The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-03-18

GERS 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
lessness Of its primeval environment
Rife 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 up 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
Morning brought fresh trouble. The
animals were turning on each other.
Carmen, who still chung to her slender
thread of life, was downed by the
pack. The lash fell among them un-
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
in Tennessee, delivering tangled dis
courses and wild exhortations to his
brethren Of other days.
Taking advantage Of neighboring
pines, he worked rapidly, and Ruth
watched him make q 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 well. 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
out 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 lie.
It is not pleasant to be alone with
painful thoughts in the white silence.
The silence Of gloom is merciful,
;hrouding one as with protection and
thousand intangible SYM
)athies, but the bright white silence,
lear and cold, under steely skies, Is
)itiless.
An hour passed, two hours, but the
nan would not die. At high noon the
Jun, without raising it's rim above the
southern horizon, threw suggestion
# fire athwart the heavens, then quick
y drew it back. Malemute Kid reused
md dragged himself to his comrades
tide. He cast one glance about him.
rhe white silence seemed to sheer, and
great fear came upon him. There
vas sharp report, Mason swung into
lis aerial sepulchre and Malemute
Kid dashed the dogs into a wild gallop
l. he fed across the snow.