Evening star., 1924-07-27

mighty glad when TINS trlpS over.
What dye mean by that"" Bill
demanded
"I mean that this load of ourn is
getting on your nerves. an that
you're beginnin' to see things"
II thought of that" Bill answered
gravely. An so. when | saw it run
off across the snow, I looked in the
snow an saw its tracks. Then !
counted the dogs an there was still
the snow now. Dye want to look
at 'em? I'll show m to you"
Henry did not reply, but munched
on in silence, until, the meal finished,
he topped it with final cup Of cof-
fee. He wiped his mouth with the
back Of his hand and said.
Then you're thinkin' as 1t was
A long wailing cry, tiercely sad.
from somewhere in the darkness had
interrupted him. He stopped to lis
ten to it. then he finished his sem
tence with wave of his hand to-
ward the sound of the cry, one of
them"
Sill nodded. I'D a blame sight
sooner think that than anything else.
You noticed yourself the row the
dogs made"
Cry after cry, and answering cries,
were turning the silence into a bed
lam. From every side the cries arose.
and the dogs betrayed their fear by
budding together and so close. to the
fire that their hair was scorched by
before lighting his pipe.
I'm thinkin' you're down in the
mouth some" Henry said.
Henry - He sucked medita
lively. at his pipe for some time be-
fore he went on. Henry. 1 was
a-thinkin' what blame sight luckier
he is than you an nell ever be-
He indicated the third person by
a downward thrust of the thumb to
the box on which they sat.
You an me, Henry, when we die.
we'll be lucky if we get enough
stones over our carcasses to keep the
dogs off of us"
But we amt got people an money
an all the rest, like him." Henry re-
joined: "Long-distance funerals is
Somethin' you an me can't exactly
afford"
What gets me. Henry. is what a
chap like this, that's a lord or some
thing in his own country, and that's
never had to bother about grub nor
blankets, why he comes a-buttin'
round the God -forsaken ends of the
earth-that's what l can't exactly
see"
He might have lived to ripe
old age if he'd stayed to home
Henry agreed.
Bill opened his mouth to speak. but
changed his mind. Instead. he point
ed toward the wall Of darkness that
pressed about them from every side.
There was no suggestion Of form in
the utter blackness! only could be
seen a pair of eyes cleaning like
live Goals. Henry indicated with his
head a second pair. and third. A
circle of the cleaning eyes had
drawn about their camp. Now and
again pair of eyes moved, or dis
appeared to appear again moment
later.
The unrest of the dogs had been
increasing, and they stampeded, in q
surge of sudden fear. to the near
side of the fire, cringing and crawl
the scramble one of the dogs had
been overturned on the edge Of the
fire. and it had yelped with pain and
fright as the smell Of its singed coat
caused the circle of eyes to shift
restlessly for moment and even to
withdraw a bit, but 1t settled down
again as the dogs became quiet.
Henry, it's a blame misfortune to
be out of ammunition"
Bill had finished his pipe and was
helping his companion spread the bed
of fur and blanket upon the spruce
boughs which he had laid over the
snow before supper. Henry grunted,
How many cartridges did you say
you had left?" he asked.
Three" came the answer AN I
wisht twas three hundred. Then I'd
show 'em what for, damn 'em!"
He shook his fist angrily at the
prop his moccasins before the fire.
An I wisht this cold snap'd
break" he went on. It's been fifty
below for two weeks now. An I
wisht I'd never started on this trip.
Henry. 1 don't like the looks of it.
70 ~
while I'm wishin, I wisht the trip
was over an done with, an you an
me a-sittin' by the fire in Fort Nc
Curry just about now an playin'
cribbage-thats what 1 wisht."
Henry ,grunted and crawled into
by his comrades voice.
Say, Henry, that other one that
come in an got fish~why didn't
the dogs pitch into it? That's what's
you're botherin' too much. Bill"
never like this before. You jes' shut
up now, an go to sleep, an you'll be
all hunky-dory in the mornin'. Your
stomach's sour, that's what's both
erin you"
The men slept. breathing heavily,
side by side, under the one covering.
The fire died down, and the gleam-
Ing eyes drew closer the circle they
had flung about the camp. The dogs
clustered together in fear, now and
again snarling menacingly as a pair
of eyes drew close. Once their up
roar became so loud that Bill woke
up. He got out of bed carefully, so
as not to disturb the sleep Of his
the fire: AS it began to flame up,
the circle of eyes drew farther back.
He glanced casually at the huddling
dogs. He rubbed his eyes and looked
at them, more sharply, Then he
Henry" he said. "oh, Henry"
Henry groaned as he passed from
sleep to waking, and demanded,
Whats wrong now?"
"Nothin'," came the answer; "only
there's seven of 'em again. I just
counted"
Henry acknowledged receipt Of the
Information with a grunt that slid
into snore as he drifted back into
sleep.
In the morning it was Henry who
panion out Of bed. Daylight was yet
three hours away, though it was al
ready six o'clock: and in the dark
ness Henry went about preparing
breakfast, while Bill rolled the blan- :
kets and made the sled ready for
lashing.
''Say, Henry" he asked suddenly,
how many dogs did you say we
had?"
six"
Wrong" Bill proclaimed tri-
umphantly.
Seven again?" Henry queried.
mo, five: ones gone"
The HE'LL" Henry cried in wrath,
leaving the cooking to come and
roS9e Yep'rs re riehs. rsfs; Bill" he concluded.
"Fatty's gone"
AN he went like creased lightnin'
once he got started. Couldn't we
seen m for smoke"
mo chance at ALL" Henry con-
cluded "They jes' swallowed m
alive. I bet he was yelpin' as he went
down their throats, damn 'em!"
He always was a fool dog" said
Bill.
But no fool dog ought to be fool