The Tomahawk., 1918-02-14


race he would have harbored no objes-
tons; but these women Of the North
land-no, no, they were too soft, too
tender, for such enterprises.
Sitka Charley did not know this kind
Of woman. Five minutes before, he
did not even dream of taking charge
Of the expedition; but when she came
to him with her wonderful smile and
her straight clean English, and talked
to the point, without pleading or per-
suading, he had incontinently yielded.
Had there been a softness and appeal
to mercy in the eyes, tremble to the
voice, a taking advantage of sex, he
would have stiffened to steel; instead
her clear-searching eyes and clear
ringing voice, her utter frankness and
tacit assumption Of equality, had rob-
| bed him Of his reason. He felt, then,
| that this was new breed of woman;
and ere they had been trail mates for
many days, he knew why the sons Of
such women mastered the land and
| sea, and why the sons of his own wom-
ankind could not prevail against them.
Tender and soft! Day after day he
watched her, muscle-weary, exhausted,
indomitable, and the words beat in up
on him in a perennial refrain. Tender
and soft! He knew her feet had been
born to easy paths and sunny lands,
| strangers to the moccasined pain of the
North, unkissed by the chill lips of the
| I. nd J01
| at them twinkling ever through the
weary day.
She had always q smile and word
| of cheer, from which not even the
meanest packer was excluded. AS the
way grew darker she seemed to stiffen
and gather greater strength, and when
Kah-Chucte and Gowhee, who had
Dragged that they knew every land
mark of the way as child did the skin
bales of the tepee, acknowledged that
they knew not where they were, it was
she who raised a forgiving voice amid
the curses Of the men. She had sung
to them that night, till they felt the
WEAKNESS fall from them and were
ready to face the future with fresh
hope. And when the food failed and
each scant stint was measured jealous
ly, she it was who rebelled against
the Vaccinations of her husband and
Sitka Charley, and demanded and re-
ceived q share neither greater nor
less than that Of the others.
Sitka Charley was proud to know
this woman. A new richness, greater
breadth, had come into his life with
her presence. Hitherto he had been
his own mentor, had turned to right
or left at no mans beck he had mould
ed himself according to his own die
tates, nOurished his manhood regard
less Of all save his own opinion. For
the first time he had felt call from
without for the best that was in him.
Just a glance of appreciation from
the clear-searching eyes, a word OF
thanks from the clear-ringing voice,
just slight wreathing Of the lips in
the wonderful smile, and he walked
with the gods for hours to come. It
was a new stimulant to his manhood
for the first time he thrilled with a
conscious pride in his wisdom of the
trail and between the twain they ever
lifted the sinking hearts of their COM
rades.
The faces of the two men and the
woman frightened as they saw him,
for after all he was the staff they lean
ed upon. But Sitka Charley, rigid as
was his won't, concealing pain and
pleasure impartially beneath an iron
exterior, asked them the welfare of
the rest, told the distance to the fire,
and continued on the back trip. Next
he met single Indian, unburdened,
limping, lips compressed, and eyes set
with the pain of foot in which the
quick fought losing battle with the
dead. All possible care had been ia.
ken of him, but in the last extremity
the weak and unfortunate must per-
ish, and Sitka Charley deemed his
days to be few. The man could not
keep up for long, so he gave him rough
cheering words. After that came two
more Indians, to whom he had allotted
the task of helping along Joe, the third
white man of the party. They had de-
serted him. Sitka Charley saw at
glance the lurking spring in their bod
les, and knew they had Mt last cast off
his mastery. So he was not taken un-
awares when he ordered them back in
quest Of their abandoned charge, and
saw the CLEAN of the hunting knives
that they drew from the sheaths.. A
pitiful spectacle, three weak men lift
ing their puny strength in the face OF
the mighty vastness; but the two re-
coiled under the fierce rifle blows of
the one, and returned like beaten dogs
| to the leash. Two hours later, with
Joe Keeling between them and Sitka
Charley bringing up the rear, they
came to the fire, where the remainder
of the expedition crouched In the shell
| ter of the fly.
"A few words, my comrades, before
we Sleep" Sitka Charley said. after
they had deyoured their slim rations of