Show THE TE TELEGRAMS TELEGRAM'S DAILY DAIL Y HOME AI AND D WOMANS WOMAN'S P AG- AG THE TRAIL OF 98 A Northland Romance By ROBERT W. W SERVICE Author of The Spell Spoil of th the Yukon and of a I New York Cro set Dunlap Publishers Copyright 1910 by Dodd Mend Mead Co I CHAPTER VII It lt was wan at Balsam City and things were going badly Marks and Bull- Bull hammer had formed a partnership with tho halfbreed tho professor protessor and the bank clerk and the tho arrangement was as proving a 3 regrettable one ono for tor forthe forthe the latter two It was all nil duo to Marks At the best of at times he ie waa was wa wasa a cross grained domineering bully and on th the l trail which would havo worn to a n. wire edge edgo the temper of or an angel his yellow streak became an eyesore He developed a t chronic grouch rou h. h and It was wa not long before he be had tho two weaker men toeing tho the mark He lie had a way of or speaking of or orthello those thello who had gono gone up against him himIn In Sn the past and were running yet Of shooting scrapes and deadly knife Work In which ho had displayed a n. spirit of ot cold blooded ferocity Both the professor protessor and tho the bank clerk were men of peace and vcr very Consequently th they W conceived conceived conceived con con- for tor Marks larks a n. shuddering re ro- ro sped not unmixed with fear tear and were read ready to stand on their heads at his bidding On tho the however r. r his Intimidation In Intimidation In- In did not work While theother the tho oth other r two trembled at his frown irown and w waited ted on him hand and foot Coot thoman tho thoman man of ot Indian blood ignored nored him and his taco was waa expressionless Whereby he lie Incurred tho the intense dislike of ot Marks Marki Things were going from bad to worse Tho mans man's aggressions were daily becoming more moro unbearable Ho He treated tho others like lIko and andon andon andon on every occasion ho tried to pick a a. quarrel with the halfbreed but tho the latter himself behind his Indian phlegm regarded him Marks mistook this for cowardice and anti took to calling tho h halfbreed I nasty names an particularly reflecting on tho the good character of oC his mother Still tho the halfbreed took no notice yet et there was a 0 contempt In hI his manner th that t stung more than words This was tho the state o of affairs when one ono evening tho the prodigal and I paid them a n. visit Marks had hd been drinking all day da- and had mado life lito a n. little hell heU for tho the others When w wo arrived he was rotten rotten rot rot- ten ripe for a n. quarrel Then the tho prodigal suggested a game of or poker ho tiO four tour of them himself Marks Bull- Bull hammer and tho halfbreed sat In At first they made a 0 cent 10 limit which soon they raised to 26 then at nt last there was no limit but tho roof root A bottle bottlo passed from Crom mouth to mouth and several big Jackpots were made and tho prodigal were about breaking even cven Marks was losing h heavily while whilo steadily the halfbreed was waa adding to his pile of chips Through one ono of those freaks of ot n chance chanco the two men seemed to buck one another continually Time after aftertime aftertime aftertime time the they would raise and ralso each other till tm at last Marks larks would call and always his opponent had the cards It was exasperating maddening maddenIng maddening madden madden- ing especially as several times Marks himself was called on a bluff Tho The very cry fiend of ill luck seemed to have gotten into him and as the game proceeded pro pro- Marks grew more moro flushed and excited Ho cursed audibly lb Ho lIo always had good cards but always somehow the other Just managed to beat him He became explosively angry and abusive The halfbreed offered to retire from the game but Narks Marks wo would ld not hear henr of ot It Jt Como Come on on you ho shouted Dont sneak away Give me too a n. chance chanco to get my money back bock So the they sat down once more and a n. hand was waa dealt Tho The halfbreed called for cards but Marks did not draw Then the betting began After tho the second round the others dropped o out t and Marks and tho halfbreed were left Tho The halfbreed was vac Inimitably cool his face taco was a n. perfect mask Marks too had suddenly grown very ery calm They started to boost each other Both seemed to havo have plenty of money moncy and at first they raised in tens and twenties then at last fifty dollars dollus dol dol- lars re at a n. clip It was wag getting exciting ing ing- You could he heIr r a pin drop and tho the prodigal I watched YOI very quietly quiet Sweat stood on Marks Marks' forehead though thC tho halff half halt f b breed d was utterly calm The Tho Jackpot held about 00 Then Marks could stand It no longer Ill IlI bet a. a hundred he cried and 25 see e you Ho triumphantly throw threw down a n. straight Thoro There now noVo ho hn snarl snarled 01 heat beat that you ou stinking stinking- Malamute There was a perceptible pause I felt sorry for tor the tho halfbreed Ho He could not afford to lose nh all that money but his face showed no shade Ahado of or emotion He Ho threw down his cards and there arose from us IS all a roar of ot incredulous surprise For tho the halfbreed had thrown down a royal flush lush in diamonds Marks rose Ho was now livid with passion You cheating swine ho cried you crooked d devil vil I Quickly he struck the other on the tho face a a. blow that drew blood I thought for tor a t moment tho the would return the tho blow Into his eyes there came carni a n. look of cold and deadly fury tury But no quickly bending down ho scooped up the money and left the tho tent Wo We stared at each other u Marvelous luck said Id the prodigal gal Marvelous hell heB shouted Marks Dont tell teB mo me its it's luck Hos Ho's a a. shar sharper r. r a dirty thief But Ill I'll get even Hos Ho's got to fight now Hell He'll ti fight ht with guns uns and Ill I'll kill tho the son of ot a dog dOIr Ho lie was drinking from the bottle In big gulps fanning himself into an ungovernable tUI fury with fiery I At last he ho went out and again swearing he would kill the halfbreed halfbreed half half- breed he made for another tent from which a sound of ot revelry was coming Vaguely Vaguel fearing trouble the prodigal prodigal gal al and I did not go to bed but sat talking Suddenly I saw him listen In In- In tenth Hist Did you hear that I seemed to hc hear r a sound like the tho fierce yelling of a wild animal We Yo hurried out It was Marks running toward us He was craz crazy with liquor and In one ono hand he flourished flourished flour flour- a gun There Thero was foam on his lips and he screamed as he ran Then we saw him stop slop before the tent oc occupied occupied occupied oc- oc by tho the halfbreed and throw open tho the flap tap Come Como out you dirty tinhorn you crook you OU Indian bastard como come out and He rushed in and came out again dragging the halfbreed at arms arm's length th The They were tussling together and we flung lung ourselves on them and separated them I was holding Marks when suddenly sudden sudden- ly he hurled mo me off ort and flourishing a revolver fired d one chamber cryIng cryIng cryIng cry- cry Ing Stand back hack all of you ou stand back Let me shoot at nt him Hes He's Hesmy m my meat Wo We stepped back pretty prett briskly for Marks had cut loose In fact we voc ducked for tor shelter all aU but the halfbreed halfbreed half halt breed who stood straight and still Marks took aim at the tho man waiting there thero so cool coolly h Ho fired tired and a tido of ot r red d staIned the other mans man's shirt near the shoulder Then something happened The Tho halfbreed's arm rose quickly A six-shooter six spat twice He lie turned to us I I 1 didn't want to todo todo todo do it boys but you see he ho me meto meto meto to it Im I'm sorl sorry sorry- Ho lie druy me to it Marks la lay In a n. huddled quivering heap lIe He was shot through the heart and quite dead CHAPTER VIII We were camping in Paradise val val- lc Icy ley Before us and behind us the great army labored along with infinite travail Wo We had suffered suf suf- fared but the trail all of ot the tho land was near ita its end And what an end With er c every mile the tho misery and difficulty culty o of the tho way seemed to increase Then we wo came camo to the trail of or Rotting Horses Dead animals we had seen all along n the trail in great numbers but the sight as wo we came camo on this particular place beggared ared description There Thero were thousands of them One night we dragged drag awa away six of ot them before wo we could find room to put up the tent tont There Thero they lay sprawling horribly their ribs protruding their hides their c eyes es putrid in the tho sunshine It was like a n. battlefield hauntingly hid hill And every da day was adding to their numbers Tho The trail ran over great reat boulders covered with Ic Icy slush through which the tho weary brutes sank to their bellies Struggling desperately desperately desper desper- down the they would come between two boulders Then their legs lege would snap liko and there thero usually tho they were loft to die One Ono would see sec Jammed in the cleft of a rock the tho stump of ot a n. hoof hoot or sticking up sharply sharp tho the Jagged splinter splinter spUn spUn- ter of ot a leg while far down dOVon tho the bluff blurt lay lay- laythe the animal to which It belonged One Oue would see pee ee the tho poor dead brutes lIn lying head hend and anil tall tail for tor an hundred yards ards at nt a no stretch One would see sea thorn thum deserted and Uld desperate wandering wandering wan wan- dering round foraging for food rood The They would come to the camp at night whinnying pitifully and with a n. look of or terrible entreaty entreat on their starved started faces Then one would take tako pity on them them and and shoot them I remember stumbling across a big heavy horse horse- one night in the tho gloom It was swa swaying ing from side Bide to side and as I drew near I saw its throat was hideously cut It looked nt at mo mu with such agony In its eyes that I put my handkerchief over Its face tace and with tho the blow of or an nn ax ended Its misery The Tho most spirited of ot tho the horses were tho the first to fall The They broke their hearts in gallant effort Goaded to desperation sometimes tho they would destroy Itro themselves es throw themselves frantically over the bluff Oh it was wn-s horrible horrible Our own horse proved a ready victim vic vIe tim To tell tho the truth no one ono but hut tho the wagon Jam was particularly sorry If It thero there was waa a sump hole in insight insight sight that horse was sure HUTO to flounder lounder in it Sometimes twice in ono one da day wo we had to unhitch tho the ox and pull him out There Thoro was a place dug out of at the snow alon alongside the trail which I was WM being used as a t knacker's s yard aru and here hero we too took him with a a. brokenleg broken le leg and put a bullet In his brain While Whilo wo we waited there thero were six others orb oth ers brought In to be bo shot It H waa as 38 a Sunday and we wore were In tho the tent Indescribably glad of ot a n. aday's aday's days day's rest The wagon Jam was mending a n bit of ot harness 8 the tho prodigal prod prod- gal al was as playing solitaire Salvation Jim had Just returned from a trip to Skagway where ho he had hod hoped to find a letter lotter from tram tho the outside regardIng regardIng regarding regard regard- ing one Jake Io hor His usually hal haland hale and kindly face was drawn and troubled d. d Wearily he ho removed his snow enow sodden o clothes To bo continued tomorrow |