The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1918-01-19

ing morning. it had fallen asleep for
good.
I'VE can't be more'n 400 miles from
the Yukon" concluded Sloper, multi
| plying his thumb nails by the scale of
the map. The council. in which the
| two incapables had whined to excel
lent disadvantage, was drawing to a
close.
Hudson bay post. long time ago. No
use nm now" Jacques Baptiste's IA
Their had made the trip for the Fur
company in the old days, incidentally
marking the trail with couple of
frozen toes.
"Sufferin' crackyw cried another of
the party. "No whites?'
mary white" Sloper sentcntiously
affirmed. but it's only 500 more up
the Yukon to Dawson. Call 1t rough
thousand from here"
Weatherbee and Cuthfert groaned in
chorus.
"IIow long'ii that take, Baptiste?'
The half breed figured for moment.
v
ten. twenty. forty. fifty days. I'm ba-
bics come" designating the incapa-
tles), "no can tell. Mcbbc when h
freeze over; mcbbc not then"
The manufacture OF snowshocs and
mocCasius ceased Somebody called
the name of an absent member. who
came out of an ancient cabin at the
| oil y,f
The cabin was one of the many mys-
teries which Turk in the vast rccesses
of the north. Built when and by
whom no man could tell. Two graves
in the open. piled high with stones,
perhaps contained the secret of those
early wanderers. But whose hand had
piled the stones?
The moment had come. Jacques
Baptiste paused in the fitting of a
harness and pinned the struggling dog
in the snow. The cook made mute
protest for delay. threw handful OF
bacon into noisy pot of beans, then
came to attention. Sloper rose to his
feet. His body was ludicrous con-
trast to the healthy physiques Of the
incapables. Yellow and weak. fleeing
from a South American fever hole, he
had not broken his flight across the
zones and was still able to toll with
men. His weight was probably ninety
pounds with the heavy hunting knife
thrown In, AMI his griZZled hair told
of a prime which had ceased to be.
The fresh young muscles. Of either
Weatherbec or >Cuthfert were equal to
ten times sthe endeavor OF his. yet he
could walk them into the earth in a
days journey. And all this day he
had whipped his stronger comrades
into venturing a thousand miles of the
stiffest hardship man can conceive. He
was the incarnation of the unrest OF
his race. and the old TeutOnic stub
bornncss. dashed with the quick grasp
and action Of the Yankee, held the
flesh in the bondage of the spirit.
"All those In favor OF going on with
the dogs as soon as the ice sets say
aye"
"Aye.' rang out eight voices-voices
destined to string trail of oaths along
many hundred miles Of pain.
Contrary minded?'
Nor For the first time the incapa-
bles were united without some COM
promise of personal interests.
"And what are you going to do about
it2" Weatherbce added bclligerently.
"Maiority rule! Majo"'tv rule" clam
ored the rest OF the party.
IL know the expedition Is liable to
fail through II you don't come" Stopper
replied swectly, "but guess, IL we try
real hard, we can manage to do with
out you. What do you say. boys?"
The sentiment was chcercd to the
echo.
but say. you know" Cuthfcrt ven
turcd apprchensively, whats chap
, like me to do?"
! Amt sou coming with usg'
!, moo"
} Then do as you please. We won't
J have nothing to say"
! Kind o. calkilate yuh might settle
: Il with that canoodlin' pardner Of
yourn." suggested heavy going west
, erner from the Dakotas. at the same
, time pointing out Weatherbee. Hell
be shore to ask yuh what yur n-goin
. to do when it comes to cookin' an
gatherin' the wood"
: Then wen consider 1t all arranged,
: concluded Sloper. We'll pull out to
morrow, IL we camp within five miles
Just to get everything in running order
ard remember IL we've forgotten any
! thing
! The slcds Grcaned by on their stee
: shod runncvs. and the dogs straine,
. low in the harnesses in which the!
: were born to die. Jacques Baptist'
2 paused by the side of Siopcr 10 &c
] "A last glimpse of the cabin. The smok
curlcd up pathetlcally from the luSoi
, sloyeripc. The two incapablcs wer
Y watching them from the doorway.
!. Slopcr laid his hand OH the other
. shoulder.
: Jacques Baptiste, did you ever hca
I OF the Kilkenny ,atsT'
The half breed shook his head
: "well. my FREUD and good comradc