The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1918-01-04

But worse than his comrades pain was
the dumb anguish in the woman's face,
the blended look OF hopeful. hopeless
query. Little was said. Those Of the
nOTthland are early taught the futility
Of words ana the ineStimable value OF
deeds. With the temperature at e.
below zero man cannot lie many min
utes in the snow and live. So the sled
laShin"s were cut and the sufferer,
rolled in fuIS, laid on q couch OF
houghs. Before him reared q fire.
built of the very wood which wrought
the miShap Behind and partially over
him was stretched the primitive fly
Il niece of canvas which caught the
rad;ating heat and threw it back and
down upon him, trick which men
may know who study physics at the
fUunt.
And men who have shared their bed
with death know when the call Is
sounded. Mason was terribly crushed.
The most cursOry examination reveal
Ell i. His right arm. leg and back
were broken. his limbs were paralyzed
from the hips. and the likelihood OF
internal injuries was large. An Occa-
sioral moan was his only sign of life.
No hope. Nothing to be done. The
pitiless night Crept slowly by. Ruths
portion the despairing stOicism of he:
race. and Malemute Kid adding new
lines to his face of bronze. In fact.
Mason suffered least of ali. for he
spent his time i'm eastern Tennessee.
| IN the Great Smoky mountains. living
/ over the scenes of his childhood. And
most pathetic was the melody OF his
! long forgotten southern vernacular "a
! he ravad of swimming holes and coon
! ili,ntS and watermelon raids. 1t was
rs Greek to Ruth. but the Kid under
! stood and felt-felt as only one can
| feel who has been shut out for years
| from all that civilization means.
Morning brought consciousness to
| the stricken man. and Malemute Kid
| lent closer to catch his whispers.
"Yuu remember when We foregath-
cred on the Tanana, four years come
next ice run? I didn't care so much
for her then 1t was more like she
was pretty. and there was a smack
of excitement about it. : think. But,
d. We know. I've come to think a heap
of her. She's been a good wife to ME,
always at my shoulder in the pinch.
And when it comes to trading you
know there isn't her equal. D. ye rec
0llpCt the time she shot the MooSehorn
rapids to pull you and me off that
rock, the bullets whipping the water
Ike hailsfones, and the time of the
famine at NuklukyetO, or when she
raced the ice run to bring the news?
Yes. she's been a good wife TO me,
hctter'n that other one. Didn't know
I'd been there? Never told you, eh?
Well. I tried it once down in the
States. That's why I'm here. Been
raised together too. l came away to
give her chance for divorce. She
got il.
But that's got nothing to do with
| 18th. | had thought of cleaning w
and Pulling for the Outside next year,
her and but it's too late. Don't send
her back to her people, Kid. It's beast
II hard for woman to go back.
Think Of it-ncariy four years on our
bacon and beans and flour and dried
fruit. and then To 90 back to her fisl,
and caIiboo. It's not good for her to
have trild our ways, TO come to know
the. re bettCr'n her peoples. and then
return TO them. Take care of her, Kid.
Why don't you-but no; you always