Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-02-10

Every clakm was recorded except No.
below. II was staked by Cyrus John
son, and that was all Cyrus Johnson
has disappeared, and in six days the
time for recording viii be up. Then
the man who stakes II and reaches
Dawson first and records 1t gets IT,"
But why doesn't everybody known
Smoke queried skeptically.
They're beginning to know. They
kept 1t secret for long time. and II is
only now that it's coming out Good
dog teams will be at a premium in an.
other twenty-four hours. Now, you've
got to get away as decently as you can
as soon as dinner is over An Indian
will come with a message for you
You read it, let on that you're very
much put out, make your excuses and
get away"
'1-er-I fail TO follow"
"Ninnyr' she exclaimed. What you
must do is TO get out tonight and bus.
tie dog teams | know Of two There's
Hanson's team-seven big Hudson bay
dogs He's holding them at $500 each
That's top price tonight. but it won't
be tomorrow And Sitka Charley has
eight Malemutes he's asking $500 for
Tomorrow he'll laugh at an offer OF
$1,000 Then you've got your own
team of dogs. And you'll have to buy
several more teams. It's dogs as well
as men that will win this race. It's
: 10 miles, and you'll have to relay as
frequently as you cal
"Oh. | see: you want me TO 90 In
for IT," Smoke drawled But aren't
you afraid this is gambling?"
It's a sporting proposition. II that's
what you mean-a race for n million
and with some of the sti1est dog
mushers and travellers in the country
entered against you Big Olaf is II
town. de is one OF the most terrible
dog mushers in the country, and II be
enters be will be your most dangerous
man
Arizona Bill is another. lie has
been a professional freighter and mail
carrier for years IL he goes in. inter
est will be centered on him and Big
Olaf"
And you intend me to come along
as a sort of dark horse?"
She nodded and continued earnestly:
Remember. shall never forgive my
self for the trick played Oh the
Squaw creek stampede unless you win
this Mono claim And il any man can
win this race against the old timers
it's you"
II was the way she said IT, He felt
warm all over and in his heart and
head. He gave her quick. searching
look, involuntary and serious and for
the moment that her eyes met his
steadily ere they fell 1t seemed TO him
that he read something Of vaster i'm.
port than the claim Cyrus Johnson had
failed to record.
I'll do it, he said. III win il"
Smoke had travelled in lelsurely
fashion up to Mono creek Also be
had familiarized himself with every
mile Of the trail and located relay /
camps.
SO many men had entered the big
race that the 10 miles OF It's course
were almost a continuous village Re /
lay camps were everywhere along the /
trail
Won Schroeder, who had gone in |
purely for the sport. had no less than f.
eleven dog teams-a fresh one for ev-
cry ten miles. Arizona Bill had been
forced to content himself with eight
teams. Big Olaf had seven. which was 4
the complement OF Smoke In add.
ton. over twOscore of other men were
in the running
No. below Discovery was ten miles
up Mono creek from its mouth The
remaining 100 miles were 10 be run on
the frozen breast OF the Yukon On
No. 3 itself were fifty tents and over
300 dogs. The old stakes. blazed aud
scrawled sixty days before by Cyrus
Johnson. still stood. and every man had
gone over the boundaries OF the claim
again and again. for the race with the
dogs was 10 be preceded by a foot and
obstacle race.
Each man in the contest mad 10 re-
locate the claim for himself. and this
meant that he must place two center
stakes aud four corner stakes ana
cross the creek twice before he could
start for Dawson with his dogs
Not until the stroke OF midniaht of
Friday night was the claim open fof
relocation. and not until the stroke OF
midnight could a man plant stake.
This was the ruling of the gold com
missioner at Dawson and Captain
Consadine had sent up n squad OF
mounted police TO enforce IT,
The Mono trail ran along the leve.
creek bed and. less than two feet e.,
width. was like a groove. walled on al
Their side by the snowfall OF months
The problem Of how forty odd sheds I
ana 300 dogs were 10 start IN So
narrow a course was In everybody +.
mind.
HUH" said Shorty. Its goin 10 bc {
the gosh dangdest mixup that ever
was. / can't see no way out. smoke {
except main strength an sweat an 10 \
piow through ! got a bunch right now .
tbey goin' to Dc heap OF scrappln q
before they get strung out. An N any c
~ II comes our way you got to let mo
10 the punchin You can't handle dogs
hundred miles with busted knucs I
e. an That's whutll happen II YOU {
and on somebody's law s
An just remember" shorty went '
On. that ! got to DO all the shown. for ;
hem first ten miles. an you got 10 q
lake II easy as you can. I'll sure Jerk /