The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-01-26

&&W forget many of the |
.$W,V things he has learned |
As&,se =. and 20 acquire such |
@ES-IASh customs az are inner |
9assstSarE4. ent with existence in
49, R "a the new land. lie must
- aSNsa abandon HE old ideals
tezy.t Z. .Ss ana The old gods. and
~ -bft 1r;TsSG.SS;3 of,rntimc$ he must re-
verse the very code ly
which his conduct has hitherto been
shaped. 10 those Who have til"
protean faculty of &G,ptabiIity the
novelty Of such ch"n.a may even
be i source Of pleasure. but to
those Who happen t" be hardened
to the ruts in which thcy were created
the pressure Of the altered environ
ment is unbeatable, me they chafe in
body and i'll spirit mnrr the new re-
strCtions which they do not under
stand. This chatting is bound to act
and react, producing divers evils ana
leading to various misfortuneS. lt
were better for the man who cannot hit
himself to the new groove to return to
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 III
view of corresponding returns. Like
many another fool, diSdaining the Old
trails used by the nOrthland pioneers
for score of years he hurried TO 70
monitor in the spring Of the year, ana
there. unluckily for his souls welfare
he allied himself with party OF men,
There was nothing unusual about
this party, except its plans. Even its
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 or
the northwest. Even Jacques BaptlSte,
born Of a Chippewa woman and rem
egade voyageur (having raised his hrst
whimpers i'll deerskin lodge north or
the sixty-fifth parallel and had the
same hushed by bliSSful sucks OF raw
talloW), was surprised. Though he
sold his services to them and agreed
TO travel even to the never opening
ice, he shook his head omnously when
ever his advice was asked.
Percy Cuthfert's evil star must have
been in the ascendant. for he, too,
Joined this country OF argonauts. lie
was an ordinary man, with bank ac-
count as deep as his culture. which is
saving a 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
t-any another man has done the like
and made as fatal a mistake.
The first breakup of spring found
the party following the ice run OF Elk
river 1t was an imposing fleet, fol
the outfit was large. and they were &C
companied by a diSreputable contm
gent of half breed voyageurs with theiI
women and children. Day i'll ana day
out they labored with the batcauX and
canoes. fought mosquitoes and Other
kindred pests or sweated and swore al
the Dortages. Severe toll like this lays
a man naked to the very roots or his
soul, and ere Lake Athabasca was los,
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
CIV Cuthfert The whole party com
planned less of its aches and pains thar
did either of them. Not once did they
volunteer for the thousand and ONT
petty duties of the camp. They though
nobody noticed, but their comrades
swore under their breaths and grew e
hate them, while jacques Baptist
sneered openly and damned them from
morning till night. But Jacques Bap
tiste was no gentleman.
At the Great Slave Hudson bay dog
were purchased, and the fleet sank t
the guards with its added burden
dried fish and pemmican. Then cano
and bateau answered to the swift cur
rent of the Mackenzie, and they plune
ed into the Great Barren Ground. Ey
cry likely looking feeder was pros
pected, but the elusive pay dirt
danced ever to the north. At the Grea
Bear. overcome by the common drea
of the unknown lands. their voyageur
began to desert, and Fort of Goo
Hope saw the last and bravest bendin
TO the tow lines as they bucked tn
current down which they had so treaci
erously glided. Jacques Baptiste alon
remained. Had he not sworn to travt
even to the never opening ice?
Abandoning their river craft at To
beadwaters of the Little Peel, the
consumed the rest OF the summer
the great portage over the Mackenzi
watershed to the West Rat. This Ii
+,e stream fed the Porcupine, which
turn joined the Yukon where tht
mighty highway Of the north counte
marches on the Arctic Circle. But the