Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-01-10

frozen tOeS.
"Sufferin' cracky- cried another Of
the party. "NO whitesy"
mary white" SlOper sentcntiously
affirmed. but it's only 500 more up
the Yukon to Dawson. Call It . rough
thousand from here"
Weatherbee aud Cuthfert groaned In
chorus.
"H0w longri that take, Baptistef"
The half breed figured for a moment.
"Workum like h, no man play out
ten. twenty, forty. fifty days. Um ba.
bies come designating the incapa-
bles). mo can tell. Mebbe when b.
freeze over: mebbe not them"
The manufacture Of snowshoes and
m~occasins ceased. Somebody called
the name Of M absent member. who
came out Of an ancient cabin at the
edge Of the campfire and Joined them.
The cabin was n Of the many mys-
tcries which lurk In the vast recesses
Of the north. Built when and by
whom no man could tell. Two graves
in the open, piled high with stones,
perhaps contained the secret Of those
early wanderers. But whose hand had
! piled the stones?
The moment had come. Jacques
Baptiste paused in the fitting Of a
harness and pinned the struggling dog
in the snow. The cook made mute
protest for delay, threw a handful OF
bacon into a noisy pot Of beans, then
came to attention. Sloper rose to his
feet. His body was a ludicrous con-
trast to the healthy physiques Of the
incapables. Yellow and weak, fleeing
! from a South American fever hole, he
had not broken his flight across the
zones and was still able to toll with
men. His weight was probably ninety
pounds with the heavy hunting knife
thrown in, and his grizzled hair told
of a prime which had ceased to be.
The fresh young muscles Of either
Weatherbee or Cuthfert were equal ia
ten times the endeavor of his. yet he
could walk them into the earth in a
days Journey. And all this day he
had whipped his stronger comrades
into v~enturing Il thousand miles Of the
stiffest hardship man al conceive. He
was the incarnation Of the unrest ut
his race, and the old Teutonic stub
bornness. dashed with the quick grasp
and action Of the Yankee, held the
flesh in the bondage Of the spirit.
"A1l those in Havor Of going on with
the dogs as soon as the ice sets say
aye"
"Aye!' rang out eight voices-volces
destined to string n trail of oaths along
many a hundred miles Of pain.
Contrary minded|
mo" For the first time the incapa.
bles were united without some com
promise Of personal interests.
"And what are you going to do about
it?" Weatherbec added belligerently.
Majority rule. Major''v rule..' clam.
ored the rest of the party.
Il know the expedition Is liable Ia
fall through il you don't come" Sioper
replied sweetly. but l guess, If we try
real hard. We can manage to do with,
out you. What do you say, boys?"
The sentiment was cheered to the
echo.
But l say. you know" Cuthfert ven.
turcd apprehensively. whats a chat
like me to doI'
Amt you coming with us"
moo"
Then do as You please. We won'
have nothing to say"
Kind o. calkilate yuh might settle
1t with that canoodlin' pardner ol
yourn," suggested n heavy going west
erner from the Dakotas, ut the SAM
time pointing out Weatherbee. Hell
be shore to ask yuh what yur a-goin
to do when 1t comes to cookin' an
gatherin' the wood"
"Then we'll consider II all arranged
concluded Sloper. "WeIl pull out to
morrow, II we camp within FIVE miles
just to get everything In running orde,
and remember II we've forgotten any
thing"
The sleds groaned by on their stee
shod runners, and the dogs strained
low In the harnesses In which the,
were born to die. Jacques Baptist,
paused by the side Of Sloper to re
a last glimpse OF the cabin. The smok,
curled up pathctically from the Yukol
stovcpipe. The two incapables wer,
watching them from the doorway.
Sloper laid his hand on the other
shoulder.
Jacques Baptiste, did you ever hea,
Of tho Kilkenny catsT
The half breed shook his head.
"Well, my friend and good comrads
the Kilkenny cats fought till neithe
hide nor hair nor yowl was loft. 70,
understandable nothing was left. Yer,
good. Now. these two men don't llk,
work. They won't work. We know
that. They'll be all alone In that cabi,
all winter-a mighty long, dark winter
Kilkenny cats--well"
The F%renchman In Baptiste shrugged
ibis shoulders. but the Indian In hin
was silent. Nevertheless II was q
eloquent shrug. pregnant with proph
ecy.
.
Things prospcred In the little cabii
at frst. The rough badinage Of thei
comrades had made Weathcrbee an,
Cuthfcrt conscious Of the mutual N
sponsibility which had devolved upoi
them. Besides. there was mot 10 mucl
work. after all, for two healthy men
And the removal Of the cruel WIFI
hand. Or. In other words, the bulldoI
ing half breed, had brought with Il