Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-29
The
Yukon Trail
Continued
BY William Macleod Raine


How long since a dog tenm
passed-seven huskies and two
men?" was his first question.
NO dog team has passed for four
days." one of the mon answered.
''Aou mean you~. haven't Eosn one"
Macdonald corrected.
II mes n none has passeA--unle3s
it went by in the night while we
slept .snd even then our dogs
would have warned u.s."
Macdonald flung his ice coated
gloves TO a table and sto open TO
tahe off his mukluks. His face was
blue with the cold, but the tlcnk
look in the eyes came from within.
He said nothing more until he was
free of his wet clothes. Then he sat
down heavily and passed a hand
over his frozen eyebrows.
Get me something to eat and
take care of my dogs. There is food
for them on the Sled" >he said.
While he ate he told them of the
bank robbery and the murder. Their
resentment against the men who had
done it was quite genuine. Thel e
could lie no doubt they told the
truth when they said no sled had
preceded his. They were honest re-
liable prospectors. He knew them
both we'll.
The weary man slept like a log.
He opened his eyes next morning to
find cne cf his hosts shaking him.
"SiX o'clock, Mr.. Macdonald.
Your breakfast is ready. Jim is
looking out for the huskies.
Half an hour later the Scotsman
gave the order "Mush!" He was
off again, this time on the back trail
as far as the Narrows, from which
point he meant to strike across to
intersect the fork of the road lead.
ing 10 the divide.
The storm had passed and when
the late sun rose it was in n p.ue
sky. Fine enough the day was over
head, hut the slushy now, where 1t
was worn thin on the river by the
sweep OF the wind, made heavy
travel for the dogs. Macdonald was
glad enough to reach the Narrows,
''here he could turp from the river
and cut across to hit the trail of
the men he was following. lie had
five miles to go before he would
reach the Smith Crossing road and
every foot of it he would have to
break trail for the dogs. This was
l:er at the gee-pole. Back and forth
back and torth he trudged, beating
down the Loose snow for the run
rers. It was a hill trail. and the
drifts were in most places lot very
deep. But the Scotsman was doing
the work of two, and at a killing
pace.
over a Iidge the team plunged
down into a little park where the
snow vas deeper. Mac Icnai1,
breaking trail across the mountain
valley, found his feet weighted with
packed ice slush so that he could
hardly move them. When at last he
had beaten down n path for his
dogs he stood breathing deep at the
summit of the slope. Before them
lay the main road to Smiths Cross
ing, scarce fifty yards away. He gave
a deep whoop of triumph, for along
it ran the wavering tracks left by a
sled. He was on the heels of his
enemy at last.
AS he turned back to his Siberian
hounds, the eyes of Macdonald came
to abrupt attention. On the hillside,
not ten yards from him, something
stuck out of the snow like a sign
post. 1t was the foot of man.
Slowly Macdonald moved toward
it. JIe knew we'll enough what ne
had stumbled across-one of the
tragedies that in the North are likely
to be found in the wake OF every
widespread blizzard. Some unfor-
fortunate traveller. blinded by the
white swirl, had wandered from the
trail and had staggered up a draw
&C his death.
With a little digging the Alaskan
uncovered a leg. The man had died
where ne had fallen, face down.
Macdonald scooped away the snow
and found a pack strapped TO the
back of the buried man. He cut
the thongs and tried to ease it