The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-05-11

was bitterly cola, DuC they were forced
to set up the tent and stove to keeI
from freezing. Their numbed fingers
made slow job Of the camp prepare.
tons. At last the stove was going
the dogs fed, and they themselves
thawed out. They fell asleep shortly
to the sound of the mournful bowling
of the dogs outside.
Long before daybreak they were
afoot again. Holt went out to chop
some wood for the stove while Gordon
made breakfast preparations. The
little miner brought in an armful OF
wood and went out to get second
supply. A few moments later Elliot
heard cry.
He stepped out of the tent and ran
to the spot where Holt was lying under
mass Of ice and snow. The young
man threw aside the broken blocks
that had plunged down from a ledge
above.
"Badly hurt, Gid?" he asked.
II done bust my laig, son." the old
man answered with twisted grin.
"You mean that it is broken?"
"Tell you that in minute"
He felt his leg carefully and with
Elliot's help tried to get up. Groan-
ing, he slid back to the snow.
"Yep. She's busted" he announced.
Gordon carried him to the tent and
laid him down carefully. The old
miner swore softly.
saint this a devil Of note, boy?
You'll have to get me to Smiths Cross
Ing and leave me there"
It was the only thing to be done.
Elliot broke camp and packed the sled.
Upon the load he put his companion,
well wrapped up in furs.
Two miles up the road Gordon stopped
his team sharply. He had turned a
bend in the trail and had come upon
an empty stage buried in the snow.
The fear that had been uppermost
in Elliot's mind for twenty-four hours
clutched at his throat. Was it trag-
edy upon which he had come after
his long journey?
Holt guessed the truth. 'gThey got
stalled and cut loose the horses. Must
have tried to ride the cayuses to
shelter"
''To Smiths CrossingT" asked Cor
don.
expect so." Then, with q whoop,
the man on the sled contradicted him
self. "No, by Moses, to Dick Fiddler's
old cabin up the draw. That's where
saltwater would aim for till the biz
card was over"
"Where is it?" demanded his friend.
"Swing over to the right and follow
the little gulch. I'll wait till you come
back"
Gordon dropped the gee-pole and
started on the instant. Eagerness,
anxiety, dread, fought In his heart. He
knew that any moment now he might
upon the evidence OF the sad
story which Is repeated in Alaska
many times every winter. 1t rang In
him like a bell that where tough,
hardy miners succumbed frail girl
would have small chance.
He cut across over the hill toward
the draw, and at what he saw his pulse
quickened. Smoke was pouring out of
the chimney of a cabin and falling
groundward, as it does In the Arctic
during very cold weather. Had Sheba
found safety there?
AS he pushed forward the rising sun
flooded the earth with pink and struck
a million sparkles of color from the
snow. The wonder of it drew the eyes
of the young man for moment toward
the hills.
A tumult of Joy flooded his veins.
The girl who held In her soft hands
the happiness Of his life stood looking
at him. 1t seemed to him that she
was the core of all that lovely tide of
radiance. He moved toward her and
looked down into the trench where she
waited. Swiftly he kicked off his
snowshoes and leaped down beside her.
The CLEAN of tears was In her eyes
as she held out both hands to him.
During the long look they gave each
other something wonderful to both of
them was born into the world.
When he tried to speak his hoarse
voice broke. "Sheba--little Sheba
Safe, aster all. Thank God, you
you--' Ne swallowed the lump In his
throat and tried again. "If you knew
God, how have suffered was
afraid--I dared not let myself think"
A live pulse beat In her white throat.
The tears brimined over. Then, soine-
how. she was In his arms weeping. Her