| Show By ROBERT W W. SERVICE A Northland New York Crosset t t Dunlap Publishers Author of The Spell of the Yukon and Ballads of a T H E T R A Il 0 OF F 9 8 Romance R. R 0 mane ance e Copyright 1 1910 10 by Dodd Mead Co 1 T SYNOPSIS The hero who Is telling the story tory of ot othis hI his ute life has left lct his homo honic In Scotland his mother on and ond brother Gerry Corn and act et out to seek k a adventure He is going to ventur the northern gold ol fields ields With him 1 b Is Tho Prodigal or Happy son of oC a aNew aNew aNew New England Englan manufacturer a a. In lad also l In search of oC adventure and Salvation Sal vaton Jim one miner an and gum gum- bler bier but bUl now lOW reformed On the ship going to 10 Alaska the hero meets Berna a a. young oung Jewish girl with whom ham he falls in love Ho is kind to her grandfather whets when he Is s III 1 thus gaining the tho girls girl's regard The Tho old nan man some mono money the U savings s of oC n a n lifetime lift life lr- lr time ond n a n couple of or Jew sharps the tho arc hounding him to 10 got get ot pOt pot ef lon oC Hi The suffering on the trail to the Klondike IH Is intense and ninny many have havo to Ic turn back before they tIey arc are started grandfather is Is' Is killed and authe the tako nIL all ni his I Jle money th e threatening the girl mak- mak ingher r w rl rc for Cor them Iltem She steals away avay ono one plight ight h and visits AU Athol ol the man who ha lia lU tl her and ane who Is tolling telling tho the eLo story asking him him to 10 marry her and take care caro of ot her He Ue answers her that best to wait vait wal as 38 neither I Id sure that tho tim love lovo sr ar r t Ui 3 other Is th tho pal pal- pas paa- slon of ofa a lifetime i h he 6 rescues her hr when tho cow co coIn cowIn In JEte Which she i with wih the tho in- in Is UPS 1 and during the following follow follow- Colow- Colow tn outfits are arc dr drying out ing days tl Jwo dayt pass a 9 many nany hours in each others companionship Finally l teU Athol that she sio Is la about to be bo for forded forced ec to tn accept the attentions atten Uen Uon of or a scoundrel Jack Locasto a n ma who ha hn has ji n wife back home hom- homIn In hi Ills bis ls distress and fear Cear for or her ho ass asks her herto herto to man marry him him but hut when she suggests ts th tint l the they b j married Immediately ho he hesitates and proposes that It be lie Jin put hUt IUt off oc a Cr Berna Berita is much distressed dis tr but at length th says Bo Be it Il so o. o Over O night At Athol hol decides that he hc wilt will wi lur marry h her 1 that cay day But when h he goes goeR to look for fo her to leJ tell lell her of or Ills Intention he finds that Unit ithe has Already gone gono on awn away avay At first bot comforts himself clr with he Is 11 worried I t b wih the fu thou thought ht that bo is all 1 right and au that he will wi meet neet h her hr r In Dawson Cl City At Al l length h ho and Ind his comrades reach At t tIm tho hI Hon Klondike nl to Cn find l l that there I Is scarcely u a foot or ground left lef to tale and ali tU that is Iii sky k high In price H r h hears ar of ot Jack there t Hint hat he loves Bet decides l to lii seek her through him hini 1 Following him from tI his i hotel one thY day hI in III the tho hope hop of ot tracing him to whore whre sli she I o bo I Is turned upon imon and roundly beaten up Tim lIin latter has hns tricked Athol and warns him 10 latt In the tho future not to 0 meddle Ho lIe trace gh I should Vh h we WP mar marvel mai-cl l I said aid at ct olt brutality 1 when h n but hut an we nil all pes at ago we were crr a apes Just Just then we met the thc Jam wa Jam O 1 He lIc had liati in from the thc creeks lie he looked that very da day physically supreme supreme- He lie le was b berry rr brown lean muscular and anil na ns full fun of suppressed energy as ns an bear trap Financially he be was well wel ballasted 1 Mentally n 1 and nd morally morly he was in the tho state of a a volcano before an eruption You could see cee rl in the quick breathing breath breath- hin h- h in ing in the tho restes restlessness of oC this Ibis man maii I A a pent up enE energy Y that clamored to ex exhaust cx- cx x- x haust baust Itself in violence and debauch ills His fierce blue eyes were wre wild wid and roving hi his bis lips twitched nervously nErvously He le was an atavism m of the race of those ferocious sea kings that d drank deep dep Lad and died HEd in the din of battle hatte He lie le must live lve in the white light o of excitement t or sink In the gloom of de despair 1 t could seo see his fine nostrils quiver like lkA those of a ch charger Ger that scents scents' ce the tho smoke of battle bate and I realized realized real real- iz th that i he lie should hould have been bEen a solf sol aol f I. UI a l leader ader of forlorn hopes Ji er of ot t desperate hazards As we walked along lon Jim did most moat of ot the thc talking In his favorite fO moraU morality vei vein The Jam wa wagon Jam on puffed silently at his briar pipe lipe while I. I very listless anti ami downhearted thought largely largely of m my own troubles Then Theu in th the middle of the block bloc where hel most of the music music- halls hais hals were situated su suddenly we met L Locasto asto When Then I saw him m my heart hart grave gave a painful leap and I 1 think m my faco face must have gone sone as white as pap paper r. r I had thought much over o this meeting anti antl had dreaded rea e It It I. I There are things which no man c can n overlook and If i It meant ment death cleath to me I must again agin try conclusions with the brute Ho was accompanied by a little mHo headed bald ed Jew name named and we were almost abreast breast of them when I stepped forward and arrested th m My I teeth were clenched I was all quiver a-quiver with wIh pa passion sion m my heart heartbeat heartbeat b beat t violently For or a a moment I stood there confronting him In speechless excitement He W was s dressed In that miners miner's costume costume costume cos cos- tume in which ho he always looked so s striking From his big Stetson to his high boos boog he was typically the big strong man of Ala Alaska ka the of th the wild WIIl But his mouth was grim grimas Irm as granite granie and his black blac eyes hard and repellent as those of or a n toad Oh Oh you OU coward I cried You t 1 vile filthy coward HP lie I. I wa was isas looking down on me from lila his Imperious height very cool coolly very velT cynically Liar LiarS us S well as coward I panted Liar to your teeth Brute coward liar liar la r Here g get gt t out out o of m my lily way he snarled snarlEd Ive got to teach you OU a lesson Once more before I could guard he landed on me with wih that terrible right right- arm swin swing and down don I went vent a as If a aal al sledge edge hammer had struck me But Instantly I was on m my feet a thing of blind passion of desperate fight I Ima Imade Imade ma made e one rush to throw myself on th this ts human tower of brawn brwn and muscle muscle mus mus- cle dc wll wh when n some somo one pinioned me from behind It I was Jim Easy boy he was saying you ou cant can't fight this big fellow dS looking on curiously With wonderful quickness a crowd had collected d all al avidly eager for a D fight tight Above c them towered the fierce domineering figure of Locasto There was a breathless pause then at the psychological moment the wag Jam on Intervened Tho The fire rl In his hla hIt C eyo O had brightened Into a fierce Joy his hil twitching mouth was now grim and stern as a a. a a pr prison irison on door For days ho he had been fighting a dim Intangible lo foe lOe Mere Hero at last was something hu human human human hu- hu man and definite Ho advanced to I Locasto I Why dont don't you OU strike some one nearer your own sizo he demanded His voice was tense yet ct ever BO so 10 quiet Locasto flashed at him a look of ot surprise measuring him from heart head to foot T Youre a n brute went welt on the tho Jam- Jam w wagon gon evenly a cowardly brute Black Blacic Jacks Jack's face faco grew dark ark and andt t terrible Ills His HIt e eyes es glinted sparks of ot fire See here Englishman ho he said sid this thi Isn't your our scrap What hat arc are you OU butting in il about aboul It Isn't said wald ml the wagon Jam and ami amiI J I could seo see the flame flama am of or fight brighten I Joyously in him It Isn't but hut Ill I'll Il soon uon make malt it mine There Quick us as 1 a I flash h he the other othel otherA othela A a. blow hilow on the tho cheek nn ap handed open open handeL blow low that stung like Iko a whiplash Now ow uw f fight hl me roe you coward There and ll then Locasto about to sprint on 90 his challenger Wilh Vili Uh hands clenched and teeth bared o he ho half bent as If for a charge Then I suddenly he straightened straightened upAl up All Al right he lie said ald softly sorly Spitz stein can we wo have haye the Opera house Yes I guess so 80 We Ve can Cn clear away the benches Then tell tel the cro crowd to come along well we'll give th them m a free show how S S SI I think there must have havo been heen five hundred men around that ring A big Australian pugilist was was umpire Some one suggested 1 gloves but Locasto would woul n not t h hear al' al of It No lie he said ald I r want to mark the son of pf f a dog l eo o his mother will wl never nover know him again Ho lie had become frank frankly b brutal and prepared I for r the fray fry exultantly Both o h men fou fought ht in their underclothing I Stripped down down tho the wagon Jam wagon was wa seen to be he much the smaller man not only In height but hut in breadth and weight Yet ho hu was as a n b beautiful figure fig fig- ure uro of a f fighter clean clan w well l poised d firm limbed with wih a body that seemed seemed to taper from the shoulders down His fair alt fall hair glistened his eyes yes were wele war wary ivary and cool his lips set fet tightly In Inthe Inthe Inthe the per person on of this living l adversary ho he was fighting an unseen one vast vastly more dread drca and terrific Locasto looked almo almost t too massive This Ills Ils muscles bulged out Tho The veins In his forearms were cord His cord great geat chest seemed as broad ns as a n door His le legs 8 were ere statu statuesque quo In their size and strength In that camp of of strong stong men probably he lie w was s the most powerful And nd An nowhere in the world could could could-a n a fight 1 hl have ve been heen n awaited waiel with wih greater grater zest These men miners gamblers amber adventurers of all l kinds kinds- pm pushed hed and struggled for a place A great real Joy surged through them at tho the thought of or f the tho approaching J combat Keen- Keen eyed hard hard breathing thrill n-thrill a with expectation the crowd packed closer and anti closed cosed Outside people were clamoring for admission zt Th-e Th They climbed on the tho stage and into the boxe boxes The They hung galleries All JI lid there must have ha e been a thousand of oC them As M the two men mn stood up it wa was like the lithe Greek athlete te compared with wih the Roman gladiator Three to one ono oh on Loca Locasto to someone shouted j a great hush came over the tho house so that It I might have been hen empty and I deserted Time was called Thu Tho fight began CHAPTER V. V With threw one ono tiger rush rush Locasto himself oh on his man There was no preliminary fiddling here they were out for blood and the sooner the they wallowed in it the better Right Right and left heft let ho struck with wih ml mighty ht swings that would have felled an ox hut the tho wagon Jam-wagon was too quick for him Twice he ducked in time to av avoid id a furious Curious blow and before Locasto could could recover he had hopped out of reach The big mans man's fist swished through through the empty air nil He almost overbalanced with wih tho the force of his I effort efort but lUt hi h he swung swung round quickly and there was the Jam wa wagon Jam on cool i and watchful awaiting the next atta at- at ta tack k Locasto's face grew grew fiendish In its is sinister tO wrath he shot forth a foul Imprecation and once more he lie hurled himself on his foe This time I thought my chamion must go godown I down heWn but hut no With a dexterity that I s seemed marvellous he dodged lodged ducked ducke and stepped side-stepped and once m more rc Locasto's Locasto's Locasto's Lo Lo- Lo- Lo casto's blows w went v nt nl wide and short Jeers hegan hega to go up from the throng I E Ev Even n ii mone money on the little fellow sal sang out a voice voie with the flat fat twang twang of a a banjo Locasto glared round 10 on the crowd He lie wa was accustomed to lord It over these men and tho the jeers goaded goade him like goad toad a a bull bul Again and again he repeated his tremendous rushes rushe rushe only to find his liEs arms winnowing the empty air all only to see his ls agile agie smiling at himin himin him himin in mockery from the center of the tile ring Not one of or his lila sledgehammer smashes reached their mark and th the round closed cosed without a a blow having landed From the mob onlookers a chorus chorus cho cho- rus ius of derisive c cheers went up The rho little man mait with wih the banjo voice was holding up a poke of dust Even E money on the little one A hum of eager agel conversation broke forth I was at the tho ringside e. e At the be beginning beginning be- be ginning I had hal been In an nn agony of or feat fear fer for the Jam Looking at atthe atthe atthe the two men mea It seemed as a if he could hardly hope hOlO to escape terrible punishment punIshment punIshment pun pun- at al the lie hands of one so massively massively mas mas- ely si powerful and every ery blow In Inflicted In- In on him would have Im been like one Inflicted on myself But nut now I took heart and looked forward with less anxiety Again time was called caled and arid Locasto sprang up UI seemingly I quite uie refreshed h by his rest rest Once more he lie plunged after hi his man but now I could see te his lila rushes were more moie under tinder control his smashing blows better beleI timed his fierce Jabs more nore shrew shrewdly ly delivered Again I 1 began to quake quake for the tho Jam Jam- wagon wagon but he showed a wonderful quickness In hl his footwork darting In Inand Inand inand and out his hands swinging at his si sides es a smile of ot mockery mocker on his l lips He lie was deft def as a dancing master he ho twinkled like a gleam of light an and amid that savage thrash of blows h he ho was as at cool col as if ho were boxing In Inthe inthe the tho school gymnasium Who Vho Is ho he those at the ringside bg began n to whisper Time and again It seemed teemed as If U he were cornered but In Ina Ina Ina a marvelous way he wormed himself tree I held m my breath as he evaded blow after blow some of which seemed to miss him by a n mere hairs hair's hairsbreadth hairsbreadth breadth He lie le was taking chances I thou thought ht so narrowly did J lie Ire permit the blows to miss him I was all aU 1 keyed up Ui on Oil edge edgo with wih excitement en eager er for or my man to strike to show he lie was not a mere ring tactician Hut But the Jam wa wagon Jam on bided his lila time And so the tiie round round ended and It I was evident that the crowd was of or orthe the same sante opinion as a myself Why h don't dont he ho mix up a little said one Give him time said another lies Hes Het all aU right theres there's some seine class to that work I Locasto Loto came up for fOI the third round looking sobered subdued grimly determined Evidently bo ho had had made up UI his hll mind to force his op opponent op- op out o of or his hll evasive tactics He lie was vas wary as a n cat Ho went cauti cauti- Yet again he assumed the assumEd aggressive aggressive ag ag- ag- ag gradually working wo the tho Jam- Jam wagon Into a |
