The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-06-28

Lon nodded.
"But you'd better git more likely
caliber. Mine'll rip holes through you
| the size of walnuts."
"Niver fear. It's me own slugs smell
their way with soft noses, an they'll
spread like fapjacks against the COM
in out beyand. An when'll have the
| pleasure of waitin' on ye? The water
holes strikin' locality
"'Tain't bad. Jest be there I'm an
hour, an you won't set long on my
| comm"
Both men mittened and left the post,
their ears closed TO the circumstances
OF their comrades. 1t was such little
thing, yet with such men little things,
| nourished by quick tempers and stub
born natures. soon blossomed into big
things. Besides, the art of burning to
bedrock still lay in the womb Of the
| future, and the men of Forty Mile,
shut in by the long arctic winter, grew
high stomached with overeating and
enforced idleness and became as irrita-
BILE as do the bees in the fall of the
year when the hives are overstocked
with honey.
There was no law in the land. The
mounted police was also thing of the
future. Each man measured an Of
Tense and melted out the punishment,
inasmuch as 1t affected himself. Rare
ly had combined action been necessary,
and never in all the dreary history of
the camp had the eighth article Of the
Decalogue been violated.
Big Jim Belden called an impromptu
meeting. Scruff Mackenzie was placed
ger dispatched to solicit Father Rou-
beau's good offices. Their position was
paradoXical. and they knew it, BY the
right of might could they interfere to
prevent the duel, yet such action, while
in direct line with their wishes, went
counter TO their opinions. While their
rough hewn. obsolete ethics recognized
the individual prerogative of wiping
out blow with blow, they could not
bear to think Of two good comrades
such as BEETLES and McFane meeting
in deadly battle. Deeming the man
who would not fight on provocation a
bastard, when brought to the test 1t
| seemed wrong that he should fight.
But a scurry OF moccasins and loud
cries, rounded of with a pistol shot,
interrupted the discussion. Then the
storm doors opened and Malemute Kid
entered, smoking Colts in his hand
and a merry light in his eye.
II got him." He replaced the empty
shell and added, Your dog, Scruff."
yellow Fang?" Mackenzie asked.
mo: the lop cared one"
1.-THE devil! Nothing the matter with
him."
"Come out and take look
That's all right, after all. Guess
he's got 'em too Yellow Fang came
back this morning and took chunk
ont of him and came near to making
a widower OF me. Made a rush for
Zarlnska, but she whisked her skirts
in his face and escaped with the loss
Of the same and a good roll In the
snow. Then he took to the woods
again. Hope he don't come back.
Lost any yourselfT
zone, the best one Of the pack-Shoo-
KUN. Started amuck this morning.
but didn't get very far. Ran foul OF
Sitka Charey's team, and they scat
tered him all over the street. And now
two of them are loose and raging mad.
So you see he got his work in. The
dog census will he small in the spring
If we don't do something
"And the man census too"
Flows that? Whose in trouble
now?"
"Oh. Beetles and Lon McFane had
an argument. and they'll be down by
the water hole In a few minutes to
settle it."
The incident was repeated for his
benefit, and Malemute Kid. accustom-
ed to an obedience which his fellow
men never failed to render. took charge
Of the affair. His quickly formulated
plan was explained, and they prom
ised to follow his lead implicitly.
$50 you see" he concluded, I'VE do
not actually take away their privilege
Of fighting. And yet / don't believe
they'll fight when they see the beauty
Of the scheme. Lfe's a game and men
the gamblers. They'll stake their whole
pile on the one chance In thousand.
Take away that one chance anu they
won't play"
He turned to the man in charge
Of the post. "Storekeeper, weigh out
three fathoms Of your best half inch
manila"
"We'll establish precedent which
will last the men Of Forty Mile to the
end of time he prophesied. Then he
coiled the rope about his arm and led
his followers out of doors, just In time
to meet the principals.
"What DANCED right'd he. to fetch
my wife mr. Numbered BEETLES to
the soothing overtures of a friend.
"'Twa'n't called for" he concluded de-
cisively. "'Twa'n't called for" he re-
iterated again and again, pacing up
and down and waiting for Lon Nc
Fame.
And Lon McFane-his face was hot