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About The Polk County post. (Independence, Or.) 1918-19?? | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1918)
To the Man on Trail The Christmas Bumper Was Drunk to His Safe Get Awau By JACK LONDON Copyright by Jack London it in.” went round. Betties the Unquenchable "But, I say, Kid, isn’t sprang to his feet and struck up his that going to be a favorite drinking song— little too strong? Whis [ “ T h e re's H en ry Ward Beecher A nd Sunday sch o o l teachers, ky and alcohol's bad ^11 drink o f th e sa ssa fra s r o o t; enough, but when 't B ut y ou bet all the sam e. I f it had its right name. comes to brandy and pepper sauce I t's th e ju ic e o f th e forbid d en fr u it.” and—” “ Oh the Juice o f the forbid d en fr u it.” “ Dump it In .. Who's making this punch, anyway?" And Malemute Kid roared out the Bacchanalian chorus— “ Oh the Juice o f the forbid d en fr u it; smiled benignantly through the clouds B ut y ou bet all the sam e, o f steam. “ By the time you've been I f it had its righ t nam e, In this country as long as I have, my It's the Juice of the forbidden fruit.” son, and lived on rabbit tracks and Malemute Kid's frightful concoction salmon belly you’ll learn that Christ did its work. The men o f the camps mas comes only orce per annum. And and trails unbent in its genial glow, a Christmas without punch is sinking and jest and song and tales o f past * hole to bedrock with uury a pay adventure went round the board, streak.” j Aliens from a dozen lands, they toast “ Stack ep on that fer a high c.vard,” ed each other and all. It was the Eng approved Big Jim Belden, who had lishman, Prince, who pledged “ Uncle come down from his claim on Mazy Sam, the precocious Infant of the new May to spend Christmas and who, as world;” the Yankee, Betties, who drank every one knew, had been living the to "The Queen, God bless her!” and to two months past on straight moose gether Savoy and Meyers, the German meat. "Hain’t fergot the hooch we trader, clanged their cups to Alsace uns made on the Tanana, hev yeh?” ! and Lorraine. “ Well, 1 guess yes! Boys, it would Then Malemute Kid „arose, cup in have done your hearts good to see that ] hand, and glanced at the greased pa whole tribe fighting drunk, and all be per window, where the frost stood full cause o f a glorious ferment of sugar three inches thick—“ A health to the and sour dough. That was before your man on trail this night; may his grub time," Malemute Kid said as he turned hold out; may his dogs keep their legs; to Stanley Prlnc», a young mining ex may his matches never miss fire.” pert who had been In two years. "No Crack! Crack! They heard the fa white women in the country then, and miliar music o f the dog whip, the whin Mason wanted to get married. Ruth’s ing howl of the Malemutes and the father was chief of the Tananas and crunch o f a sled as it drew up to the objected, like the rest of the tribe. cabin. Conversation languished while Stiff? Why, I used my last pound of they waited the issue. sugar. Finest work in that line I ever “ An old timer—cares for his dogs did in my life. You should have seen and then himself,” whispered Male the chase down the river and across mute Kid to Prince as they listened to the portage.” the snapping jaws and the wolfish “ But the squaw?” asked Louis Sa snarls and yelps o f pain which pro voy, the tall French Cauudian, becom claimed to their practiced ears that ing interested. the stranger was beating back their Then Malemute Kid, who was a born dogs while he fed his own. raconteur, told the unvarnished tale o f j Then came tue expected knock, sharp the northland Lochinvar. More than and confident, and the stranger enter one rough adventurer o f the north felt ed. Dazzled by the light, he hesitated his heartstrings draw closer and ex a moment at the door, giving to all a perienced vague yearnings for the sun chance for scrutiny. He was a strik nier pastures o f the southland, where ing personage and a most picturesque life promised something more than a one in his arctic dress o f wool and fur. barren struggle with cold and death. Standing six foot two or three» with “ We struck the Yukon just behind proportionate breadth o f shoulders and the first ice run,” he concluded, “ and depth o f chest, his smooth shaven face the tribe only a quarter of an hour be nipped by the cold to a gleaming pink, hind. But that saved us, for the sec his long lashes and eyebrows white ond run broke the jam above and shut j with ice, and the ear and neck flaps of them out. When they finally got into his great wolfskin cap loosely raised, Nukluk.veto the whole post was ready he seemed, o f a verity, the frost king, for them. And as to the foregathering just stepped in out o f the night. ask Father Roubeau here. He per Clasped outside his mackinaw jacket, formed the ceremony.” a beaded belt held two large Colt's re The Jesuit took the pipe from his volvers and a bunting knife, while he Ups, but could only express his gratifi carried, in addition to the inevitable cation with patriarchal smiles, while dog whip, a smokeless rifle of the Protestant and Catholic vigorously ap- j largest bore and latest pattern. As he plauded. came forward, for all his step was firm “ By gar!” ejaculated Louis Savoy, and elastic, they could see that fatigue who seemed overcome by the romance bore heavily upon him. of it. “ La petite squaw; mon Mason An awkward silence had fallen, but brav. By gar!” his hearty “ What cheer, my lads?” put Then, as the first tin cups o f punch 1 them quickly at ease, and the next tn- ump D J stant Malemute Kid and be had grip ped hands. Though they hud never met, each hud heard o f the other, and the recognition was mutual. A sweep ing introduction and a mug o f punch were forced upon him before he could explain bis errand. “ How long since tin* basket sled with three men and eight dogs pass ed?” he asked. “ An even two days ahead. Are you after them?” “ Yes; my team. Run them off under my very' nose, the cusses. I’ ve gained two days on them already—pick them up on the next run.” “ Reckon they’ll show spunk?” asked Belden in order to keep up the conver sation, for Malemute Kid already had the coffeepot on and was busily frying bacon and moose meat. The stranger significantly tapped Ills revolvers. “ When'd yeh leave Dawson?” “ Twelve o’clock.” “ Last night?” as a matter o f course. “ Today.” A murmur o f surprise passed round the circle. And well it might, for it was just midnight, and seventy five miles of rough river trail was not to be sneered at for a twelve hours’ run. The talk soon became impersonal, however, harking back to the trails of childhood. As the young stranger ate o f the rude fare Malemute Kid atten tively studied his face.« Nor was he long in deciding that it was fair, hon est and open and thut he liked it. Still youthful, the lines had been firmly traced by toil and hardship. Though genial in conversation and mild when at rest, the blue eyes gave promise of the hard steel glitter which comes when called into action, especially against odds. The heavy jaw and square cut chin demonstrated rugged pertinacity and indomitability. Nor, though the attributes o f the lion were there, was there wanting the certain softness, the hint o f womanliness, which bespoke the emotional'nature. “ So thet’s how me an’ the ol’ woman got spliced,” said Belden, concluding the exciting tale o f his courtship. “ ‘Here we be, dad,’ sez she. ‘An’ may yeh be d-----,’ sez he to her. an’ then to me: ‘Jim, yeh—yeh git outen them good duds o’ youra. I want a right peart slice o’ thet forty acre plowed ’fore dinner.’ An’ then he turns on her an’ sez, ‘An’ yeh, Sal—yeh sail Inter them dishes.’ An’ then he sort o’ sniffled an’ kissed her. An’ I was thet happy— but he seen me an’ roars out, ‘Yeh, Jim!’ An’ yeh bet I dusted fer the barn.” “Any kids waiting for you back in the States?” asked the stranger. "Nope. Sal died ’fore any come. Thet’s why I’m here." Belden ab stractedly began to light his pipe, which had failed to go out. and then brightened up with, “ How ’bout yer- self, stranger—married man?” For reply he opened his watch, slip ped it from the thong which served for a chain and passed it over. Belden pricked up the slush lamp, surveyed the inside of the case critically and. swearing admiringly to himself, hand ed it over to Louis Savoy. With nu merous “ By gars!” he finally surren dered it to Prince, and they noticed that his hands trembled and his eyes took on a peculiar softness. And so it passed from homy hand to homy hand—the pasted photograph o f a wo man, the clinging kind that such men fancy, with a babe at the breust. Those who had not yet seen the wonder were keen with curiosity; those who had be came silent and retrospective. They could face the pinch of famine, the grip of scurvy or the quick death by field or flood, but the pictured sem blance of a stranger woman and child made women and children o f them all. “ Never have seen the youngster yet. He’s a boy, she says, and two years old.” said the stranger as he received the treasure back. A lingering mo ment he gazed upon it. then snapped the case and turned away, but not quick enough to hide the restrained tush o f tears. Malemute Rid led him to a bunk and bade him turn in. “ Call me at 4. sharp. Don’t fall me.” were his last words, and a moment later he was breathing in the heavi ness o f exhausted sleep. “ By .love, he’s a plucky chap!” com mented Prince. "Three hours’ sleep after seventy-five miles with the dogs, and then the trail again! Who is he. Kid?” “ Jack Westondale. Been in going on three years, with nothing but the name o f working like a horse, and any amount o f bad luck to his credit. I j never knew him, but Sitka Charley told me about him,” “ It seems hard that a man with a sweet young wife like his should be putting in his years in this God for saken hole, where every year counts two on the outside.” “ The trouble with him is clean grit and stubbornness. He’s clenrfbd up twice with a stake, but lost it both times.” Here the conversation was broken off by an uproar from Betties, for the effect had begun to wrear away. And soon the bleak years o f monotonous grub and deadening toll were being forgotten in rough merriment. Male mute Kid alone seemed unable to lose himself and cast many an anxious look at his watch Once he put < n his mit tens and lionver skin cap and, leaving the cabin, fell to rummaging about in the cache. (C oncluded Friday) MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS IN SHORT PAN TS It’s H ere-C om e in -S e e it The New Type “Z” Fairbanks - Morse FARM E N G I N E E c o n o m ic a l — Sim ple — L ig h t W e i g h t Substantial — F o o l-p ro o f Construction Gun Barrel Cylinder Bore — Leak-proof Compression—Complete with Built-in Magneto M ORE T H A N R A TED POWER »» AND A WONDER A T THE PRICE J. D. Hibbs & Company FOR SALE B Y INDEPENDENCE, OREGON The first one to say “Hello, Papa!” K. C. Eldridge —x— Has a large house In looking back over history* With a lot of rooms in it —x— , —x— —x— —x— — x— You could skate on it —x— All the 25 present —x— There’s a million precedents —x— For being a father. And he likes immensely —x— To invite in Numberless men have been such A bunch of friends With more or less success. —x— Adam was the first one And show 'em a good time. And fought the Huns —x— And everybody was within —x— Fifteen miles of Berlin The other evening And about ready to end the And running down thru time He did so When Mrs. K. C. —x— —x— —x— —x— —x— —x— Took fifteen minutes relaxation —x— —x— —x— —x— With groat success Julius Caesar And do you know Woodrow Wilson At one time in the morning To go home Jdss Willard After the V/> course supper And the kaiser escaped —x— —x— —x— Came in — x— —x— —x— Were childless —x— No doubt much to their regret. —x— Women can never he fathers —x— Or at least none of them Have ever been" . —x— Which may save man From eventual extinction —x— In this feminine period -x — When the f(m af' of tho species —x— Is rushing in - x— Where angels fear to tread. —x— Man may be rlnssod —x— As a non essential — x— —x— Wo In. ten to congratulato —x— Verd Hill Or smoGiered at birth And want *o be For tho reason above stated. —x— —x— And said it was time — x— —x— —x— * —x— And many others whose names Had been served •—x— —x— We don’t recall at this moment. | And when the tobacco smoke —x— Napoleon —x— Washington —x— Pope Benedict The official records show war —x— — x— There’s Jacob But he can’t be abolished Malemute Kid’s Frigi (fui Concoction Did It* Work. Got so thick —x— —x— —x— In the barrage of tobacco smoke. Subscribe for the Post. The Independence National Bank Established .1889 A Successful Business Career of Twenty-Five Years IN TER E ST P A ID ON TIME D E PO SITS Officers and Directors H. Hirscliberg, Pres. D. W , Sears, V. P. R. J?. DeArmond. Cashier W . H. W alker L. A. Allen O. D. Butler SU B SC R IPTIO N B L A N K Polk County Post, Independence Ore., I he rob \ sub ribe for the Polk County Post for one year and promise to pay you $1.50 for the same on or before April 8, 1918. (Signed) Name .............................................................................. P. O. Address