Tombstone epitaph., 1918-04-07
THE YUKON TRAIL
I'm <AZaskan L0ye Story
By WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE
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wally Selfridge had done. though his
reasons for not wanting to 60 were
quite different They centered about
a dusky-eyed young woman whom he
had seen for the first time q fortnight
before. He would have denied even to
himself that he was in love. but when
ever he was alone his thoughts re-
verted to Sheba O'Neill.
At the big bend Gordon left the river
boat for his cross-country trek. Near
the roadhOuse was an Indian village
where he had expected to get guide
for the Journey to Kamatlah. But the
fishing season had begun, and the men
had all gone down river to take part
In It.
The old Frenchman who kept the
trading-post and roadhouse advised
Gordon not to attempt the tramp alone.
The trail It ees what you call dan
gerous. Feefty-Mile Swamp ees . mon
ster that swallows men alive, mon
sieur. You walt one week-two week
tree week. and some one will turn
up to take you through" he urged.
But ] can't wait. And have an Of
ncial map Of the trail. Why can't !
follow 1t without 4 guider Elliott
wanted to know impatiently.
The post-trader shrugged "Maybeso.
monsfeur-maybe not. Feefty-Aile-
ees one devil Of q trail. No checha-
koes are safe In there without Q guide.
L Baptiste. know"
'Selfridge and his party went
through q week ago. I can follow the
tracks they left"
But II II rains. monsieur. the tracks
will vaneesh, nest ce past Lose the
way. and the little singing folk will
swarm In clouds about monsieur while
he stumbles through the swamp"
Elliot hesitatsd for the better part
Of day. then came to an impulsive
decision. He had q reliable map. and
anyhow he had only to follow the
tracks left BY the Seifridse party. he
turned bis back upon the big river and
plunged into the wilderness.
There came q night when he looked
up into the stars Of the deep. still sky
and knew that he was hundreds Of
miles from any other human being.
Never in all his life had he been 20
much alone. He was not afraid, but
there was something awesome In .
world 20 empty Of bis kind.
The tracks Of the Selfridge party
grew fainter after q night of rain. More
rain fell. and they were oblite.ated a.
together.
Gordon nshed. He killed fresh game
for his needs. Often he came on the
tracks Of moose and caribou. Some
times. startled. they Ieaped into view
quite close enough for a shot. but he
used his rife only to meet his wants
The way led through valley and
morass, across hills and mountains. 1t
wandered in q sort Of haphazard fash
lon through q sun-bathed universe
washed clean Of sordidness and mean
ness
II was the seventh night out that
Elliot suspected he was on the trail
Rain sluiced down In torrents and next
day continued to pour from dun sky.
HIS own tracks were biotted out and
he searched for the trail in vain. Be
fore he knew 1t he was entansied in
Fffty-Nile. His map showed him the
morass stretched for nifty miles to the
south, but he knew that 1t had been
charted hurriedly BY q surveying party
which had made no extensive explora-
Soas. 1 Soo3 3ssI q :A:s country va
terra incog1ita. It ran vaguely into .
No Mans Land unknown to the pros
peceoe.
The going was heavy. Gordon had
to piek his way through the mossy
swamp, leading the peck-horse By ths
bride, Sometimes he was ankle-deep
in water Of Q greenish slime. Again
he had to drag the animal from the
bog to q hummock Of grass which 0ave
q spongy footing. This would end n
another quagmire Of peat through
which they must plow with the mud
sucking at their feet. 1t was hard
wearing toll. There was nothing to do
but keep moving. The young man
staexered forward TIN dusk. Utterly
exhausted, he camped for the night on
q hfIlock Of moss that rose IKE IN
island In the swamp.
Elliot Travelled next day BY the CON.
pass. He had food for three dayl
more. but he knew that no living man
had the strength to travel for % lonl
In such q moraa.- It was near mid
day when he lost his horse. The ami.
NAL had begged down several timea
and Gordon had wasted much time and
spent q good deal Of needed energy ID
dragging It to flrmef footing. This time
the pony refused to answer the whip
Its master unloa0ed pack and saddle
He tTied eoax1ng: he tried the whip.
~Come. OldIx1mef. One plunge. and
youn make II yet" he urged.
The paek-hofse turned upon hin
dumb eyes of reproach, struggled ID
free its limbs from the mud. and ssnt
down keiyles.ly. Il had Travelled -
last yard % tie long Alaska trails.
/ After the sound Of the SHOT had dlet
away. Gordon struggled with the pae1
to tie nearest hummock. He cut hesel
b . gunny-saek to Ct his shsg1dess
and packed into II his b1anket..
aueepan, ths beans, the co4ss. ~
he @man1Ibed handful of AsgF. lnel
z 49, - ~ tlFss sisess q baesa
<Aot W1gN 106
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