The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-01-20

came the Snarls of beasts ami
tile oaths of men. This was known
afterwavd rs the Barnes Slocum jam
It WIS the teams of these two men
which first collided, and into it at full
career piled Smokes seven big fighters
Scarcely more than semidomesticated
wolves. the excitement of that night on
Mono creek had sent every dog fight
Ing mad. From behind sled after sled
hurled into the turmoil Men who had
their teams nearly extricated were
overwhelmed by fresh ayalanches of
dogs-each animal well fed. well rest
ed and ripe for battle
What happened in the next half hour
Smoke never distinctly remembered.
At the enc ne emerged exhausted. sob
bling for breath. his jaw sore from fist
blow. his shoulder aching from the
bruise Of club. the blood running
warmly down one leg from the rip of
a dogs fangs. and both sleeves of his
parka torn to shreds. AS in a dream.
while the battle still ragged behind. he
helped Shorty reharness the dogs One.
dying. they cut from the traces. and
in the darkness they felt their way to
the repair of the disrupted harnesses a.,
Now you lie down an get your wind
) back" Shorty commanded
And through the darkness the dogs
SPED with unabated strength down
Mono creek, across the long cutoff aud
fn SYtt-
ton with the main river trail. some
body had lighted fire, and here
Shorty said goodby. By the light of
the fire. as the sled ieaped behind the
flying dogs. Smoke caught another of
the unforgettable pictures of the
northland- 1t was of Shorty. swaying
and sinking down Imply in the snow.
yelling his parting encouragement. one
eye blickened and closed. knuckles
bruised and broken. and one arm, rip
ped and fang torn, gushing forth a
steady stream Of blood.
How many aheadT' Smoke asked
as he dropped his tired Hudson bays
and sprang on to the waiting sled at
the first relay station.
II counted eleven" the man called
after him. for he was already away
behind the leaping dogs
Fifteen miles they were to carry him
on the next stage. which would fetch
him to the mouth of White river
There were nine of them. but they
composed his weakest team The
twenty-five miles between White river
and Sixty Mile he had broken Into two
stages because OF Ice jams. and here
two Of his heaviest. toughest teams
were stationed.
He lay on the sled ut rufr~ 'rngtii
face down. holding on with both hands
Whenever the dogs Stacked from top
most speed he rose to his knees and
yelling and urging. clinging precarious
" with one hand, threw his whip into
them. Poor team that 1t was, he pass
ed two sleds before White river was
reached. Here at the freeZeup Il jan
had piled Il barrier. allowing the opeT
water that formed for half mile, be
low to freeze smoothly. This smooth
stretch enabled the racers to make fly
ing exchanges of sleds, and down all
the course they had placed their relays
below the jams.
Over the jam and out OH to the
| smooth Smoke tore along. calling loud
ly: BILLY! BiIiyr'
Billy heard and answered, and BY
| the light of the many fires on the ICE
| Smoke saw a sled swing in from the
side and come abreast. Its dogs were
| fresh and overhauled his. AS the sleds
| swerved toward each other he Ieapet
across. and Billy promptly rolled off
where's Big Olaf" Smoke cried.
| "Leadingr' Billy's voice answered
and Smoke was again flying through
the wall of blackness.
In the jams of that relay, where til,
| way led across a chaos Of upended ic,
cakes and where Smoke slipped off TIL
forward end of the sled and with ;
haul rope toiled behind the wheel dog
| he passed three sleds.
Among the jams Of the next short re
lay into Sixty Mile be passed two NOR
teams. And that he might knew ade
quately what had happened to then
one Of his own dogs wrenched a shouI
der, was unable to keep up and wa
| dragged IN the harness. AS he cut TIL
| injured animal out he heard the whin
| Ing cries of dogs behind him and tn
/ voice of a man that was familiar. |
was Won Schroeder. Smoke called
! warning to prevent rear end coll
sion. and the baron. having his an
mails and swinging on the gee pole
went by dozen feet to the side.
On the smooth stretch Of ice besid
the trading post at Sixty Mile Smok
overlook two more sIeds. All had jus
changed teams, and for five minute
they ran abreast. each man on hi
knees and pouring whip and voice Int
the maddened dogs. But Smoke ha
| studied out that portion Of the trai
and now marked the tail pine on tn
bank that showed family in the ligll
of the MANY fires. Below that pin
was not merely darkness. but an al
| rupt cessation OF the smooth stretcl
There the trail. he knew, narrowed t
a single sled width. Leaning out aheat
he canght the haul rope and drew hi
leaping sled up to the wheel dog. Fl
caught the animal by the hind leg
and threw it. With snarl of rag,
1t tried to slash him with its fang
but was dragged OH by the rest Of til
team Its body proved an efiicieI
brake. and the other teams. sti
abreast. dashed ahead into the darl
less for the narrow way.
Smoke heard the crash and uproar {
their collision released his wheele