New-York tribune., 1922-10-15

that It wasn't like that when was
young.
4 The title of Frozen Justice may
mislead the casual observer into think
ing this is just another Of those
things. But it deserves serious treat
4 ment. The author, Ejnar Mikkelsen,
is Danish explorer who has spent
many years in the Arctic, and he
has striven, not for sensation first
OF all, but to give an accurate pie
ture, in a fictional frame, of the life
and character of the Esquimau, end the
+, influence of the white man upon those
primitive people. So far as one en-
I tirely without first-hand knowledge
/ can judge, he has succeeded: and
thrown in lively story to boot. SAX
hawachiak, the Esquimau hero, embod-
les the best qualities of his race, and
is personality on his own account.
There is stuff for a saga in his long
and losing struggle with unkindly
fate. 1t may sound comic to relate
that his chief trouble was with his
wife, and that she was an Esquimau
vamp. lgluruk was her name; she was
a half-breed, doll Of creature who
| by her pretty face had escaped the
common lot of Esquimau girls, and had
never done an honest days work in
her life. Never had she chewed a
sealskin to make il pliable, nor cooked
mess of blubber for her lord and
master. Why should she? Her hus-
| band was captain of industry; he
owned several umiaks; he was the chief
spearman on the whaling ventures; he
could afford an ornamental wife. Alas,
When the white men came with their
strong waters and their superior cum
| ming In trading, and Sakhawachiak was
slowly stripped of his possessions, Ig-
lnruk went with them. Sakhawachiak
follows. His pursuit was heroic, HON.
eric and unsuccessful. So much Of luck
ne had; for the woman was not worth
either killing or being killed for; and
he was truly strong man; he re-
made his life afterward, married
again, and bred stout sons and indus
trlous daughters, remote from the
ports where the white men came. A
good story and good study of
locale new to fiction.
Not quite SO far North is the scene
of "The Timber Piratess'' nefarions
operations. It's the second novel about
the pulpwood industry to be issued
this month, getting right down to the
fundamentals of literature, so to speak.
Most OF the action occurs on the north
shore of Lake Superior, but its ramifi-
| cations extend as far west as Edmon-
! ton.
Fortunately, it is considered unfair
to relate the plot of a mystery story
IN full Fortunately, that is, because
IN this case 1t would be rather hard
to do. It's so complicated and has so
many unexpected twists and turns. Not
only pulpwood, but gold mine is in
VOWED, and even better than the gold
mine, more strikingly novel, is the
source of the heroine's fortune. Her
1ather had invented a process for pre-
serving eggs. Don't smile. There is
more money IN eggs than there is in
a gold mine. And the meeting of the
hero and the villain, Acey Smith. in
the first chapter strikes a distinctly
'dliferent" note. The villains greet
ing to the hero was: "Mr Hammond.
what do you know about aphasia ?" II
sounds like an Edison test, especially
as Hammond was asking for lob.
but ne is "a highly original villain
/ throughout. You'll like him in spite
OF his deeds Of darkness. MY favorite.
however. n. is 4vonne Kovenay, the spy.
1t IS evident she was not the ainS Ct
girl who would read DR.. Frank Crane.
When Acey Smith said to her: "Such
service as yours could not be BOUGHT
with monthly check. Love of one's
work alone could inspire it," the girI
"wlnced as if she had been struck and
/ retorted indignantly: GOOD God. did
you think it was love Of my work 2"
What was it, then you ask? Read
the book and find out.
Never. less than one novel per week
comes from the Southwest. Across
tne Mesa" is q grade A specimen. for.
ADDED to we'll constructed plot, which
is as plausible as we'll constructed
plot can ever be, it is brightly written,
! without any piling up Of the verbal
agony; The characters aren't very pro-
1oundly studied, naturally, but they
are az human, and mostly likable.
ana the Mexicans, in particular, are
not taken from stock; they are human
as the rest. Juan Pachuca, now, is re-
1freshlngly different from the usual
Mexican type The name alone of the
bandit and bad man, Angel Gonzales.
affords one a chuckle, taken in con-
junction with his appearance and
record. While his behavior, in putting
business first and letting fair lady
go unharmed rather than hamper his
is more than one dared to hope for in
the matter of verisimilitude,
- Verisimilitude has no place on "The
Trail of Conflict" We can earnestly
recommend this to any scenario editor,
put very, likely it was taken by one
long before publication if it hasn't
been novelized from a movie. 1t pro
vldes ali the favorite situations, hold
ups chases by motor and on horseback,
open-aIr stuff and sumptuous interiors
ana opportunities for complete range
OF costuming, from Stetsons to "full
evening dress" The most interesting
feature of it to a critic is the archaic
favor OF the first chapter. 1t must be
at least fifteen years since fiction
practically abandoned as plot material
the stern parents forcing their relucs
tant offspring into marriage of con-
venience and ambition; and It looks as
old fashioned as lego mutton sleeves
IN this revival
Letter Box
Omitting Miss Lowell