The Tomahawk., 1918-01-10

which his conduct has hitherto Deen
shaped. TO those who have the
protean faculty of adaptability the
novelty Of such change may even
be source Of pleasure, but to
those who happen to be hardened
to the ruts in which they were created
the pressure Of the altered environ
ment is unbearablc, and they chafe in
body and in spirit under the new re-
strictions which they do not under
stand. This chatting is bound to act
and react, producing divers evils and
leading to various misfOrtunes. 1t
were better for the man who cannot fit
himself to the new groove to return to
his own country. If he delay too long
he will surely die.
When the world rang with the tale
Of arctic gold and the lure Of the north
gripped the heartstrings Of men Car
ter Weatherbee threw up his snug
clerkship, turned half Of his savings
over to his wife and with the remain
der bought an outfit. There was no
romance in his nature. The bondage
Of commerce had crushed all that He
was simply tired of the ceaseless grind
and wished to risk great hazards in
view of corresponding returns. Like
many another fool, disdaining the old
trails used by the northland pioneers
for q score Of years, he hurried to Ed
mOnton in the spring of the year, and
there, unluclily for his souls welfare,
nc allied himself with party of men.
There was nothing unusual about
this party, except its plans. Even it's
goal, like that Of all other parties, was
the KlOndike. But the route it had
mapped out to attain that goal took
away the breath of the hardest native,
born and bred to the vicisSitudes OF
the northwest Even Jacques Baptiste,
born of Chippewa woman and rem
egade voyageur (having raised his first
whimpers in 4 deerSkin lodge north Of
the siXty-fifth parallel and had the
same hushed by blissful sucks of raw
tallOW), was surprised. Though lie
sold his services to them and agreed
to travel even to the never opening
ice, he shook his head OminOusly When
ever his advice was asked.
Percy Cuthfert's evil star must have
been in the ascendant. for lie, too,
joined this country of argOnauts. He
was an ordinary man, with bank ac-
count as deep as his culture, which is
saying good deal. He had no reason
to embark on such venture--no rea-
son in the world, save that he suffered
from an abnormal development of SEN
timentality. He mistOOk this for the
true spirit of romance and adventure.
l-any another man has done tho like
and made as fatal Il mistake.
The first breakup of spring found
the party following tho ice run Of Elk
river. It was an imposing fleet, for
the outfit was large, and they were ac-
companied by a disreputable contin-
gent Of half breed vOyageurs with their
women and children. Day in and day
out they labored with the bateaux and
canoes, fought mosquitoes and other
kindred pests or sweutcd and swOre ut
the pOrtages. Severe toll like this lays
a man naked to the very roots Of his
soul, and ere Lake AthabAsca was lost
in the south each member Of the party
had hoisted his true cOlors.
The two shirks and chronic grum-
blers were Carter Weatherbec and Per-
cy Cuthfert. The whole party COM
planned less of it's aches and pains than
did either of them. Not once did they
volunteer for the thousand and one
petty duties of the camp. They thought
nobody noticed, but their comrades
swore under their breaths and grew to
nate them, while Jacques Baptiste
sneered openly and damned them from
morning till night. But Jacques Bap-
tiste was no gentleman.
At the Great Slave Hudson bay dogs
wero purchased. and the fleet sank to
the guards with its added burden of
dried fish and pemmican. Then canoe
and bateau answered to the swift cur
rent of the Mackenzie, and they plung-
ed into the Great Barren Ground. Ev-
cry likely looking feeder was pros
pected, but the elusive ''pay dirt
danced ever to the north. At the Great
Bear, overcome by the common dread
Of the unknown lands, their voyageurs
began to desert, and Fort Of Good
Hope saw the last and bravest bending
to the tow lines as they bucked the
current down which they had SO treach-
erously glided. Jacques Baptiste alone
remained. Had he not sworn to travel
even to the never opening ice?
Abandoning their river craft at the
headwaters of the Little Peel. they
consumed the rest of the summer IN
the great portage over the Mackenzie
watershed to the West Rat. This 1T
tie stream fed the Porcupine, which In
turn Joined the Yukon where that
mighty highway of the north counter
marches On the Arctic Circle. But they
had lost in the race with winter, and
90 day they tied their RATS to the