Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-01-20


undecipnerabe writing
On the edge of the woods was a
small. ramshackle cabin. He pulled the
latch and entered In corner. on
what had once been n bed of spruce
bough. still wrapped In NANCY furs
that had rotted 10 fragments. lay
skeleton The last visitor To Surprise
lake. was Smokes conclusion as he
picked up lump OF gold as large as
his doubled fist Beside the lump was
pepper can filed with nuggets OF the
size OF walnuts. rough surfaced. show
ing no signs OF wash.
So true had the tale run that Smoke
accepted without question that the
source OF the gold was the lakes bot
tom. Under many feet OF ice and In.
accessible, there was nothing to be
done. and at midday. from the rim of
the palisade. he took farewell look
back and down at his find
Its all right, Mr. Lake." he said
"You just keep right on staying there
I'm coming hack TO drain you-if that
hoodoo doesn't catch me. don't know
how got here. but I'll know by the
way | go out"
In a little valley beside a frozen
stream and under benefcent spruce
trees be bnilt n fire four days later
Somewhere In that white anarchy he
had left behind him was Surprise
lake-somewhere. ne knew not where.
for hundred hours of drifting and
struggle through binding. driving
snow had concealed his course frC
him. aud be knew not in what direc
ton lay behind
The storm had passed. and it had
turned clear and cold The creek he
was on was natural in appearance and
trended. as it should, toward the south
west Half a days journey down the
creek brought him 10 the valley OF o
larger stream. which be decided was
the McQuestion Here he shot q
moose. and once again each wolfdoe
carried a full fifty pound pack of meat
AS he turned down the McQuestior
he came upon a sled trail The late
SHOWS had drifted over, but under
meath II WAS well packed by travel
His conclusion was that two camps
had been established on the McQues
ton and that this was the connecting
trail. Evidently Two Cabins had been
found. and 1t was the lower camp. so
he headed down the stream.
IL was 40 below zero when he camp
cd that night, and he fell asleep won
dering who were the men who had re
discovered the Two Cabins and II he
hint OF dawn he was under way. easily
following the half obliterated trail.
And then II came. the unexpected.
leaping out upon him on a bend OF the
river. IL seemed to him that be heard
and felt simultaneously. The crack Of
the rife came from the right, and the
bullet tearing through and across the
shoulders of his drill parka and wool
en- coat, pivoted him half around with
the shock OF its impact. He staggered
on his twisted snowshoes TO recover
balance and heard q second crack OF
the rife. This time IL was a clean
miss. He did not wait for more. but
plunged across the snow for the shell
tering trees OF the bank hundred feet
away
He climbed the bank, the dogs foun
dering behind, and lodged In among
the trees and brush Slipping out OF
his snowshoes. he wallowed forward
at full length and peered cautiously
out Nothing was TO be seen. Whoev-
er had shot at him was lying quiet
among the trees of the opposite bank
IF something doesn't happen pretty
soon." he muttered at the end OF half
an hour "I'll have to sneak away and
build q fire or freeze my feet"
He crawled back a few yards. pack
ed down the snow, danced a jig that
sent the blood back into his feet and
managed to endure another half hour.
Then from down the river he heard
the unmistakable jingle of dog bells.
Peering out, he saw sled round the
bend Only one man was in Il, strain
ing at the gee pole and urging the
dogs along
The effect on Smoke was one OF
shock, for it was the first human he
had seen since he parted from Shorty
three weeks before. His next thought
was OF the potential murderer conceal
cd on the opposite bank.
without exposing himself Smoke
whistled warningly. The man did not
hear and came on rapidly. Again and
more sharply Smoke whistled. The
man whoaed his dogs stopped and had
turned and faced Smoke when the rife
cracked. The instant afterward Smoke
fred into the woods in the direction OF
the sound
The man on the river had been
struck by the first shot The shock
Of the high velocity bullet staggered
him. He stumbled awkwardly TO the
sled. half falling. and pulled rifle out
from under the lashings. As he strove
TO raise IL 10 his shoulder he crumplcd
az the waist and sank down slowly To-
a sitting posture on the sled Then
abruptly. as the gun went of aimlcss
ly. he pitched backward and across ihr
corner OF the sled load. so that Smok"
could see only his legs ana stomach
From below came more jlnglin.
bells The man did not move Around
the bend swung three sleds. accompa