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.
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