The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-02-23

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met, each had heard Of the other, anC
the recognition was mutual A sweep
ing Introduction and II mug Of puncl
were forced upon him before he couC
explain his errand.
How long since that basket sled
with three men and eight dogs pass
cd:' he asked.
AN even two days ahead Are you
after them"
Yes; my team. Run them of under
my very nose. the cusSes I've gained
two days on them already pick them
Up on the next run"
RECKON they'll SHOW spunk:" asked
Beltien il order to keep up the CONVEX
sation. for Malemutc Kid already had
The coffeepOt on and was busily frying
bacon and moose meat.
The stranger significantly tapped his
reviewers.
"When'd yeh leave Dawson?"
| Twelve O'Clock"
| Last night" as matter Of course.
To-day"
A murmur Of surprise passed round
the circle. And well it might, for it
was just midnight. and seventy -tive
miles Of rough river trail was not TO
be Snecred at for twelve hours run.
The talk soon became impersonal
| however. barking back to the trails Of
! childhood. AS the young stranger ate
| OF the rude fare Malcmute Kid atten-
| lively studied his face. Nor was he
! long in deciding that it was fair, hon
est and open and that lie liked it, Still
| youthful. the lines had been firmly
traced by toll and hardship. Though
genial in conversation and mild when
at rest, the blue eyes gave promise of
the hard steel glitter which comes
| when called into action, especially
against odds. The heavy jaw and
square cut chin demonstrated rugged
pertinacity and indomitahility. Nor.
though the attributes Of the lion were
there. was there wanting tile certain
softness, tile hint OF womanliness.
which bespoke the emotional nature.
$50 thc.'S how me an the OF woman
got Spliced," said Hcldor, concluding
Here we he. dad ser she. An may
yeh be d. SCI he to her an then to
me: lin, yeh-ych @it outcn them good
buds O yourl. | want a right pcart
Slice O tibet forty acre ploWed fore
dinner An then he turns on her an
sez, An yeh, SaI-ych sail inter them
dishes An then he sort O SMILED
an kissed her. An | was tibet happy
but he seen me an roars out, 'Yeh.
Jim" An yeh bet | busted fer the
barn"
ANY kids waiting for YOU back in
the Statcs?" asked the stranger.
Nope. Sal died fore any come
Thet's why I'm here" Beldcn alb
stractedly began to light his pipe.
which had failed to go out, and then
frightened up with. How bout YER
self, stranger-marred man."
For reply he opened his watch. slip
ped it from the thong which served
for chain and passed it over. Belden
pricked up the slush lamp. surveyed
the inside Of the case critically and.
swearing admiringly to himself. hand
ed it over to Louis Savoy. With nu-
merous BY garsv' he finally surren-
dered it to Prince, and they noticed
that his hands trembled and his eyes
took on peculiar sOftness. And so
it passed from horny hand to horny
hand-the pasted photograph Of wO-
man, the clinging kind that such men
fancy, with babe at the breast. Those |
who had not yet seen the wonder were
keen with curiosity; those who had be- !
came silent and retrospective. They |
could face the pinch Of famine. the |
grip Of Scurvy or the quick death by |
field or flood, but the pictured sem |
blance of a stranger woman and child |
made women and children of them all. |
Never have seen the yOungster yet. |
He's boy. she says, and two years
old" said the stranger as he received |
the treasure back. A lingering mo-
ment he gaZed upon it, then snapped
the case and turned away. but not
quick enough to hide the restrained
rush of tears.
ALSlemute Kid LED him to a bunk
and babe him turn in.
Call me at 4, sharp. Don't fail me-"
were his last words, and a moment
later he was breathing in the heavi-
ness Of exhausted sleep.
by Jove. he's a plucky chap!" COM
mented Prince. Three hours sleep
after seventy-tive miles with the dogs,
and then the trail again. Who is he,
Kid"
Jack Westondale Been in going on
+hree years, with nothing but the name
IF working like a horse, and any
amount of bad luck to his credit.
never knew him, but Sitka Charley
old me about him"
cit seems hard that a man with a
sweet young wife like his should be
putting in his years in this God for
,aken hole, where every year counts
Two on the outside"
1.-THE trouble with him is clean grit
md stubbornness. He's cleaned up
vice with a stake, but lost it both
ines"
Here the conversation was broken :
IF by an uproar from BEETLES. for the
fleet had begun to wear away. And !
soon the bleak years of monotonous {
rub and deadening toll were being
forgotten in rough merriment. Male
mute Kid alone seemed unable TO lose {