Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1918-07-11
CHAPTER XXI.
A MESSAGE From the Dead.

n message from tnc Ocao.
Macdonald drove his team into the |
teeth of the storm. The wind came in |
gusts. Sometimes the gale was so stiff |
that the dogs could scarcely crawl for
ward against it; again there were mo-
ments of comparative stiffness, fol
lowed by squalls that slapped the
driver In the face like the whippii of
loose sail on catboat.
High drifts made the trail difficult.
Not once but fifty 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
in the North could have done so well.
1t was close to noon when he reached
division of the road known as the
Fork. One trail ran down to the river
and up it to the distant creeks. The
other led across the divide, struck the
Yukon, and pointed Il way to the coast.
White drifts had long since blotted out
the track of the sled that had pre-
coded him. Had the fugitives gone up
the river TO the creeks with intent TO
hole themselves up for the winter? Or
was IT their purpose to cross the divide
and go out over the ice to the coast?
The pursuer knew that Gid Holt was
wise as a weasel. He could follow
blindfolded the paths that led to every
creek in the gold-fields. 1t might be
taken as a certainty that he had not
plunged into such a desperate venture
| without haNinO N ta1Q cd
beforehand. Elliot had a high grade
of intelligence. Would they try to
reach the coast and make their get
away to Seattle? Or would they dig
themselves in till the heavy SHOWS
were past and come back to civilian
ton with the story of a lucky strike to
account for the gold they brought with
them? Neither gold dust nor nuggets
could be identified. There would be
no way of proving the story false. The
only evidence against them would be
that they had left at Kusiak and this
was merely of a corroborative kind.
There would be no chance of convict
ing them upon it.
To strike for Seattle was to throw
away all pretense of innocence Fugi-
tives from justice. they would have to
disappear from sight in order to es-
cape. The hunt for them would con-
tinue until at last they were unearthed.
One fork of the road led to compara-
tive safety; the other went by devious
windings to the penitentiary and per
haps the gallows. The Scotsman put
himself in the place of the men he was
trailing. Given the same conditions.
q xrrhf pI x.ofI l. n
Macdonald took the trail that led
down to the river, to the distant gold
creeks which offered refuge from
man-hunters in many a deserted cabin
marooned by the deep SHOWS.
Even the iron frame and steel
muscles of the Scotch Canadian pro-
tested against the task he had set them
that day. 1t was a time to sit snuply
inside by stove and listen to the
howling Of the wind as 1t hurled Itself
down from the divide. But from day
light till dark Colby Macdonald fought
with drifts and breasted the storm. He
got into the harness with the dogs. He
broke trail for them, cheered them
soothed, comforted, punished. Ions
after night had fallen he staggered int
the hut of two prospectors, his parkf
SO stiff with frozen snow that IT bat
to be beaten with hammer before tbs
} coat could be removed
How long since a dog team passet
seven huskies and two menf, wa,
his first question.
NO dog team has passed for foul
days, one of the men answered.
You mean you haven't seen one.
! Macdonald corrected.
L mean none has passed-unless 1
J went by In the night while we silent
And even then our dogs would hay,
warned u.s.
? Macdonald flung his ice-coated glove
? TO table and stopped to take Off n,
! mukluks- His face was blue with tn
cold, but the bleak look In the eve
J. came from within. He said nothin
. more until he was free of his we
t clothes. Then he sat down heavily an,
: passed hand over his frozen eve
brows. ~
|. Get me something to eat and TAX
t care OF my dogs. There is food 70
Y them on the Sled" he said.
s While he ate he told them of IN
e bank robbery and the murder. TheI
/. resentment against the men who ba
s done 1t was quite genuine. Their
could be no doubt they told the trut
; when they said no sled had precede
MS. They were honest, reliable nro,
pectors. He knew them both well.
Inc weary man slept like a log n
y opened his eyes next morning TO f3n
/. one Of his hosts shaking him.
r six O'Clock, Mr.. Macdonald w,
breakfast is ready. Jim is looking or