The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-10-13

I AhhN HNlA tNN NNllAMHhl lNhANANh
wcro on guard. hence these unfortu.
mates were chained 20 their gruhplies
as galley-slayes are shackled 90 their
benches.
Toe 60 heel. like poems rising from
the bowels Of mine. they bent their
backs and strained up that rivcn rock
wall BlaSphemy and pain. high
hopes and black despair hearts over
taxed and eyes blind with fatigue.
that was what the ChilkOot stood for
Pcrmeatlng tho entire atmosphere ~
the place. 80 that even the dullcst
could feel n. was n foverish haste,
an apprehensiye demand FOR speed,
moro speed. 20 keep ahead Of the
pressing thousands coming on be.
hind,
Pierce Phillips breasted the last
rlse 20 tho summit. slipped his pack
straps aud hung himself full lgasth
upon the ground Ills lungs felt as
II they were bursting, the blood
surEcd thru his veins until he
rocked. his body btrcamCd with
sweat, and his legs were a. heavy
as IN nodded from solid iron, Ho
was pumped out. winded. ueycrthc.
less. no felt his strength return with
magic swlftness. for hc possessed
that marvellous recuperatlyo power
| OF youth. and. Ike some tabled war
rior new strength flowed into him
! from tho earth Round about him
/ other men wera Hprawied. some lA}
like corpSes. others were pruppcd
against their packs. few stirred and
sighed like tho soroly wounded after
a charge. Those who had lain lous-
est. rose. took up their burdens, aud
went groanlng over tho skyline and
out OF sight Every moment new
faces. purple with effort or white
with exhaustion. rose out OF the
depths-all were bitten deep with
lines OF physical suffering On
I huckled knees their owners lurched
forward 10 find resting places. iH
/ their eyes burned aullen rage. IN
their mouths were foul curses al this
| Devils Stairway. There were strip
llngs and graybcards In the crowd.
strong men and weak men. but hero
at the summit all were alike In ono
particularly they lacked breath for
anything except ooths,
Here. too. as in the valley beneath,
WAS another great depo, OF pro-
/ vision piles Near where Phillips
had thrown himself down there was
ono man whose bearing was in
marked contrast 10 that o. the 9th
err. lie 81, asiridc bulEing ranyas
| bag In leather harness. and IN spite
/ OF the fact that tho mark Of lump
] limo showed beneath his cap he be
traycd no signs OF fatigue. lie was
not al all exhausted, and from the
intorsS, he displayed Il seemed that
| he had chosen this spot as n vantage
I point from which 10 study the up
/ coming tllo rather than an place
in which 10 rest. This no did with
/ n quick. appreciativs eye and with "A
I genial smile In face, IN dress, IN
manner. 10 was different. For one
thing, he was OF foreign birth. and
| yet he appeared 20 be moro piece
/ OF the country than any man Pierce
! had seen. His clothes were q pat
tern common among the native pack
, crs. but hr wore them with a free,
unconscious grace all his own. From
| the peak Of his Canadian toquc there
depended a taBsel which bobbed when
/ no talked his boots were OF Indian
make. and they we're soft and light
and waterproof. sash OF sevcrul
coiors was knotted about his waist
But it was not alone his dress which
( challenged the eyc-thsro was some.
| thing IN this fellows easy. open bear
/ ing which arrested attention. His
/ dark skin Ind been dcepened by
wIndhurn. his weIl.sct. well-shapcd
head bore countenancS both eager
and intelligent. countcnaucs that
fairly glowcd with confidence and
I good humor.
1 Oddly enough, he sang M he sat
upon his pack. High up on this hill
side. amid blnsphcmous complaint
he hummtd gay little song:
"Cbants. rossignoi. ehantef'
| TOT qui 10 occur gail
Tu as 10 occur rire
Mai j'rai.t-a plcuer,"
ran his chanaon.
Phillips had seen tho fellow scv.
erai times. and the circumstances Of
their first encounter had been suffi-
ciently unusual 10 impress them
selves upon his mind. Pierce had
been resting here, at this very spot.
when the Canuck had como up into
sight, bearing 100 pound pack with.
out apparent effort. Two flourBacka
upon n mans back was a rarc sight
on the roof OF tho Chilkoot. There
were not many who could master
that slope with more than one, but
this fellow had borne his burden
without apparent effort; and what
was even more remarkable, what had
caused Pierce Phillips 10 open hig
eyes In genuine nstonIshment, was
tho fact that the man climbed with a
pipe In his teeth and smoked II with
relish. On that occasion the French
man had not stopped at the crest 20
breathe. but had merely paused
long enough to admire the scene out.
spread beneath him; then he had
swung onward OF all tho sights
young Phillips had behold In this
new land. the vision OF that huge
unhurried Canadian. smoking, had
impressed him deepest. II had awak
encd his keen envy. too, for Pierce
was beginning to glory In his own
strength. A few days later they had
rested near each other on the Long
Lake portage That Is, Phillips had
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