Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-12-26

scriptfon. "If some more ub these boys
that have blazed trails through this
country would do the same thing,
they'd be better off. A chunk Of land
anywhere in this country is a good
bet now. Well have rails here from
the coast in a year. Better freeze
onto a couple uh lots here in Halle
ton, while they're low. Be plumb to
the skies in ten years. Natural place
for a city, Bill. It's astonishin' how
the settlers is comin'."
There was ocular evidence Of this
last, for they had followed in q road
well rutted from loaded wagons. But
Bill invested in no real estate, not
withstanding the positive assurance
that Hazleton was on the ragged edge
Of a boom.
maybe, maybe" he admitted. "But
I've got other fish to fry. That n
piece up by Pine river will do NE for
q while"
Here where folk talked only of gold
and pelts and railroads and settlement
and the coming boom that would make
them all rich, Bill Wagstaff added two
more ponies to his pack train. These
he loaded down with food, staples only,
flour, sugar, beans, salt, tea and cof-
fee, and a sack Of dried fruit. Also
he bestowed upon Niger a further
burden Of six dozen steel traps.
And in the cool of a midsummer
morning, before Hazleton had rubbed
the sleep out of it's collective eyes and
taken up the days work of discussing
Its future greatness, Roaring Bill and
his wife draped the mosquito nets over
their heads and turned their faces
north.
They bore out upon a wagon road.
For q brief distance only did this en-
dure, then dwindled to a path. A turn
in this hid sight Of the clustered log
houses and tents, and the two steam
ers that lay up against the bank. The
river itself was soon lost in the far
stretches of forest. Once more they
rode alone in the wilderness. For the
first time Hazel felt a quick shrinking
from the North, an w Of it's huge,
silent spaces, which could so easily
engulf thousands such as they and still
remain a land untamed.
On the second day they crossed the
Skeena, a risky and tedious piece of
business, for the river ran deep and
strong.
Presently the way grew rOugher. If
anything, Roaring Bill increased his
pace. He himself no longer rode.
When the steeDnesS of the hills and
canyons made the going hard the packs
were redivided, and henceforth Satin
bore on his back a portion of the sup
plies. Bill led the way tirelessly.
Through flies, river crossings, camp
labor, and all the petty irritations of
the trail he kept ali unruffled spirit, q
fine, enduring patience that Hazel mar
vcled at and admired. Many a time,
Weakening at some slight stir, she
would find him cooking breakfast. In
every way within his power he saved
her.
Many a strange shift were they put
to. Once Bill had to fell a great
spruce across a twenty-foot crevice. It
took him two days to hew it fiat SO
that his horses could be led over. The
depth was bottomless to the eve, but
from far below rose the cavernous
growl Of rushing water. and Hazel
held her breath as each animal stepped
gingerly over the narrow bridge. One
misstep-
Once they climbed three weary days
up a precipitous mountain range, and,
turned back in sight of the crest by
an impossible cliff, were forced to
back track and swing a fifty-mile de-
tour. September was upon them. The
days dwindled in length. and the nights
grew to have a frosty nip.
Early and late he pushed on. Two
camp necessities We're fortunately
abundant, grass and water. Even so,
the stress of the trail told on the
horses. They lost flesh. The extreme
steepness of succeeding hills bred gals
under the heavy packs. They grew
leg weary, no longer following each
other with sprightly step. and heads
high. Hazel pitied them, for she her
self was trail weary beyond words.
Liz f0SdDOuu llSlllCI lldu lilleu
asleep. The fine aura of romance no
longer lowered over the venture.
Sometimes when dusk ended the
days journey and she swung her stiff
fened limbs out of the saddle, she
would c%heerfully have %foregone all the
gold in the North to be at her ease
before the fireplace in their distant
cabin, with her mans head nesting in
her lap, and no toll Of weary miles
looming sternly on the morrow's hor1-
zon. 1t was all work, trying work, the
more trying because she sensed q
Intent uneasinesS on her husbands
part. an uneasiness she coIld never in.
duce him to cmbody in words. Never
tleless, it existed, and she resented it's
eXistence-a trouble she could not
share. But she could not put her fin
ger on he cause. for Bill merely smiled
~ Ir1n,r y1~,. Ii