The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-02-03

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we'll, but never got over the unfathom-
able wonder of it.
AS If to shake off the hypnotism he
set down his plate and coffee cup, went
to the sled and began opening the dried
fish sack.
Hey" Shorty expostulated. what
r you doin'?"
breaking all law, custom, precedent
and trail usage" Smoke replied I'm
going to feed the dogs in the middle of
the day-just this once. Bright there
has been talking to me, telling me all
unreliable things with those eyes of
him"
Shorty laughed skeptically. "Oh. If
it's hunch, go to it. A mans always
got to follow his lunches"
1T isn't hunch, Shorty Bright just
sort Of got on my imagination for
couple Of twists. He told me more in
one minute with those eyes Of his than
l could read in the books in thousand
years. His eyes were a-crawl with the
secrets OF life. They were just squirm
ing and wriggling there. The trouble
Is almost got them, and then didn't.
I'm no wiser than was before. but I
. was near them"
Boiled down into simple American,
you got hunch," Shorty insisted
"Somethin's goin' to happen before
the day Is out. You'll see. An them
dried fish'll have a bearin'."
you've got to show me-" said
Smoke.
mo, amt The day'll take care of
itself an show you. Now, listen to
what I'm tellin' you. got bunch
myself out Of your hunch. I'll bet
eleven ounces against three ornery
toothpicks I'm right"
'You bet the toothpicks, and I'll bet
the ounces Smoke returned
"Nope. Thatd be plain robbery.
win. l know hunch when it tickles
me. Before the days out somethin' II
happen. an them 6sh'H have mean
fn'.'
An hour later they cleared the divide,
dipped down past the Bald buttes
through sharp elbow canyon and
took the steep, open slope that drop
ped into Porcupine creek Shorty, In
the lead, stopped abruptly. and Smoke
whoacd the dogs. Beneath them, COM
ing up, was procession Of humans,
scattered and draggled. a quarter of
mile long.
"'They move like it was a funeral"
Shorty noted
They've no dogs" said Smoke.
Yep; there's couple Of men pullin'
On a sled"
"See that fellow fall down? There's
something the matter, Shorty, and
there must be 200 Of them
Look at 'em stagger as if they was
soused. There goes another"
Its whole tribe. There are chill
dren there"
"Smoke, win," Shorty proclaimed.
"a hunch Is hunch, an you can't
beat 1t. There she comes. Look at
her-surgin' up like lot Of corpses.'
The mass of, Indians at sight of the
two men had raised a weird cry of joy
and accelerated its pace.
They're sure tolerable woozy." COM
mented Shorty. "see 'em fallin' down
in Jumps an bunches."
Look at, the face of that first one"
Smoke said. Its starvation-that's
what's the matter with them, They've
eaten their dogs"
"Whatll we do? Run for it?''
"And leave the sled and dogsT
Smoke demanded reproachfully.
They'll sure eat us If we don't
They look hungry enough for it. Hello,
old skeeziks! What's wrong with you!
Don't look at that dog that way. No
cookin' pot for him--savvyT
The forerunners were arriving and
crowding about them, moaning and
planting in an unfamiliar jargon. To
Smoke the picture was grotesque and
horrible. 1t was famine unmistakable.
Their faces. hollow checked and skin
stretched, were SO many deaths heads.
More and more arrived and crowded
| about until Smoke and Shorty were
hemmed in by the wild crew. Their
ragged garments of skin and fur were
cut and siashed away, and Smoke
knew the reason for it when he saw a
wizened child on squaw's back that
sucked and chewed strip Of filthy
| fur.
"Keep off there-keep back" Shorty
yelled, falling back on English after
futile attempts with the little Indian
he did know.
Bucks and squaws and children tot
tered and swayed on shaking legs and
continued to urge in, their mad eyes
swimming with weakness and burning
| with ravenous desire. A woman.
| moaning. staggered past Shorty and
fell with spread and grasping arms on
the sled An old man followed her,
| painting and gasping. with trembling
| hands striving to cast off the sled lash
ings and get at the grub sacks be
Meath. A young man with naked
| snifc tried to rush in. but was flung
back By Smoke. The whole mass
pressed in upon them, and the fight
| was on.
At first Smoke and Shorty showed
and thrust and threw back. Then they
used the butt Of the dog whip and
.heir fists on the food mad crowd And
| all this against background of moan