The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-01-17

been pannin' pay dirt along the Koy-
ulxtlk and held he was handin' luck
on t you with that name." Sock
Eye spat luxuriously, indicated the
right trail fork for Katie to take,
and turned back to me. "But his
own luck didn't hold out. It sure
didn't" Still again Sock-Eye spat.
THAT was a dirty deal they gave
him over on the Chakitana."
HE died there" said, with re-
proving quietness in my tone.
And died fightin' for his rights,
tryin' to push through t. the Record
Office to git his patent from bein'
cancelled on him. But he was buck
in something too big for him. Seems
like you got T. be college g'ologist
and law sharp before you can stake
claim in this country nowadays"
"Then somebody else should be
keeping up the fight" said with a
sort Of she-wolf fierceness that
brought the deep-set old eyes back
to study of my face.
Tain't a fight where pinfeath-
er cluck like you'd have a look-in,"
observed Sock-Eye Schlupp. He spat
wide into the fringing spruce. "And
nothin' much is gained by bellyach-
in over water that's gone down the
fiune, grille. You should be salts
fed Klondike sent you outside t.
git dedicated proper"
Perhaps I'm not" / said, en-
Filtered by sense Of relapse in
the face of some old loyalty.
"Then what're you set on dom
with YOURSELF" my companion cool
ly inquired. tis
told him, briefly, about my work
at Toklutna. But it didn't impress
him much.
You're sure wastin' your time on
them no-account Nitchies," he
averred. His morose eye ranged
along the far-off mountain peaks.
Same as I'm wastin' my time in
this valley, batchin' it in ten-by-
twelve wickyup and bakin' my own
sourdough. I've got me a mimi
claim up between the Little Squaw
and the Goldstream where the moth
er lode runs as thick as your leg and
once ] get back there and open her
up she's sure goin' t. be second Ell
Dorado"
I could feel Katie's elbow prod
my ribs.
They all say that, she muttered.
/ remembered that she was right.
I'd seen them broken and wasted
from bad diet, and arthritic from
bad teeth and burnt out with bad
whisky, but still nursing their dream
of some lucky strike that was going
to make them millionaires overnight.
And in it, / felt, lay both the curse
and the glory of all Alaska.
Here we be-" cried Sock-Eye as
we rounded a trail bend and rolled
up in front Of log shack with
pair Of weather-bleached moose
horns over the door.
The light wasn't strong in the
shadowy warm room. But could
make out dog, lying beside the
stove, and a man in his shirt-sleeves,
STOPPING over blanket-lined basket
without d handle.
/ stared at that man, rather stu
pidly. Then / looked back at the
dog, in an effort to verify the in
credible. The man STOPPING over
the blanket-lined basket was Sidney
Lander.
/ could feel my heart beating a
little faster as / stood staring at
him. / could see Katie O'Connell's
eyes widen as she inspected the
nursing flask he'd made out Of what
looked suspiciously like a beer bot
tie with q glove finger tied over its
end. It wasn't working right, APP
parently, from the thin walls of pro-
test that came from the basket.
Leave this to me-" said the nurse
as she reached for her handbag.
Sidney Lander, thus elbowed
aside, stood watching the expedi-
tious hands that betrayed none Of
the hesitations marking his own
clumsy movements. When the dog
lifted his pointed nose and rubbed it
in friendly way against my knee
his owner raised his eyes and stared
straight into my face.
He saw, for the first time, just
who it was under that worn old
parka. But he didn't speak and he
didn't smile. He merely stood there,
with wonder in his eyes.
II didn't expect this" he said as
Sock-Eye Schlupp busted himself
stocking the stove. 81 was on my
way down to Toklutna to find out
why you hadn't much faith in me-"
s'In what did ! fail your" / ques-
toned, little resentful Of his power
to dampen or quicken my spirits.
II asked for the data and docu-
ments to back up your Chakitana
claim" he reminded me.
II don't happen to have any docu-
ments, as yet" told him. ''But
even if ! had, why should they go
to your"
81 wanted to lay them before John
Trumbull," replied Lander, puzzling
me by the grimness of his jaw-line.
He's the big smoke in the Chalk
tana Development Company"
"But also your boss" ] said.
a "a 4 e - .