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

AIZOud Dill Is auOtueT. ne HAS
been Il professional freighter and mail
carrier for years. If he goes in. inter-
est will be centered on him and Big
Olaf"
"And you intend me to come along
as sort of dark horsey'
She nodded and continued earnestly:
Remember, | shall never forgive my
self for the trick ! played on the
Squaw creek stampede unless you win
this Mono claim. And ii any MIN can
win this race against the old timers
it's you"
1t was the way she said 1t. 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 yaster i'm.
port than the claim Cyrus Johnson had
failed to record.
''IlI do it." he said. "l'lI win it,"
Smoke had travelled in leisurely
fashion up to Mono creek. Also he
had familiarzed himself with every
mile of the trail and located relay
camps.
So many men had entered the big
race that the 10 miles of its course
| were almost continuous village. Re-
lay camps were everywhere along the
trail
Won Schroeder. who had gone in
| purely for the sport. had no less than
eleven dog teams-a fresh one for ey-
cry ten miles. Arizona Bill had been
forced to content himself with eight
teams. Big Olaf had seven. which was
the complement of Smoke. In addi;
| ton, over twoscore of other men were
| in the running.
No. 3 below Discovery was ten miles
up Mono creek from it's mouth The
remaining 100 miles were to be run on
| the frozen breast Of the Yukon On
No. 3 itself were fifty tents and over
300 dogs. The old stakes. blazed and
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 to be preceded by foot and
| obstacle race.
| Each man In the contest had to re-
locate the claim for himself. and this
meant that he must place two center
stakes and four corner stakes and
cross the creek twice before he could
start for Dawson with his dogs.
/ lot III .
Friday night was the claim open for
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 squad OF
mounted police to enforce it.
/ The Mono trail ran along the level
creek bed and. less than two feet in
width. was like a groove. walled on eli
ther side by the snowfall of months.
The problem of how forty odd sleds
and 300 dogs were to start in so
narrow a course was in everybody S
mind
"Huh!" said Shorty. Its goin' to be
the gosh dangdest mixup that ever
was. can't see no way ont, Smoke,
except main strength an sweat an to
plow through. I got bunch right now
tbey's goin' to be a heap Of scrappin'
before they get strung out. An il any
OF it comes our way you got to let me
do the punchin'. You can't handle dogs
j hundred miles with Il busted kn,Ick
le. an that's what'll happen If yo,
land on somebody's jaw.
AN just remember" Shorty wen,
on, that got to do all the shown fol-
them first ten miles. an yon got tc
take 1t easy as you can. I'll sure jerk
yon through to the Yukon Say. what
dye think Schroeders scheme is! He's
got his first team quarter OF mile
/ down the creek. an he'll know 1t by q
green lantern. But we got him skin
ned. Me for the red fare every time ,
/ The day had been clear and cold. but
the night came on warm and dark
with the hint of snow impending The
Thermometer registered IL below zero
and in the Klondike winter 10 below Is
esteemed very warm
/ At a few minutes before midnight
leaving Shorty with the dogs 500 yard,
down the creek. Smoke joined the
racers on No 3. There were forty fvs
OF them
Each racer carried SIX stakes and !.
heavy wooden mallet.
Lieutenant Pollock, in a big bearskil
coat. looked at his watch by the ligh
Of a fire. 1t lacked minute Of mid
night. MAKE ready" he said as h,
raised revolver in his right hand.
Forty five pairs Of hands were unmit
tened. and forty-five pairs of moccasin
1 pressed tensely into the packed snow
Also forty five stakes were thrust int,
the snow. and the, same number o
nallets lifted In the air.
The shot rang out, and the mallet
fell. Cyrus Johnson's right to the mil
lion had expired.
Smoke drove In his stake and wa
away with the leading Dozen Fire
had been lighted ut the Corners. an
by each fire stood policeman. list 1
hand. checking of the names of til
runners.
A contestant was supposed to cal
out his name and show his face. Their
was to be no stalking by proxy Will
the real racer was of and away dow
the creek.
At the first corner beside Smoke
stake Won Schroeder placed his A
they hammered more arrived from b.
hind and with such fmpetuosity rs
get In one another's way and caus