Gunnison news-champion., 1921-05-13
W2P
SCARLET S3{ PLAGUE
y JACK LONDON


Then they. lra r.. -at The man who
had seat 'LtH rra.i 10 his lofty
t-''ctng had ... t.-I 0f the plague
or been ca.s.rr Do the great con,
faF-a.oH no. had ...rr. bed as raging
around him Ar- chat had occurred
g. S.a r.-. -rl been duplicated in
al ,he ..a.r ..f... II ~as the same
f. san fEa' ..... and Oakland. and
Tert,leg Dr.. 7. .-thy the people
were dying O.. ap.aIy that their
corpse could no, b. handled. and
t'af bot.ra lay everywhere Thurs.
Gay nigh, tho panic ouirush for the
county heEan Imagine. my grand
EoEs people. thicker than the salmon.
nun you have seen on the Sacramento
river pouring out OF the cities By
millions. madiy over the country.
n vain attempt 10 escape the
ub ggltOus death You see they car.
red the germs With them Even the
E'rahips Of the rich. fleeing rOr noun
tain and desert fastnesseB. carried the
germs
was telling about the alrshlps OF
the rich They carried tho plague
With them. and no matter ahcre they
r'd they died never encountered
but one survivor OF any OF thcm-Mun.
gcrsOu He was afterward at Santa
Rosa. and he married my eldest daugh-
ter. He cam" into the tribe eight
years after the plague He vas then
nineteen year, old and he Was com.
pcIlcd 10 "ait twelve years more be
fore he could marry You see. there
were no unmarried women, and some
o. the older daughters Of the Santa
Rosaas were already bcspokeu. SO he
Was forced 20 wait until my Mary had
grown to sixteen years. It was his
ioH Gimp L~g no was killed last
year by the mountain lion.
"hunEcrson was eleven years old at
tho time Of the plague Ills father was
one Of the Industrial Magnates. a very
.s@@ithy. powerful man. II was on his
airshIp the Condrr that they we're
fleeing. With all tine family. for the
WildB OF British Columbia. which Is far
TO the north OF here But there was
some accident. and they we're wrecked
near Mt Shasta. You have heard OF
that mountain. II Is far to the north
The plague broke out among them,
and this boy OF eleven was the only
survivor For eight years he was
alone, wandering over deserted land
and looking yainly for his own kind.
And at last. travelling south, he picked
MP with US, the Santa Rosans
But am ahead of my story When
the great exodus from the cities around
San Francisco bay began, and while
the telephones were still working,
tnlked with my brother. ! told him
this flight from the cities was insan.
ity, that there were no symptoms OF
the plague In me, and that the thing
for US to do was to isolate ourselves
And our relatives In some safe place.
We decided on the Chemistry build
Ing. at the university, and We planned
10 lay in a supply OF provisions. and
by force Of arms to prevent any other
persons from forcing their presence
upon US after we had retired to our
refuge
"All this being arranged. my broth
er begged me to stay In my own
house for at least twenty.four hours
more, on the chance OF the plague de-
veloping In me. To this | agreed, and
he promised to come for me next day.
We talked over the details OF the pro-
vistoning and the defending OF the
Chemistry building until the telephone
died. 1t died in the midst OF our
conversation. That evening there were
no electric lights, and | was alone In
my house in the darkness. No more
newspapers were being printed. SO I
had no knowledge of what was taking
place outside. heard sounds OF riot.
ing and of pistol shots. and from my
windows could see the glare on the
sky OF some confagration in the d.
rection OF Oakland. II was a night OF
terror ] did not sleep wink. A
nan-why and how / do not know
was killed on the sidewalk in front
OF the house. heard the rapid re-
ports OF an automatic pistol, and few
minutes later the wounded wretch
crawled up to my door, moaning and
crying out for help. Arming myself
with two automatics. / went to him.
BY the light Of q match ascertained
that while he was dying OF the bullet
wounds. at the same time the plague
was on him. ned indoors, whence |
heard him moan and cry out for half
an hour longer.
In the morning my brother came
to me. ] had gathered into hand
bag what things Of value proposed
taking. but when | saw his face I
know that he would never accompany
mo to the Chemistry building. The
plague was on him. He intended shak.
ing my hand. but went back hurried
ly before him.
Look at yourself In the mirror
! commanded
Ny Godf' he said. I've got Il
Don't come near me I'm q dead man.
"Then the convu1aiona sai,od btr,