Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-01-22
CHAPTER XXVIIl.
A MESSAGE From The Dead.


crawl forward against II. again there
were moments Of comparative still
ness, followed BY squalls that slapped
the driver in the face like the whip
ping OF loose sail on a catboat.
High drifts made III" tran difficult
so, once but nifty times Macdonald
left the gee pole To break way
through snow waves for the sled
The best he could get out OF his dogs
was three miles an hour. and he
knew that there was not another
team or driver III IN" north could
havo lone so well.
IL MAS close To noon when he reach
I'D IL division OF the road known as
the Fork one trail ran down TO the
river and up il To the distant creeks
The other led across the divide,
struck the Yukon, and pointed way
10 the coast White drifts had long
since hlo,t"d out the track OF the
sled that had preceded him. Had
the fugitivcs gone up the river TO the
creeks with intent To hole themselves
up for the winter OR was II thclr
purposc To cross the divide and 80
out over the ice TO the coast?
The pursucr knew that Gid Holt
WIS wise as a weasel. He could fol-
low blindfuldcd the paths that led to
every creek III the gold fields. II
might Ice taken as Il certainty that he
had not plunged Tito such dcspcr-
ate venture without having a plan
we'll worked out beforehand. Elliot
had Il high grade OF intellsencc'
Would they try TO reach the coast
and make their get away TO Seattle?
or would they dig themselves IN TIL
the heavy SHOWS were past ana come
back to civilization with the story of
n lucky strike To account for the gold
they brought with them? Neither
gold-duSt nor nuggets could be iden-
tilted. There would he no way OF
proving the story false. The only
evidence against them would be that
they had left ut kusiak and this was
merely Of a corrOborative kind. There
would he no chance of conrictlng
them upon it.
But to strike for Seattle was TO
throw away all prctcnce OF innocence.
Fugitivcs from justice. they would
have 10 disappear from sight In or
der 10 escape. the huIt for them
would continue until at last they
were unearthed.
one fork OF the road led to COM
rarativc safety: the other went by
devious windings to the penitentiary
and perhaps the gallows. The Scotch
man put himself in the place OF the
men he WAS trailing. Given the
same conditions. he knew which path
he would follow.
Macdonald took the trail that led
down 10 the river, to the distant gold
creeks which offered refuge from
man hunters in many a deserted cab
IN marooncd by the deep snow.
Even the iron frame and steel
muscles of the Scotch-C canadian pro-
tested against the task he had set
them that day. 1t was time to SIT
snurly inside by Il stove and listen 10
the bowling Of the wind as II hurled
itself down from the divide. But
from daylight till dark Colbi Mac
donald fought with drifts and breast
ed the storm. He got into the har-
ness with the dogs. He broke trail
for them. chcercd them. soothed.
"omrorted. punished. Long after
night had fallen he staggered into the
hut ~ two prospcctors. his parka so
stiff with frozen snow that II had TO
he beaten with hammer before the
coat could be removed.
How long since dog team pass
ed-sevcn huskics and two men:
was his first question.
NO dog team has passed for four
davs," one uf the men answered.
You mean you haven't seen one
Macdonald corrected.
Il mean none has passcd-uniess
II went 10y in the night while We slept.
And even then our dogs would nave
warned US"
Macdonald flung his ice-coated
gloves 10 table and stopped to take
of his muklukS. His face was blue
with the cold. but the bleak look IN
the eyes came from within. He said
nothing more until he was free OF his
wet clothes Then he sat down
heavily and passed hand over his
frozen eyebrows.
Get me something 10 eat and take
care of my dogs. There is food for
them on the sled" he said.
While lie ate he told them OF the
bank robbery and the murder. Their
resentment against the men who had
done il was quite genuine. There
could bc no doubt they told the truth
when they said no sled had preceded
his. They were honest. reliable pros
pcctnrs. He knew them both well.
The weary man slept like log. He
opened his eyes next morning to find
one of his hosts shaking him.
six o'clock. Mr.. Macdonald. Your
breakfast is ready. Jim is looking
out for the huskes.
Half an hour later the Scotchman
gave the order. "Mush" He was OF
again. this time on the back trail as
far as the Narrows. from which point
he meant to strike across to intersect
the fork of the road leading to the
divide.
The storm had passed and when
the late sun rose il was in blue SKY,
Fine enough the day was overhead
but the slushy snow. where II was
worn thin on the river by the sweep
OF the wind. made heavy travel for
the dogs. Macdonald was glad
enough to reach the Narrows. where
he could turn from the river and cut
across to hit the trail Of the men ne
was following. He had about five
miles to go before he would reach the
Smith Crossing road and every foot