The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-02-10

the edge OF something. he knew not
what. and he cursed himself for not
having eavesdropped.
Out With it, be commanded harsh
iy. what is it?''
What is what?" Amos Wentworth
asked sulenly. And Smoke could not
name what was what.
Grimmer and griInmer grew the stu
alton In that dark hole of canyon the
horrible death list mounted up. Each
day. in apprehension. Smoke and Shor-
ty examined each others mouth for the
whitening of the gums and mucous
membranes-the invariable first symp-
tom of the disease.
I've quit" Shorty announced one
evening I've been thinkin' it over.
an l quit. l can make a so at slave
| drivin'. but cripple dyivin' s too much
for my stomach. They go from bad to
worse. They amt twenty men l can
| drive to work. | told Jackson this
afternoon he could take to his bunk.
He was gettin ready to suicide. !
could see it stickin' out all over him.
Exercise amt no good
"Ive made up my mind to the same
thing" Smoke answered.
The everlasting miracle of Went
worth's immunity perplexed Smoke.
| Why should he alone not have de-
veloped scurvy? Why did Laura Sib
ley bate him and at the same time
whine and snivei and beg from him?
On several occasions Smoke made it
a point to drop into Wentworth's cabin
at mealtime. But one thing did he
note that was suspicious and that was
Wentworth's suspicion of him. Next
he tried sounding out Laura Sibley.
Raw potatoes would cure everybody
here" he remarked to the seeress. II
know it, I've seen it work before"
The fare Of conviction in her eyes
followed by bitterness and hatred. told
him the scent was warm.
why didn't you bring in supply
Of fresh potatoes on the steamer he
asked. - 5-
I'VE did But coming up the river
we sold them all out at u bargain al
Fort Yukon. We had plenty Of the
eyaporated kinds, and we knew they {
keep better. They wouldn't even
freeze"
Smoke grOaned. Now, mightn1
there have been couple Of odd sacks
Internationally, you know. mislait
on the steamer"
She shook her head. as he thought
a trife belatedly, then added. I'VE nev
er found any"
But mightn't there?" be persisted.
How do ! know?" she rasped angri
". Il didn't have charge of the com
missary."
And Amos Wentworth did," hs
jumped to the conclusion. Very good
Now what is your private opinion
just between us two? Do you thinl
Wentworth has any raw potatoes stor
ed away somewhere?'
No; certainly not Why should he?'
Struggle as he would with her
Smoke could not bring her to admi
the possibility.
That night, when the camp groane(
and slept or groaned and did not sleep
Smoke went to Wentworth's unlightet
cabin
Listen to me, Wentworth" be said
I've got thousand dollars in dus
right here In this sack. I'm a ricl
man in this country, and can affort
J it. 1 think I'm getting touched. pu
raw potato in my hand and the dus
!. is yours. Here, heft it"
And Smoke thrilled when Amo
. Wentworth put out his hand in th
darkness and hefted the gold. Smok
heard him tumble in the blankets ant
then felt pressed into his hand no
the heavy gold sack. but the unmis
taxable potato. the size of a hem
egg, warm from contact with the 9th
eT's body.
. Smoke did not wait till morning. 81
, and Shorty were expecting at any tim
. the deaths of their worst two cases
| and to this cabin the partners Went
. Grated and mashed up in cup. ski
! and clinging specks of earth and al
was the thousand dollar potato-a thic
fluid that they fed. several drops at
time, into the frightful oriices tina
| had once been mouths. Shift by shift
. through the long night Smoke an
Shorty relieved each other at admins
tering the potato juice. rubbing 1t int
the poor swollen gums where loos
, teeth ratified together and compellin
the swallowing of every drop OF th
{ precious elixir.
By evening of the next day tn
e change for the better in the two p;
D tients was miraculous and almost I'll
t believable. They were no longer th
( worst cases. In forty-eight hours. wit
the exhaustion of the potato. the
> were temporarily out of danger. thoug
/ far from being cured.
. I'm tell you what I'll do SmoE
| said to Wentworth. 1--we got holding
in this country. and my paper is goc
\ anywhere: I'll give you $500 a potat
@ up to $4,000 worth. That's 100 pot
toes"
. "Was that all the dust You had
Wentworth queried.
. Shorty and scraped up all we ha