| lacings and leather of the mocasins
| So stiff were they with ice that thes
snapped and cracked under the hack
! ing and saving. The siwaSil socks ana
| heavy wo0len stockings were Sheath>
| OF ice. 1t was as if her feet and c;ilve.
were incased in corrugated iron
How are your feet:" he asked as he
worked.
Pretty numb. cant move or fee
| my toes. But it will be all right Tht
FIRE is burning beautifully Watch ou
you don't freeze your hands. They
must be numb now from the wa,
you're fumbling."
He slipped his mittens on and fol
| nearly a minute smashed the opeI
hands savagely against his sides. Wher
he felt the blood prickle he pulled of
the mittens and ripped and tore and
sawed and hacked ut the frozen gar
/ ments The white skin Of one foot ap
peared, then that OF the other. to bs
exposed to the bite Of 20 below zero.
| Then came the rubbing with snow
carried on with I'm intensity of crue
ferceness. till she $quirmed and shranl
and moved her toes and joyous!y com
planned OF the hurt He half dragged
her and she half lifted herself neare
| to the fire. He placed her feet on tn,
! blanket close to the flesh saving flames
You'll have to take care of them fo
awhile" he said
She could now safely remove be-
/ inittens and work and manipulate, he
own feet with the wisdom of the ini
tiated being watchful that the heat o
the fire was absorbed slowly. Will,
she did this be attacked his hands. TIL,
SNOW did not melt or moiSten 1t
light crystals were like so much sand
Slowly the stings and pangs Of circu
lation came back into the chilled flesh
Then he tended the iirp. unstrappet
the light pack from her back and 80
out a complete change of footgear
! ohotts ietuiuetl tiioIl- tiie Siech Ue'
and climbed the bank to them Il sur
staked a full thousnn' feet" he pro
claimed. NO. 81 an No. 2S. thoug
I'd only got the upper stake of .
when | met the first geezer of th
bunch behind. He just straight declar
ed wasn't goin' to stake 2S. An
told him
Yes. yes" Joy cried. What did yo1
tell him?''
We'll. | told him straight that if b.
didn't back up plumb 500 feet I'd sur
punch his froZe nose into ice cream an
chocolate eclairs. He backed up. m