The Snowflake herald., 1918-05-10
Chapter XXI : Continued
CHAPTER XXI.
Two on the Trail.


Elliot and Holt left Kusiak in a
spume of whirling, binding snow.
They travelled light, not more than
forty pounds to the dog, for they want
ed to make speed. 1t was not cold for
Alaska. They packed their fur coats
on the sled and wore mittens of
moosehide with duffel lining, on their
feet mukluks above German" socks.
Holt had been a sOur-dOugh miner too
long to let his partner perspire from
overmuch clothing. He knew the dan
ger Of pneumonia from a sudden cool
ing Of the heat of the body.
Old Gideon took seven of his dogs,
driving them two abreast. Six were
huskies, rangy, muscular animals with
thick, dense coats. They were in the
best Of spirits and carried their tails
erect like their Malemute leader.
Butch, though a Malemute, had a
strong strain of collie in him. 1t gave
him sense Of responsibility. His bus
mess was to see that the team kept
strung out on the trail, and Butch was
a postmaster in the matter of disci-
pline. His weight was SO fighting
pounds, and he could thrash in short
order any dog in the team.
The snow was wet and soft. 1t clung
to everything it touched. The dogs
carried pounds of it in the tufts of
hair that rose from their backs. An
icy pyramid had to be knocked from
the sled every half-hour. The snow
shoes were heavy with white slush.
Densely laden spruce boughs brushed
the faces of the men and showered
them with unexpected little ava
lanches.
They took turns in going ahead Of
the team and breaking trail. 1t was
heavy, muscle grinding work. Before
noon they were both utterly fatigued.
They dragged forward through the
slush, lifting their laden feet sluggish
ly. They must keep going, and they
did, but it seemed to them that every
step must be the last.
Shortly after noon the storm wore
itself out. The temperature had been
steadily falling and now it took rapid
drop. They were passing through tim
Der, and on a little slope they built
with a good deal of difficulty a fire.
By careful nursing they soon had a
great bonfire going, in front of which
they put their wet socks, mukluks,
scarfs and parkas to dry. The toes Of
the dogs had become packed with little
Ice balls. Gordon and Holt had to go
carefully over the feet of each animal
to dig these out.
The Old-timer thawed out slab of
dried salmon till the fat began to
frizzle and fed each husky a pound of
the fish and lump of tallow. He and
Gordon made pot Of tea and ate some
meat sandwiches they had brought
with them, to save cooking until night.
When they took the trail again it
was in mOccasins instead of mukluks.
The weather was growing steadily
colder, and with each degree of fall in
the thermometer the trail was easier.
'Mushing at fifty below zero is all
right when 1t is all right" explained
Holt in the words Of the old prospec-
tor. "But when it isn't all right it's
HI"
"It is not fifty below yet, is itT"
"NOpe. But she's on the way. When
your breath makes a kinder cracking
noise she's fifty"
There soon was crust on the snow
that held up the dogs and the sled so
that trail breaking was not necessary.
The little party pounded steadily over
the barren hills. There was no sign
of life except what they brought with
them into the greater silence beyond
Each of the men wrapped q long
scarf around his mouth and nose for
protection, and as the part in front of
his face became a sheet Of ice shifted
the muf1er to another place.
Night fell in the middle Of the aft
ernoOn, but they kept travelling. Not
till they were well up toward the sum-
NIT Of the divide did they decide to
camp. They drove into a little draw
and embarrassed the weary dogs. 1t
was bitterly cold, but they were forced
to set up the tent and stove to keep
from freezing. Their numbed fingers
made slow job of the camp prepara-
tions. 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 a 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
a 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