The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-10
UNDER FROZEN STARS


face.
Starved he murmured. STARVED,
and worn out! !"
The ghost of her old smile returned
as her great eyes shone.
starved? Yes starved for you.
Jeem-for the sight of your sled"
Then the fur of their hoods met,
shutting out the white world around
them.
"We must get back up the river. and
make camp" said the intoxicated Jim.
at length, shocked back TO reality by
the freezing air, "I'll take his dogs.
poor brutes. They were certainly
game! And that lead-dog. when you
cut his traces"
"Oh!" she broke In. II forgot the
dogs! Get them, Jeeml | can't look
at his face. therep"
Leaving ner, Jim went to the lead
dog still guarding his kill In the snow.
AS he approached. the skeleton husky
slowly rose to his feet. hair stiff on his
gaunt frame, and his fangs barred in
a Snarl.
The eyes of the man opened In
amazement, his jaw sagged. as the girl
watched. He thrust his bare hands,
palms upward. toward the threatening
dog.
The lifted lips slowly sheathed the
white fangs. The dogs flattened ears
rose from his battered skull. The
snarl died In his throat. He shifted
curiously at the man facing him who
had not struck
Jims wondering eyes blurred at the
red welts raised by the dog-whip on
the black muzzle nearing his extended
hands.
Smoker" he choked. Smoke, boy !;
don't you know Jim?"
The bloodshot eyes of the husky
searched the face of the man. His
black nostrils dilated. He took eau
tious step fOrward-his nose seeking
the hands thrust toward him-hands
which stirred vague memories blurred
by months of brutality and starvation.
Another sniff and dim recollection of
a master who never struck, whose
voice was a caress, harrassed his daZed
brain.
Smoke! It's jim; Jim, boy! Don't
you remember Jim, Smoker"
With a whimper, the dog fiercely
nuzzled the outstretched hand as. at
last, poignant memory of the lost mas
ter flooded his brain. He sprang upon
the man kneeling in the snow. his red
tongue covering him with mad caresses
as he yelped and whimpered his joy.
Then, weak as he was, Smoke circled
Jim again and again in mad gallop,
to return to the waiting arms and hear
the grooming love-words his ears had
once known.
you've been beaten and starved and
broken, boy, but it's over now. There'll
be happy days for you and Jim !"
Then on the hairy skull Stuart's CROP
ing fingers found the furrow left by
the bullet which had stunned Smoke
at the portage, enabling Paradis to
take the dog with him in his fleeing
canoe.
While Smoke yelped and whimpered,
leaping upon him in an ecstacy of joy,
Jim glanced at the crumpled Paradis,
gray face distorted in the grimace Of
death.
"You were lucky, Paradis," he said
to the thing in the snow. IF Omar or
l had taken you alive you'd have died
slow. Paradis. slow-and hard"
Taking Aurores sleeping bag, he cut
loose the remaining two dogs and re-
turned to her.
81 didn't tell. l wanted Smoke to
recognize you" she said as Jim
wrapped her snugly on his sled. 81
think he knew me, and often l stole
food for him. AT night he always
came to me when we made camp"
"Don't talk about it! Jim protested,
haunted by the thought of her days in
the power of the man who had paid.
AS he kneeled, busy with the sled
lashings, she suddenly touched his
shoulder.
"Jeem!"
He looked up.
"Why did you follow? For hatred
of him-or love of me?'
he bent and kissed her.
Triumphantly she smiled through
her tears.
"You do love me-even after this"
With a murmured protest, he kissed
her tenderly. But she was not through.
She reached and turned Jim's face
toward her
"Look at me! That dead man there
has much to answer for-but not that
He was mad-but he worshiped me-
respected me! didn't trust him and
always carried my knife. He knew
was ready to kill myself!"
you think my love is so small a
thingT
"No!" she sobbed. you've proved
it, lover Of mine! But l would nor
have lived-you would have found him
alonei'
Snug in the spruce beside a great
fire, they camped that night and feast
ed. In their happiness oblivious of the
fierce cold which drew down the stars
until they giittered close to the spruce
tops while the aurora pulsed across
them in flashes of green and rose and
pearl Then back up the Winisk they
journeyed, Smoke and his gaunt team
mates loose while Jim's feeding thick
ened their blood.
Meeting Omar with a sled-load of
food. jill and Aurore passed the Stur-
geon and reached the Pipestones.
From there, Omar hurried south to
carry the news of Aurore's safety to
LeBlond and aid Esau with the Christ
mas trade, while Jim turned east on
the Fort Hope trail.
Were going to see a friend of
mine. Father Jean of the Oblate mis-
sion, Omar" Jim explained with a
-.ix .aI,oIl khnr,, x-oul b. -