Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-02-08


ceaseless flow Of the tides. the sury OF
the storm, the shock of the earth
quake. the long roll Of heavens artil-
lery-but the NEST tremendous. the
most SUPPLYING of all, is the passive
phase of the white silence. All move
ment ceases: the sky clears; the heay-
ems are as brass. The slightest whis-
per seems sacrilege. and man becomes
timid, affrighted at the sound of his
own voice. Sole speck Of life journey
ing across the ghOstly wastes Of dead
world. he trembles at his audacity,
realizes that his is maggot's life
nothing more. Strange thoughts arise
unsummoned, and the mystery of all
things strives for utterance. And the
fear of death, of God. Of the universe,
comes over him-the hope Of the res
direction and the life. the yearning for
| Immortality. the vain striving of the
| imprisoned essence. 1t is then, If ever,
man walks alone with God.
SO wore the day away. The river
took a great bend. and Mason headed
MS team for the cutoff across the
narrow neck of land. But the dogs
baked at the high bank. Again and
again. though Ruth and Malemutc Kid
We're showing on the sled. they slipped
back. Then came the concerted effort.
The miserable creatures, weak from
| hunger, exerted their last strength.
| Up, up, the sled poised on the top of
the bank. but the leader swung the
string Of dogs behind him to the right.
fouling Mason's snOwshoes. The re-
suit was grievous. Mason was whip
ped off his feet. One of the dogs fell
in the traces. and the sled tOppled
back. dragging everything to the bot
tom again.
Slash. The whip fell among the
dogs savagely. especially upon the one
which had fallen.
| Don't, Mason" entreated Malemute
Kid. The poor devils on its last
legs. Wait and We'll put my team on
| Mason deliberately withheld the whip
till the last word had fallen. then out
flashed the long lash. completely curl
| ing about the offending creature body.
Carmen-for it was Carmen-cowered
in the snow, cried piteously, then roll
ed over on her side.
| 1t was q tragic moment q pitlful in
cident of the trail-a dying dog. two
comrades In anger Ruth glanced So
licitouSly, from man to man. but Male
mute Kid restrained himself. though
there was a world of reproach in his
eyes. and, bending over the dog, cut
the traces. No word was spoken. The
teams ware double spanned and the
difficulty overcome; the Sleds were I'M
der way again, the dying dog dragging
herself along in the rear. AS long as
an animal can travel it is not shot,
and this last chance is accorded it
the crawling into camp. if 1t can, In
the hope of a moose being killed.
Already penitent for his angry ac-
ton. but too stubborn to make amends,
Mason tOiled on at the head of the
cavalcade, little dreaming that danger
lowered in the air. The timber clus-
tered thick in the sheltered bottom,
and through this they threaded their
lowered lofty pine. For generations
1t had stood there. and for generations
destiny had had this one end in view
Perhaps the same had been decreed of
Mason.
He stopped to fasten the lOOsened
thong Of his moccasin. The sleds came
to a halt, and the dogs lay down in the
snow without a whimper. The still.
ness was weird. Not breath rustled
the frost encrusted forest. The cold
and silence Of outer space had chilled
the heart and smOte the trembling
lips of nature. A sigh pulsed through
the air. They did not seem to actually
hear it. but, rather. felt it, like the
premonitiOn Of movement in motion
less void. Then the great tree bur
dened with its weight of years and
snow. played its last part in the trag
edy Of life. Mason heard the warning
crash and attempted to spring up. but
almost erect, caught the blow squarely
on the shoulder.
The sudden danger. the quick death
how often had Malenute Kid faced
It! The pine needles were still Quiv
ering as he gave his commands and
sprang into action. Nor did the Indian
girl faint or raise her voice in idle
wailing, as might many of her white
sisters. At his order she threw heI
weight on the end Of a quickly extern
ported handspike, easing the pressure
and listening to her husbands grOans
while Malemute Kid attacked the tree
with his AK. The steel rang merrily
as it bit into the frozen trunk. each
stroke being accompanied by a forced
audible respiration, the Huh! Huh
Of the woodsman.
At last the Kid laid the pitiablt
thing that was once man in the snow
But worse than his comrades pain wa:
the dumb anguish i'm the womans face
the blended look of hopeful hopeless:
query Little was said. Those OF tho
northland are early taught the futility
of words and the inestimable value Of
deeds. With the temperature ut g.
below zero man cannot lie many min
lashngs were cut and the sufferer
rolled in furs, laid on couch Of
bUughs. Before him reared fire
built of the very wood which wrought
the mishap. Behind and partially owe
him was stretched the primitive fly
piece of canvas which caught tn,
radiating heat and threw it back ant