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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 1915)
Copyright, 1914, by Shorty sat down at the table. By the time the expected knock came at the door Smoke was facing him across the tftble, and before each was a plate con taining tbree hot fried egs. "Come In!" Bmoke called. Wild Water Charley, a strapping young giant, entered and shook hands. "Set down an' have a bite, Wild Wa- ut, ouurcy jnvnea. "BmoKe, fry Dim some eggs. I'll bet he ain't scoffed an egg In a coon's age." Smoke broke three more eggs Into tho hot pan and In several minute placed them before bis guest who look ed at them with so strange and strain ed an expression that Shorty confessed afterward his fear that Wild Water would slip them Into bis pocket and carry them away, "Say, them swe Say, tbcra swells down In the states "In't got notbln' over ns In the matter of eats." Shorty gloated. "Here's yon nn' me an' 8moke gcttln' outside 90 worth of eggs an not battln' an eye." ' Wild Water stared at the rapidly dU- appearing eggs and seemed petrified. JuZJh:i m'",'' 7nU 00 1 ' Water said slowly. me cua.iengo. a tilings worth whut you can get for It, slu't It?" be demanded. I ion, i)ui-you can t eat eggs like that," Wild Water objected. "It-It ain't right" "We Just dote on eggs. Smoke an' ' me," was Shorty's excuse. Wild Water finished bis own plate In a half hearted way. "Say, you fellows ran do me a great favor," be began tentatively. "Sell me, or lend mo, or give mo, about a doxen of them eggs." "Sure," Smoke answered. "I know what a yearning for eggs Is myself. But we're not so poor thut we have to ', ell our hospltullty. They'll cost you nothing. (Jo ahead. Shortv. fnnii ttioin up for him." But Wild Water laid a restraining bund on tbe eager Shorty as be ex plained. "I don't mean cooked. want (bom wllb the shells on." "So that you can carry 'cm swayT" 'That's the Idea." "But that ain't hospitality," Shorty objected. "It's-lt'a tradln'." Smoke nodded concurrence. "That's different, Wild Water. I thought you Inst wanted to eat them. You sco, we went Into this for a speculation." The dniigerons blue of Wild Water's i-yea began to grow more dangerous. "I'll pay yuo for them," hu said sharp ly. "Dow much?" "Ob; not a dor.en," Smoke replied 'We couldn't sell s dotou. We're not retailers; we're speculators. We can't break our own market We've got a hard and fast corner, and when we sell out It's the whnlo corner or nothing." "Uow many bnvo you got and liow much do you want for them?" "liow many bnve w, Shorty r Hinoke Inquired. Shorty cleared his throat and iwr foruied ninutnl arithmetic aloud. "Lent, me sen. Mno hundred au' soveuty throe minus nine, that leaves nlno bun diod an1 slxtytwo. An' the whole ahootln' . match ut $10 a throw will tote up Jgst about ulna thousand six Imudred no' twenty Iron dollars, or course, Wild Water, we're playln' fair nu' It's money back for bad ones" though they Hin t none. That's one thing I never seen lu the Klomllke-a bad eg." Wild Water shook bis head sadly and helped blumelf to tbu beans. "That would bs too expensive, Shorty. 1 only Vint a few. I'll Kv you HO for a couple of down. I'll give you $20, but can't buy viu all." "All or none," was Smoke's ultima luui. "Look here, you two," Wild Water ld In a burst of confidence. "I'll bo Cerfw-tly honest with you, an' don't lot 1 any further. You kuow Mls Ar rai an 1 whs engaged. Well, she's broken everything off. It's for her I want them ecgi. I want lo them to her on a platter shirred. That's the way she likes em." "lh you want 'em ninety lx bundled an' twenty dollars' worth 7" Bln.rtv queried. "Aw. listen to reason," Wild Water pleaded. "I only wn.it a couple of ooieu. i n give you tM apiece for 'em. What da 1 want with all th rest of t lie in rugs?" "I should say Win Arnil's worth the lrlce of tbu eggs," Hmoko put lu quietly. "Worth Itr Wild Water stood up In tlio beat of bis eloquence. "She's worth a million dollars, tihn'a worth all ttis diut lu Kloudlke. But that slu't uo call fur me to gamble $io,000 on a liieakfiist for ber. Now, I'va got a inoaltlon. Lend me a couple of doien of them egjpi. i n turn 'cm over to Mavovllch. He'll feed Viu to her with my compliments. She ain't amlled to me for a hundred years. If them eggs got a smile for ma I'll inks the whole twilling off your bands." "Will you slKn a contract to that ef fect r Smoke said quickly, for h knew IKVV rLONDOK. the Wheeler Syndicate. that Lucille Arral bad agreed to smile. Wild Water gasped. "You're almighty swift with business up here on the bill." be aald, with a bint of a snarl. "We're only accepting your own proposition." Smoke answered. "All right; bring on the paper; make it out hard and fast," Wild Water cried ( In the anger of surrender. CHAPTER XX. Four Years Old. MOKE wrote the document wherein Wild Water agreed to take every egg delivered to him at 10 per egg. provided that the two dozen advanced to him brought about a reconciliation with Lucille Arral. Wild Water named wild nnUttoH nan ' as be was about to sign. "Hold on " " "miu. -wuen i duv eggs I Buy eood eggs. If I find one bad egg you've got to come back wltb the $10 I puid for It" "That's all right," Smoke placated. "It's only fulr." fimnhn tuaartnA tio u ait ,be cou,raet' an(1 Water sullen y gKne(1, reC(!,ve(j trla, tw0 , a tin pun, pulled on bis mittens and opened the door, "Uoodby. you robbers," be growled back at them and slammed the door. Smoka was a witness to the play next morning at SlavovltcJTs. He sat, as Wild Water's gueat. at the table ad Joining Lucille Arral's. Almost, to the letter, as she bad forecast It, did the scene come off. "Haven't yon found any eggs yetr she murmured plaintively to the waiter. "No, ma'am," caino the answer. "They say somebody's cornered every egg in uawson. Mr. Slavovltcb Is try ,llg ,0 DU' few J"st especially fot yon' But tn9 fellow tnat, 8 the cor- ner won ' ' loose." It was at this Juncture that Wild Water beckoned tbe proprietor to him, and, with one band on bla ahouldot, drew bla head down. "Look here, Sluvovltcb," Wild Water whispered bouniely, "I turned over a couple of dozen egg, to you last night Where are tbey?" "In the safe, all but that six I have all thawed and ready for you any time yon sing out." "I don't want 'cm for myself," Wild Water breathed In a still lower voice. "Shirr 'em up and pruseot 'em to Miss Arral there." "I'll attend to It personally myself," Slavovlfch assured him. "Au don't forget-compllments of me," Wild Water concluded, relaxing bis detaining clutch ou tlio proprietor's shoulder. I'rotty Lucille Arral was curing for lornly ut the strip of breakfast bucou and the tinned mashed potatoes on her plate when Slavovltcb placed before her two shirred eggs. "Compliments of Mr." Wild Water," they at the next table beard blm any. Smoke ackuowlcdMed to himself that It was a tine lilt of aollng-the quick. Joyous flash In the face of her, the Im pulsive turn of the head, the spontuue- "Compllmsnts of Mr. Wild WaUr." ous forerunner of a amlla that was ouly checked by a superb self control which resolutely drew her face back so that the could say something to the restaurant proprietor. Suioks felt the kick of Wild Watert nioocastned foot under the tables "Will she eat 'em-thafa ta question-will the eat 'emr the latter whispered aoulalngly. r""1 (fs& (Si mTfc clip If' THE SALEM DAILY CAPITA!. And with sidelong glances they aaw Lucille Arral hesitate, almoKt push the dish from her, then surrender to IU lure. "I'll take them eggs," Wild Water said to Smoke. "The contract holds. Did you see her? Did you see berl She almost smiled. I know her. It's all Died. Two more eggs tomorrow an' she'll forgive an' make up. If she wasn't here I'd shake banda, Smoke, I'm that grateful. You ain't a robber you're a philanthropist" Smoke returned Jubilantly op the hill to the cabin only to find Shorty In black despair. "It's all off wltb the big Swede," be groaned. "The corner's busted. What d'ye think I run Into? A geezer wltb throe thousnn' eggs-d'ye get me? three thonsan' an' Just freighted In from Forty Mile." "Uautereaux's bis name, a wbackln big, blue eyed French Canadian husky. It was our coroerin' eggs that got blm started. He knowed about them tbree thousan' at Forty Mile an' Just went nn' got 'em. 'Show 'em to me,' 1 says. An' be did. There was bis dog teams an' a couple of Indian drivers rest In down the bank where they'd Just pulled In from Forty Mile. An' on the sleds was soap boxes teeny wooden soap boxes. "We took one out behind a Ice Jam In the middle of the river an' busted It open. Eggs-full of 'cm, all pneked In sawdust Smoke, you an' toe lost We've been gamblln'. D'ye know what he had the gall to say to me? That tbey was all ourn at $10 a egg. D'ye know what he was doln' when I left bis cabin? Drawln' a sign of eggs for sale. Said he'd give us first choice at ten a throw till 2 p. m., and after that If we didn't come across he'd bust the market higher 'n a kite." Jt's all right," Smoke said cheer fully. "Quick action and tenm play Is all that's needed. I'll get Wild Water here at 2 o'clock to take delivery of eggs. You buy that Gnutereaax's eggs. Even If you pay $10 apiece for them, Wild Water will take them off our bands at the same price. If yon can get tbem cheaper why, wo make protlt as well. Have them here by not later than 2 o'clock. Borrow Colo nel Bowie's dogs and take our team." Smoke found Wild Water at the U. & M., and a stormy half hour ensnwi I warn you we've picked up some more eggs." Smoke said after Wild Water had agreed to bring his dust to tbe cabin at 2 o'clock and pay on dellv ery. You're luckier at finding eggs than me," Wild Flower admitted. "Now, bow many eggs have you got now-an' how much dust do I tote up the bill?" Smolce consulted his notebook. "As it stnndB now, according to Shorty's fig ures, we've 8,902 eggs. Multiply by ten" Forty thousand dollars!" Wild Wa- ter bellowed. "You said there was only uuieuung nxe uw eggs. It's a stick up. I won't stand for It!" emoKe drew the contract from his pocket and pointed to tbe pay on deliv ery. "No mention la made of the num ber of eggs to be delivered. You agreed to pay $10 for every egg we delivered to you. Well, we've got tho eggs, and a signed contract Is a signed contract uuuesny, luougu, wuu water, we didn't know about those other eggs until afterward. Then we bad to buy tueui iu oruur to muke our corner good." For five long minutes. In choking silence, Wild Water fought a battle wuu himself, then reluctantly gave In. "I'm In bad." be snld brokenly. "I'll bo there at 2 o'clock. But $10,0001" At 1:!!0 Shorty arrived with Gnuto- ream's eggs. "We pretty near double our winnings," Shorty told Smoke as they piled the soap boxes lnsldo tho cabin. "I holds 't-m down to $8, and aft er be cuwied loco In French he fulls for It Now, that's $2 clear profit to us for each egg." Promptly at 2 o'clock Shorty, pee Ing. saw Wild Water coming up the hill. When ho entered he was brisk and buslnesHllke. "Bring on them eggs, you plrutos." no commenced. "Au' after this day, If you kuow what's good for you, never nieutiou eggs to mo ngain." They began on the miscellaneous as sortment of tho original corner, all threo men counting. When 200 had been reached Wild Water suddenly cracked nn egg on the edge of the table and opened It deftly with bis thumb. "Hey, bold on!" Shorty objected. "It's my egg, ain't Itr Wild Water snarled. "I'm payln' $0 for It, alu't I? But 1 a u't buj lu' no pig lu a poke. Wheu I cough up ten bucks au egg I want to kuow what I'm gettlu'." Wild Water looked and 'smiled. "That's a good egg. (i I mine a pu. , Solo' to eat It myself tot supper." Thrlca again Wild Water cracked good eggs experimentally and put them lu the pall tiesldo blm. "Two more than yon figured Shorty," ho said at the end of the count. "Nine hundred an' sixty four, not sixty-two." "My mistake," Shorty acknowledged handsomely, "We'll throw 'eiu In for good measure." "Guess you cau afford to," Wild Water accepted grimly. "I'ass tlio batch -Jll.ttM. I'll pay for It now. Write a receipt Smoke." Golug to bis rur coat, from each of tbe aide pockets be drew forth two sacks of dust so rotund and long that they resembled bologna aausagea. When the first batch bad been paid for there remained In tbe gold sacks not more than several hundred dollars. A soap box was carried to th iihi. and the count of the $3,000 began. At tbe eud of 100 Wild Water struck an egg sharply against the edge of the ta ble. Tbe resultaut sound was tike that of the strtklnc or a sphere of eollj marble. "Frown solid." he remarked. "Hu.hr said 8hortf. "It otieht t fce solid, seeln' It has Just been freight- JOURNAL, gTTTr OTlV... SATURDAY. SEPT. 4. 191S. ed up from Forty. Mile. It'll take a ax to bust It" Smoke brought the ax and Wild Wa ter split tbe egg cleanly Id bait. The appearance of the egg's Interior was anything but satisfactory. Smoke felt a premonitory chill. Shorty was more valiant He held one of tbe halves to his nose. "Smells all right" he said. "But ft looks all wrong," Wild Wa ter contended. "An' bow can It smell when the- smell's frozen along wltb tbe rest of. It7 Walt a minute." He put the two halves Into a frying pan and placed the latter oa tbe front lid of the bot stove. Then the three men. with. distended, qnestlng nostrils, waited lu: silence. Slowly au unmis takable odor began to drift through the room. "Throw it ontt" Smoke cried, gasp ing. What's tbe goodT asked Wild Wa ter. "We've eot to sample tbe rest" Not tn this cabin." Smoke cough ed and conquered a qualm. "Chop them open, and we cau test by look ing at tbem. Throw It out. Shortyl Throw It out! And leave the door open!" Box after box was opened: egg after egg. chosen at random, was chopped In two, and every egg carried tbe same messuge of hopeless, irremediable de cay. I won't ask you to eat 'em. Shortv." Wild Water Jeered, "an'. If you don't mind, I can't eet outa here too quick. My contract called for good eggs. If you'll loan me a sled an' tenm I'll haul them good ones sway before they get contaminated." Smoke helped In loading the sled. "Say, how long yoa been boldln' that corner?" was' Wild Water's parting gibe. Smoke made no reply, and. with one glance at bis partner, proceeded to fling tbe soap boxes out into tbe snow. Say, Shorty, bow much did you say yon pnld for. that three thousand?" Smoke queried gently. ntgnt dollars. Don't talk to me. I can flgger. as well as you. We lose seventeen thousan" on the flutter. If anybody, should ride np on a dog sled an' ask you. I flggved that out whHe waltln' for tbe first egg to smell." Smoke, pondered a few minutes, then gain broke silence. "Say. Shortv. $40,000 gold, weighs 200 pounds. Wild Water borrowed our sled and team to haul away, bis eggs. He came up tbe bill without sled. Those two sacks of dust In his coat pockets weighed nout twenty pounds each. The un- derstandlug was cash on delivery. Ho brought enough dust to pay for the good eggs. He never expected to pay ror tnose. three thousand. He knew they were bad. Now, how did be know tbey were bad? What do you make of It any way f 'Huhl That ain't notbln'. A child COUld answer It We lose seventeen thousand . Wild Water wins seven teen thousan'. Tbem eggs of Gaute- reaux'a was Wild Water's nil the time. Anything else you're curious to know?"' . "Yes. Why in the name of common sonse didn't you Hud out whether those eggs were good before you pnld for them?" "Just as easy as tbe first questloa Wild Water swuug the bunko game timed to seconds. ,1 hadn't no time to examine them eggs. 1 bad to hustle to get 'em here for delivery. An' now, Smoko, lemme ask you one clvU ques tion. What did you say was the par ty'a name that put this egg corner Idea Into your head?" ' Smoke was casting about to begin tbe preparation for supper when Colo nel Bowie knocked at the door, banded Smoke a letter and went on to bis own cabin. "Did you see his facer Shorty raved. "He was almost bustin' to keep It straight It's the" big ha-hn for you me, Smoke. We won't never dust show our faces again In Dawson." The letter was from Wild Water, and Smoke read It aloud: "Dear 8mok and Shorty-I write to ask, with compliments of tho season, your presencs at a mipper tonight at Slavo vllch's Joint Miss Arral will be there and so will Ouutereaux. Him and me waa pardners down at Circle Ave years aso. He Is all rlEht and Is going to be Uost man. About them eggs. They come Into the country four years back. They was all bad when they come In. They wag bad when they left California. They always was bad. They stopped at Carluk one winter, and one winter at NuUlk, and hut wlnicr at Forty Mile, whoro they was sold for stonine. And this winter I sueaa thoy stop ut Dawson. Don't keep Ihem In a hot room. Lucille says to say you and her and me has sure made some excitement In Daweon. And I say the drinks Is on you. and that goes. ltoepectfully your friend, W. W." CHAPTER XXI. Captured by Indians. s MOKE, sitting on tbe edge of a sleeping robe, examined the feet of a dog be had rolled. suariiiig, on IU back In Ui uow. "We've got to rest over tomorrow snd make moccasins," be vouchsafed. '"He crust la playing tbe devil with their reet" "We oughta keep goln' somehow," Shorty objected. We ain't got cruh enough to turn hack with, aud we gotta sinae mat run of caribou or tn..n. white Indians nlmlebtv moon or r'ii be eatlu' the dog, sore feet an' all. Now, who even seen them whlt in dUus anyway? Nothlu' but hearsay. An bow can a Indian b whltov Smoke, we Just gotta travel tonior- iw.- "They'II travel all the better with a day's rest for their feet and moccasins all around," Smoke counseled. "If you get a chance at any low divide take a peep ever the country beyoud. We're likely to strike open roiling country any time now. Theft what La rerle told us to look for." Uuhl By bis own story It was ten yeara ago tbst La Perle come thronsh Ihls aectlon, an' be was that loco from hunger he couldn't now what be did see. An' he said himself he never seen any white Indians. That was Anton's yarn. An' Anton kicked tbe bucket two years before you an' me come to Alaska. But I'll take a look tomorrow. An' mebbe I might pick op a moose." Smoke spent the morning In camp sewing dog moccasins. At noon he cooked a meal for two and began to look for Shorty's return. An hour lat er be strapped on his snowshoes and went out on bis partner's trail. Th war led un the bed of the stream through a narrow gorge that widened suddenly Into a moose pasture. But no moose had been there since the first snow of the preceding fall. Tbe tracks of Shorty's snowshoes crossed the pas ture and" went up the easy slope of a low divide. At the crest Smoke halted. The tracks continued down the other slope. The first spruce trees, in the creek bed, were a mile away, and It was evident that Shorty bad passed through them and gone on. Smoke looked at his watch, remembered the oncoming darkness, the dogs and the camp and reluctantly decided against going farther. Until midnight Smoke maintained a huge fire for the guidance of Shorty. And In the morning, waiting with camp broken and dogs harnessed for tbe first break of light Smoke took up tbe pursuit In the narrow pass of tbe canyon bis lead dog pricked np bis ears and' whined. Then Smoke came upon the Indians, six of tbem, coming toward him. They were traveling light, wltbout dogs, and on each man's back was tbe smallest of outfits. Surrounding Smoke, tbey Immediate ly gave blm several matters for sur prise. That tbey were looking for him was clear. That tbey talked no Indian tongue of whlcb be knew a word was also quickly made clear. They were not white Indians, though they were taller and heavier than tbe Indians of tbe Yukon basin. Five of tbem carried the old fashioned, long barreled Hod son Bay company musket and In tbe bands of the sixth was a Winchester rifle wblcb Smoke knew to be Shorty's Nor did tbey waste time In making him a prisoner. Unarmed himself, Smoke could only submit The contents of the sled were distributed among their own packs, and he was given a pack composed of bis and Shorty's sleeping furs. Tbe dogs were unhar nessed, and when Smoke protested one of the Indians by signs Indicated a trail too rough for sled travel. Smoke bowed to tbe Inevitable, cached the sled end on In tbe snow on the bank above tbe stream and trudged on with bis captors. The first night was spent In a camp which bad been occupied for several days. Here was cached a quantity of unca salmon and a sort of pemmlcan, which the.Indlans added to their packs. From this camp a trail of many snow shoes led off-Shorty's captors, was Smoke's conclusiou-and before dark ness fell be succeeded in making out tbe tracks Shorty's narrower snowshoes bad left Always In the days that followed they pointed north, and always the trail, turning and twisting through a Jumble of upstanding peaks, fended north. In six days tbey gained and crossed the central pass, low in comparison with the mountains it threaded, yet formidable In ltaclf and not possible for loaded sleds. Five days more of tortuous winding, from lower altitude to lower altitude, brought them to the open, rolling and merely hilly country La Perle had found ten years before Smoke knew It with the first glimpse. Far as he could see rolled the open C?n.Utur- mgh ,u tbe easi l"e Rockies still thrust their snowy ramparts heav enward. To the south and west ex ended the broken ranges of the pro jecting spur system they bad crossed. And in this vast pocket lay the coun try La I'erle bad tra versed-snow blanketed, but assuredly fat with game at some time In tbe year and tn the summer a smiling, forested and flow ercd land. Before midday, traveling down a broad Btrenm. they came upon the site of a large camp, recently abandoned. Glancing as be went by it Smoke es timated 400 or BOO fires and guessed the population to be tn the thousands. So fresh was the trail and so well packed by the multitude that Smoke and his captors took off their snow shoes and In their moccasins struck a swifter pace. i,o m ' Tklng Cftn,P' Tay held steadily on through a deepening gloom that vanished under a sky ot limit-Stx-at glltterln, stars, half veiled by . greenish vapor of pulsing aurora bore alls. His dogs first caught tbe noises h. ,9 M.mp; Prtckln8 UleIr ars and whining In low eagerness. Then it came to the ear, of tbe humans- murmur dim with distance. .,lbe.Kn,fa50Ut hlm nulckened. Tho l8 that bad lifted through a dozen strenuous hours lifted In a still swUter .P,rn,nnra,f'rUn Dd S flat the, burst upon an abrupt glare Tf abrupt Increase ot sound. The treat camp lay before them, thii." .tbC' 'ntcrM ,nd beaded the Irregular runways of the hunting camp a vast tumult as In a waie ro to meet them and rolled on with them -cries, greetings, questions aud an- !L7",J0k'" ,C(1 lokc thrut back again, tb. .napping snarl of wolf dogs, the scolding of squaws, laughter? the uifanta, all the pandemonium of a nfolL"" PrlmmT' w,lde Tbey halted In tbe trampled snow by an open Art. where Shorty and two yonng Indiana, squatted on their hams, were broiling .trip, 0f cariboo, n, Three other young Indians, lying i 8horty looked acroe, the fir, at hi, Cartnerbutwlth a .sternly Impassive lace, like Uioae of bis couipaulous, made no sign and went on broiling tbe meat "What's tbe matterr Smoke de manded, half In irritation. "Lost your speech?" Tbe old familiar grin twisted on Shorty's face. "Xope," be answered. "I'm a Indian. I'm learnin' not to show surprise. When did they catch you?" "Next day after you left" "Hum! Well. I'm doin' fine, thank you most to death. This Is tbe bach elors' camp. An' these are the bach elors. They're glad to meet you. Smoke. Set down en' dry your moc casins, an I'll cook np some grub. You'll have to come to It, for looks ns If we'll be with these folks a long time. Tbey's another white mnn here. Got caught six years ago. Danny Mc Can Is what be goes by. He's settled down wltb a squnw. Got two klds'al ready, but be'll skin out If ever tbe chare opens up." Apparently this was Smoke's ap pointed domicile, for bis captors left blm and his dogs and went on deeper Into the big camp. While be devoured strips of bot meat Shorty talked. "This Is a sure peach of a pickle, Smoke. An' we got to go some to get out These Is tbe real, blowed In tbe glass wild Indians. Tbey ain't white, but tbeir chief is. He talks like a mouthful of bot mush, an' If be ain't full blooded Scotch tbey ain't no such Lthlng as Scotch In tbe world. He's the m-yu, skookuiu, top cuiet oi toe wuoie caboodle. What be says goes. You want to get that from tbe start off. "Danny AlcCnn's been tryln' to get away from blm for six years. Dan ny's all right, but be ain't got go In blm. He knows a way out learned It on buntln' trips to the west of tbe way you an' me enme. He nln't bad tbe nerve to tackle It by bis lonely.. But we can pull It off, tbe three of us. Whiskers Is the real goods, but he's mostly loco, Just tbe snme." "Who's Whlskersr Smoke queried. . "Why, he's tbe top geezer. He's the Scotcher. He's gettin' old, an' he's jure asleep now, but he'll see you to morrow an' show you clenr as print what a measly shrimp you are on his stompln' grounds. These grounds be long to blm. You got to get that Into yonr noodle. Tbey nln't never been explored nor nothln. nn' they're hisn, an' he won't let you rorget It He's ?ot about 20,000 square miles of bunt In' country here all his own. He'a rh white Indian, him an' tbe skirt . "Hub! Don't look at me that way. Walt till you see her. Some looker, tn' all white, like ber dad-he'. Whis kers. An' soy, caribou! A hundred thousan' of good rnnnin' meat In tbe herd nn' ten thousan' wolves an' cntn a-followln' an' llvln' off tbe stragglers nn' the leavln's. Tbe herd's movln' to the east, an' we'll be followin' 'em nnv dny now." "Here comes Whiskers, lookln' like he's goln' somewhere," Shorty whis pered. . It was morning, and tbe bachelors were squatting over a breakfast of caribou meat Smoke glanced up and saw a small anri ainniw i.i clad like any savage, but uumlstaku bly white, striding In advance of a sled tenm and a following of a dozen In dians. Bushy whiskers, yellowish gray and stained by camp smoke, concealed most of tbe face, but failed wholly to conceal the gaunt, almost cadaverous, cheeks. "HOW dO VOn d(r tho man .M ------ . ujt.u au iu, slipping a mitten and holding out his ume unnu, -my mime Is Sunss." "Mine's Bellew." Smoke returned, feeling peculiarly disconcerted as be gazed Into tbe keen, searching black eyes. "Getting plenty to eat. 1 see. Bough rations, but we don't starve often. And It's more nnturnl than tbe hand reared meat of the cities." "I see you don't Ike the cities." Smoke laughed In order to be saying something and was Immediately star tied by the trnnqrnrr,,oi D . uvii oniioa un derwent Quite like a sensitive plant tbe man', entire form seemed to wilt and quiver then the recoil, tense and savage, con- a hatred that screamed of lmmeasur able pain. He turn. hm.i and then, recollecting himself, remark. vaauuuy 0Ver nig shoulder: ih.3!1 1106 y0U lnter' Mr' Hollew- The ahead to pick out a location. You'll ail come on tomorrow." Later on In the morning Smoke went w,tnVtr." tbroueh camp, taj with Its primitive pursuits. AblgbodJ of hunter, bad Just returned. a"d the men were scattering to their var. u An. Women and children were de parting with dog, harnessed to emptv toboggan sleds, and women and hU dren and dogs were hauling sleds tanned leather c d .f". " Bo SutvetsTrr 10 quiver, of bone barbed arrows, and mnnyaskinntn, kn.f. of boor.tODe Segregated in h , . . .. hale, of .k su. . a A Rrcat neflP To one side was a silk font ... roung woman cam. Tot T1 ai She waa drebsedlugTT------- but such skins anri H,,h ' m beautiful fnr work SmmT. ""'weatiy dreamed of. Her 7 5 thrown back, was of some'suVn of palest sliver. The ookiu.. mnkluks, n wa.ru, Dido soles, were comp1 And For a Long Moment They Gazed at tacn uthen the sUver padded feet of many lynxes. ipe long ganntietett mittens, the tas-j sels at the knees, all the varied fnm i the costume, were . pale silver that shimmered In the frosty light and cat of this shimmering silver, poised on a slender, delicate neck, lifted her bead, tbe rosy, face blond as the eyes were blue, the ears like two pink shells, the- ngut cnestnut. neir touched with fruit, dust and coruscating frost glints. ; All this and more, as In a dream. Smoke saw; then, recollecting himself, bis band fumbled for b), cap. At the tame moment the wonder stare In toe girl', eyes passed Into a smile, and ibe slipped a mitten and' extended her; band. j "How do, you do?' he mormmW gravely, with a queer, delightful ac cent, her voice as silvery as the furs she wore. Smoke could only mumble phrases that were awkwardly reminiscent ot his best society manner. "I am glnd to see you," she went on slowly and groplugly, bcr face a ripple ot suiiles. "My ICngllsb yoa will please excuse. It Is not good. 1 am English like you," sfre gravely assured him. "My fnther be Is Scotch. My mother she Is dead. She was French and Eng lish and a little ludlan too. Her fa ther was a great mnn In tbe Hudson Buy company. JJ r-r-r! It Is cold. Let us go to the tire and tnlk. My name Is Labisk wee. What Is your name?" And so Smoke came to know Labisk wee. tbe daughter of Snass, whom Snass called Margaret. "Sunss Is not my father's name," she Informed Smoke. "Snnss Is onlv an Indian name." Much Smoke learned that dsv and In the days thnt followed. , These were real wild Indians, tbe ones Anton bad encountered and escnned from long years before. But strive as be would Smoke could get no clew to Snass' history in the days before he came to live In tbe northern wilds' F.dncated he was, yet In nil the Intervening years whnt bad hnnnened In the world he knew not Nor did be show desire to know, Aor could T.nhlskwoo hnln Smoke wltb earlier Information. She bad been born on the bunting grounds. Her mother had lived for six years after, tier mother bad been very beautiful the only white woman Lnblskwee had ever seen. She said this wistfully, and wistfully In n thousand ways she showed thnt she knew of the great out side world on which , her father hud closed tbe door. But, this knowledge was secret She had enriy learned that mention of it threw ber father Into a rnge. Ajiton bad (old a squaw of ber moth er and that ber mother had been daughter of a blgh officio! In the Hud son Bay company. Later the squaw had told Lnblskwee. . But ber mother's name she bad never learned. . CHAPTER XXII. The Love of Labiskwee, Y OD'RB the first Intelligent mnn we've bad," Snass com plimented Smoke one night by the fire, "except old rour Eyes. The Indians named him o. He wore glasses and was short sighted. Be wa, a professor of loolo BJ. My young men picked bun up strayed from an expedition on the up per Porcupine. "He was Intelligent, yes; but be wa, iso a fool. That was bis weakness straying. He knew geology, though, nd working n metals. Over on tbe Uiskwa, whore there's coal, w, hav, several creditable hnnd forge, be made, ue repaired our guns and taught the young men how. He died Inst year, k ,W rmVtf mIsse him. Strayed ""i no It happened-frote to death within a mile of camp." , -11 W" on tne ,am night that Snass aid. to Bmoke: (Contlnned next Saturday.) nttdg can 6 found quick V f Arons-A J... r f Ul ..'V -I ' ' (& J i ' " " Ad -1lciiiiifttvMri..)B.v;t, f'ia rWlMltejKtrUI