The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1918-01-17

ters and were rushing the grub. He
| joined the issue with his rifle reversed,
and the hoary game of natural selec-
ton was played out with all the ruth
1essness Of its primeval environment.
Rifle and ak went up and down, hit or
missed with monotonous regularity.
1.-the bodies flashed with wild eyes
and dripping fangs, and man and
beast fought for supremacy to the bit
terest conclusion. Then the beaten
brutes crept to the edge of the fire.
light, licking their wounds, voicing
their misery to the stars.
The whole stock Of dried, salmon had
been devoured, and perhaps five pounds
Of -four remained to tide them over
200 miles of wilderness. Ruth turned
to her husband, while Malemute Kid
cut ND the warm body of one Of the
dogs. the skull Of which had been
crushed by the Ak. Every portion was
carefully put away, save the hide and
offal. which were cast to his fellows
of the moment before.
Morning brought fresh trouble. The
animals were turning on each other.
Carmen, who still clung to her slender
thread of life, was downed by the
pack. The lash fell among them I'M
needed. They cringed and cried under
the blows, but refused to scatter till
the last wretched bit had disappeared
bones, hide, hair, everything.
Malemute Kid went about his work
listening to Mason, who was back
1o1i1yori0~ fonp1n6 dis.
courses and wild exhortations to his
brethren of other days.
Taking advantage Of neighborinS
pines, he worked rapidly, and Ruth
watched him make cache similar to
those sometimes used by hunters to
preserve their meat from the WolVer-
ines and dogs. One after the other he
bent the tops of two small pines to-
ward each other and nearly to the
ground, making them fast with thongs
of moOsehide.
Ruth had received her husbands last
wishes and made no struggle. Poor
girl! She had learned the lesson of
obedience we'll. From child she had
bowed and seen all women bow to the
lords Of creation, and it did not seem
in the nature of things for woman to
resist The Kid permitted her one out
burst of grief as she kissed her hus-
band-her own people had no such Gus
tom-then led her to the foremost sled
and helped her into her snowshoes.
Blindly, instinctively she took the gee
pole and whip and "mushed' the dogs
ont on the trail. Then the Kid return
ed to Mason, who had fallen into CO.
ma, and long after she was out Of
sight crouched by the fire, waiting.
hoping, praying for his comrade to 1ie.
It is not pleasant to be alone with
painful thoughts in the white silence.
The silence of gloom is merciful,
shrouding one as with protection and
breathing a thousand intangible SYM
pathies, but the bright white silence,
clear and cold, under steely skies, is
pitiless.
An hour passed, two hours, but the
man would not die. At high noon the
sun, without raising it's rim above the
southern horizon, threw suggestion
Of fire athwart the heavens, then quick
" drew it back. Malemute Kid reused
and dragged himself to his comrade's
side. He cast one glance about him.
The white silence seemed to sheer, and
a great fear came upon him. There
was sharp report, Mason swung tnto
his aerial sepulchre, and Malemute
Kid dashed the dogs into wild gallop
as he fed across the snow,