Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-01-13

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Hardly had Shorty left the place
when n fur clad man entered through
the double storm doors. His face light
ed az sight OF Smoke. who recognized
him as Breck the man whose boat
they had run through the Box canyon
and the White Horse rapids
II heard YOU were I'm town" Breck
said hurriedly. Been looking for you
tor half an hour Come outside; /
want to talk with you"
AZ they emerged Smoke drew on
one mitten. lighted a match and glanc
I'd al the thermometer that hung be-
side the door He remttened his max
cd hand hastily as II the frost had
burned him
What did IL sayY' Breck asked
sixty below. An hom ago IL was
only 81. Don't tell me It's stampede -
lit is" Breck whispered back eau
tiously. "lou know Squaw creek
emptles in on the other side the fn
kon. thirty miles up?"
Nothing doing there" was smokes
Judgment 1T was prospected years
ago
so were all the other rich creeks
Listenl It's big. Only eight 10 twenty
feet TO bedrock There won't be a
claim that doesn't run TO half a million
It's dead secret. Two or three OF my
| close friends let me in on II told
my wife right away that / was going
to find you before started Now 81
long My packs hidden down the
bank In fact. when they told me they
made me promise not 70 pull ont until
Dawson was asleep. You know what
II means If you're seen with STAN
peding outfit Get your partner and
follow You ought TO stake fourth or
fifth claim from Discovery. Don't for
get-Squaw creek It's the third after
you pass Swede creek"
When Smoke entered the little cabin
on the hillside back OF Dawson be
heard a heavy. familiar breathing
Jaw. go TO bed" Shorty mumbled ss
Smoke shook his shoulder.
kick into your Clothes Smoke
said. We've got to stake a couple of
claims"
Shorty sat up and started TO explode
Ssh" Smoke warned. IT'S big
strike. Squaw creek Breck gave me
the tip Shallow bedrock Gold from
the grass roots down. Come on Well
sling a couple Of light packs together
and pull out"
With small stampedins packs on their
backs they closed the door behind
them and started down the hill. shorty
foundered of a turn OF the trait into
deep snow and raised his voice in
blessing of the date OF the week ana
month and year
cant you keep srillg' Smoke chid-
ed "fou'li have all Dawson awake
and after Us
Huh See the light in thar CABIN!
An IN That one over theret An near
that door slam; on sure. Dawson =
asleep Them lights just ouryin
their dead They amt stampedin
Detcner NE they amt"
by the time they reached the man
street hundred men were III line ne
hind them. and while they sought N
the deceptive starlight for the trai
that dipped down the bank 10 the river
more men could be heard arriving
Shorty slipped and shot down the
thirty foot chute into the soft snow
Smoke followed. knocking MIN over as
he was rising 10 his feet The next
moment they were scrambnns wildly
ont OF the way of the hurting bodies
OF those that followed
Its "a sure stampede shorty ne
cided "Or mighr 40 them be steep
walkersT"
We're at the mead OF the process
sion NJ any rate. was smokes an
swer
"On. I don't know Menbe that's "A
FREELY ahead there MebDe they re- a.
tirehies- that one m that one LOOK
NJ en- Believe me they II a whole
string OF professions ahead
u was mile across the jams 20 the
west bank Of the Yukon. and candles
tiickered the full length Of the TWIST
ng trail Behind them lear 10 tho
iop OF the bank tucy had dcscended
were more candles
Smoke quickcned ana was soon ii
the rear of the nearest bunch OF STAN
peders He counted eight men ana
two women in THIS party, ana before
the way across the jam ice was won
he and Shorty bad passed another par
ty twenty strong
Within few feet OF the west bank
the trail swerved 20 the south. emery
ing from the jam upon smooth ice
The ice. however was buried under
several feet OF fine snow. Through
this the sled trail ran, a narrow rib
bon OF packed footing barely two feet
IN width. On either side one sank 10
his knees and deeper In the snow
The stampeders they overlook were
reluctant TO give way. and often SmOke
and Shorty had 10 plunge into the deep
snow and by supreme efforts nounder
past
The average pace OF the stampeders
"n the smooth going was three miles
and nah an noun smoke and shorty
were doing tour ana = half. though
sometimes they broke into short runs
and went faster
Halt hour Dy haIf hour they alternat
cd ia setting pace. Nor did they taIk
much Their exertions Kept them
warm. though their breath froze Oh
thelr faces from iiDs 10 chin M An