The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-03-16

for the journey to Kamatlah. But the
fishing season had begun, and the men
had all gone down river to take part
in 1t.
The old Frenchman who kept the
trading-post and roadhouse advised
Gordon not to attempt the tramp alone.
1.-THE trail 1t ees what you call dan
gerous. Feefty-Mile Swamp ees mon
ster that swallows men alive, mon
sieur. You wait one week--two week
tree weeS, and some one will turn
up to take you through" he urged.
But | can't wait. And have an Of
hcial map of the trail. Why can't I
follow it without a guideg' Elliott
wanted to know impatiently.
The post-trader shrugged. "Maybeso,
monsieur-maybe not. Feefty-Mile--it
ees one devil of trail. No checha-
koes are safe in there without guide.
l, Baptiste, know"
"Selfridge and his party went
through a week ago. I can follow the
tracks they left"
But if it rains, monsieur, the tracks
will vaneesh, nest ce pas2 Lpse the
way, and the little singing folk will
swarm in clouds about monsieur while
he stumbles through the swamp
Elliot hesitated for the better part
of day, then came to an inpulsive
decision. He had a reliable mbp, and
anyhow he had only to follbw the
tracks left by the Selfridge party. He
turned his back upon the big river and
plunged into the wilderness.
There came night when he looked
up into the stars of the deep, Still sky
and knew that he was hundreds of
miles from any other human being.
Never in all his life had he been SO
much alone. He was not afraid, but
there was something awesome In
world so empty Of his kind.
The tracks of the Selfridge party
grew fainter after a night 0f TaTa. More
rain fell, and they were obliterated al
together. 8M
Gordon fished. He killed fresh game
for his needs. Often he came on the
tracks of moose and caribou. Some
times, startled, they leaped into view.
quite close enough for shot, but he
used his rifle only to meet his wants.
The way led through valley and
morass, across hills and mountains. 1t
wandered in sort Of haphazard fash
ion through a sun-bathed universe
washed clean Of sordidness and mean
ness.
1t was the seventh night out that
Elliot suspected he was off the trail.
Rain sluiced down in torrents and next
day continued to pour from dun sky.
His own tracks were blotted out and
he searched for the trail in vain. Be
fore he knew it he was entangled in
Fifty-Mile. His map showed him the
morass stretched for fifty miles to the
south, but he knew that it had been
charted hurriedly by surveying party
which had made no extensive explora-
tons. A good deal of this country was
terra incognita. 1t ran vaguely into a
No Mans Land unknown to the pros
pector.
The going was heavy. Gordon had
to pick his way through the messy
swamp, leading the pack-horse by the
bride. Sometimes he was ankle-deep
in water Of greenish slime. Again
he had to drag the animal from the
bog to hummock of grass which gave
spongy footing. This would end in
another quagmire Of peat through
which they must pillow with the mud
sucking at their feet. 1t was hard,
wearing toll. There was nothing to do
but keep moving. The young man
staggered forward till dusk. Utterly
exhausted, he camped for the night on
a hillock Of moss that rose like an
island in the swamp.
Elliot Travelled next day by the COM
pass. He had food for three days
more, but he knew that no living man
had the strength to travel for 80 long
in such q morass. It was near mid
day when he lost his horse. The ami
NAL had begged down several times
and Gordon had wasted much time and
spent a good deal of needed energy in
dragging 1t to firmer footing. This time
the pony refused to answer the whip.
It's master unloaded pack and saddle.
He tried coaxing; he tried the whip.
"Come, Old-Tlmer. One plunge, and
youU make 1t yet" he urged
The pack-horse turned -Irrr rim
dumb eyes of reDroaeh, Struggled to
free its limbs fror1 the md ard sank
down helplessIy. n ha5 u Yeed its
last yard on the To- hlasEa trails
After the sound tba hot had led
away, Gordon strueg'oG WITH the pqck
to the nearest hun ock On cot holes
in gunny-sack ~ NJ anoul38rs
and packed into it his blankets. q
saucepan, the beans. the coffee, nd
the diminished handful OF fogr INTO
1t went, too, the three slices of bacon
that were left.
He hoisted the Dack 10 bis back and