The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-04-12
The Yukon | rail ii z;:; *,
By WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE copyright wms. ana~
Copyright, william Macleod Raine.

to abrupt attention. On the hillside,
not ten yards from him; something
stuck out of the snow like a signpost.
1t was the foot of man.
Slowly Macdonald moved toward it.
He knew well enough what he had
stumbled across-one of the tragedies
that in the North are likely to be found
in the wake of every widespread biz
zard. Some unfortunate traveller. blind
ed by the white swirl, had wandered
from the, trail and had staggered up
draw to his death.
With a little digging the Alaskan
uncovered a leg. The man had died
where he had fallen face down. Mac
donald scooped away the snow and
found u pack strapped to the back of
the buried man. He cut the thongs
and tried to ease it away. But the
gunnysack had frozen to the parka.
When he pulled, the rotten sacking
gave way under the strain. The con-
tents of the pack spilled out.
The eyes in the grim face of Mac
donald grew hard and steely. He had
found, by some strange freak of
chance, much more than he had ex-
pected to find. Using his snowshoe as
shovel, he dug the body free and
turned it over. At sight of the face he
gave cry of establishment.
Gordon oversight. His plan had been
to reach Kusiak at the end of long
days travel, but that had meant get
ting on the trail with the first CLEAN Of
light. When he opened his eyes Mrs.
Olson was calling him to rise.
He dressed and stepped out into the
cold, crisp morning. From the hill
crotch the sun was already pouring
down great, fanlike shaft of light
across the snow vista. saltwater
Pete passed behind him on his way to
the stable and called cheerful good
morning in his direction.
Mrs. Olson had put the stove outside
the tent and Gordon lifted it to the
spot where they did the cooking.
"Good morning, neighbor," he called
| to Sheba. "Sleep well?"
The little rustling sounds within the
tent ceased. A face appeared in the
doorway, the flaps drawn discreetly
close beneath the chin.
| "Never better. Is my breakfast
ready YETI"
"Come and help me make 1t. Mrs
Olson is waiting on Holt"
"When I'm dressed" The smiling
face disappeared. dublin Bay sound
ed in her fresh young voice from the
tent. Gordon joined in the song as hi
lit the fire and sliced bacon from 8
frozen slab of it.
The bowling of the huskies inter
rupted the song. They had evidently
heard something that excited them
Gordon listened. Was it in his fancy
only that the breeze carried to him tn,
faint jingle of sleigh-bells? The sound
if it was one, died away. The cool
turned to his job.
He stopped saving at the meat, knife
and bacon both suspended in the air
On the hard snow there had come t,
him the crunch Of a foot behind him
Whose? Sheba was in the tent, Swift
water. at the stable, Mrs. Olson in tn,
house. Slowly he turned his head.
What Elliot saw sent the starcl
through his body. He did not move al
inch, still sat crouched by the fire, blu
every nerve was at tension, ever,
muscle taut. For he was looking at
rifle lying negligently in brown, stead
hands. They were very sure hands
very competent ones. He knew tina
because he had seen them in action
The owner of the hands was Cobb
Macdonald.
The Scotch Canadian stood at tn
edge of willow grove. His face wa
grim as the day of judgment.
.sDon't move" he ordered.
Elliot laughed irritably. He was bot
annoyed and disguised.
ssWhat 90 you want?" he snapped.
'YOu."
"What's worrying you now? Do 20
think I'm jumping my bond?"
you're going back to Kusiak wit
rfe--to give life for the one 70
took"
'What's that?" cried Gordon. sui
prised.
"Just as I'm telling you. I've bee
on your heels ever since you left towI
You and Holt are going back with M
as my prisoners"
""But what for?"
"For robbing the bank and KILN
Robert Milton, as you know we
enough"
"Is this another plan arranged fc
me by you and Selfridge?" demande
Elliot.
Macdonald ignored the question an
lifted his voice. "Come out Of ths
tent, Holland come with your hand
4 up unless you want your head blow
off,"
"Holt isn't in that tent, you idiot.
you want to know"
"Come now, if you expect to com
alive" cut In the Scotsman ominousl
He raised the rife to his shoulder an
covered the shadow thrown by the su
on the figure within.
: Gordon flung out a wild protest an
t threw the frozen slab Of bacon at til
( head of Macdonald. With the same nj
E ton he launched his own body acros
4 the stove. A fifth of a second earle
t the tent flap had opened and Shet
: had come out
i The sight of her paralyzed Macdol
aid and saved her lovers life. It di
\ tracted the mine-owner long enoue
q for him to miss his chance. A bull,
i struck the stove and went off at
8 tangent through the tent canvas n
o two feet from where Sheba stood.
q second went speeding toward the su
r For Gordon had followed the footba
e players instinct and dived for Il
' knees of his enemy.