The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-09-14

Don't do that, son, or you'll wear
sphnts for the rest Of the trip"
whats the matter with him, any
how" Dan inquired. "He was boil
ing over with enthusiasm all day, but
now-why, he's asleep sitting up! He
hasn't moved for twenty minutes"
Tom shook his head, ~dislodging a
swarm of mosquitoes.
walk on your toes, my boy. Walk
on your toes. / smell something cook
ing, and it amt supper"
When food was served O'Neil made
a pretense Of eating, but rose suddenly
in the midst Of 1t with the words:
"Ill stretch my legs a bit" His
voice was strangely ~listless. In his
eyes was the same abstraction which
had troubled Appleton during the aft
ernOOn. He left the camp and disap-
! peared up the bank Of the stream.
Nice place to take a walk" the en-
gineer observed. Hell bog down in
half q mile or get lost among the
sloughs."
Darkness had settled when O'Neil re-
appeared. He came plunging out Of
the brush, drenched, muddy, stained
by contact with the thickets, but his
former mood had disappeared, and In
it's place was "a harsh, explosive en-
ergy.
Tom" he cried, you and Appleton
and l will leave at daylight. The men
will wait here until we get back" His
voice was incisive. It's tone forbade
question.
The youthful engineer stared at him
in dismay, for only his anxiety had
triumphed over his fatigue, and day
light was but four hours away. O'Neil
noted the expression and said more
gently:
you're tired, Appleton, l know, but
in working for me you'll be called
then. l may not demand more than
an extra hour from you; then again
may demand a week straight without
sleep. I'll never ask it unless it's nee
essary and unless I'm ready to do my
share"
Yes, sir"
1.-The sacrifice is big, but the pay is
bigger. Loyalty is all | require"
I'm ready now, sir"
1--WE can't see to travel before dawn.
Help Tom load the lightest boat with
ratiOns for five days. If we run short
We'll 'siwash' it." He kicked off his
rubber boots, upended them t. drain
the water out, then flung himself upon
his bed of boughs and was asleep al,
most before the two had recovered
from their surprise.
give days or longer." Slater said
gloomily as he and Dan began their
preparations. And me with indiges'
tom
"What does it mean?" queried APP
pleton.
at means I'll probably succumb."
mo, no! What's the meaning Of this
change of plan? l can't understand
it,"
"You don't need to-" Happy Tom
informed him CURLY. There was a look
Of solicitude in his face as he added
II wish I'd made him take off his wei
clothes before he went to Sleep"
Lets wake him up"
But Slater shook his head. I'D soon
err wake a rattlesnake," said he.
O'Neil reused the members Of his ex
petition while the sky was reddenine
family, for he had a mind which work
ed like an alarm clock. All excep'
Appleton had worked for him before
and the men accepted his orders tt
await his return with no appearance o.
surprise.
With the first clear light he and his
two companions set out, rowing vi the
estuary of the Salmon until the cur
rent became too swift to stem in tina
manner. Then landing, they rugged
E bride" for the skiff, fitted their shout
ders to loops in a ninety foot tow rope
and began to track" their craft W
! against the stream. 1t was heart
: breaking work. Frequently they were
waist deep in the cold water. Ions
"~sweepers" with tips awash in thu
flood interfered with their efforts. TIL,
many branches Of the stream forced
them to make repeated crossings, TO
the delta was no more than an endles,
series of islands through which thu
current swirled. When dusk overtool
them they were wet. weary and veal
| from hunger. With the dawn the.
r were up and at it again. but their tasl
became constantly more difficult be
cause Of the floating glacier ice. which
increased with every mile. They wer,
obliged to exercise the EXTREMIST eau
ton. Hour after hour they straine,
against the current until the ropes bi
into their aching flesh. bringing raw
places out on neck and palm. Hou
after hour the ice went churning past
and through 1t all came the intermit
tent echo of the caving glaciers ahea,
Of them.
Dan Appleton realized very sool
whittier the journey vas leading, an,
: at thought Of actually facing those ter
rors which doomed so large in conjec
ture his pulses began to leap. He ha,
= a suspicion of O'Neil'S intent. bu