| Show k UDAY IDAY EVENING EN JULY 16 96 19 1915 F tHE TRAIL OF F 98 f A Northland Rom Romance nce I f By ROBERT W. W SERVICE Author of The he Spell of tho the Yukon and of Ch Che ch kaNew ka I New York Crossot Dunlap Publishers Publisher a Copyright 1910 by Dodd Mead A d Co of at the vise vast wards ards ards the center cit belted In the lot or of ice and that on this lone lonely post pas a post constant Mia t te undo of e eyes were electric wire con con- m For an g whet when BO so 0 that lit it it with the town a l. l distance cd ed cd down a n. certain exact mo mo- the would register Thug thou thousands gazing a at of ot the tho bets beta poet post thought ad iad made nn and wondered If H this hey would be the lucky l ones I unique Incident In E Dawson his Js is gambling on the Ice There and ancl small of largo large p pools men and women take par tooth oth ant with c eagerness fretting an n ft-n nent nl that Is le al almost most childish on it on ft i ib b bench on the N. N C. C trail tra oking the town and watched the hII hil hilal crawl down ram wn wagon ram on fellow Ho How al 1 cabin Poor his face and andon white was gaunt how frame-how on Ems ng clean him for Cor felt sorry Horry I weary ear He lie would become of him 7 1 splendid misfit It If he ho only onh pother mother chance Somehow I 1 beLila bo- bo Lila IUn him and fervently I hoped mid suld have that good clean s start st rt m of oC thearo the tho in in n the cold remoteness kind the kind the laro aro many of at his the theda the undesirables r sheep heep da ds of at the tho pack p Their lips are e es are arc cold as lb b their eyes drink deep ira 18 ra and often they hey are a a. mighty company the ou fou dont don't enquire about but its It Ite e s code of at the North orth to take as aU you find them so they the BO go BOVay goway Vay way wi c clear ear the air was It was pelting through a n. crystal lens lens lens- leat serried to stand out vivid vivid- Soun s came up to me with distinctness Summer was waa waag ig g and with It the assurance of ot i Down there thero I could 8 seome se sec I ome lome and on its veranda ham ham- swung the tho white figure ol of L How precious she ahe WAS wits to met me I anxiously a. a I watched Aver her herl Ic lIe a word meant moro more to me volumes If It she was happy I Iun ull un of ot Joy if she was sad theme the theIne theline line Ine paled the flowers drooped vaa waa no gladness In the tho dI d day I fa U she sho slept I watched her ling oUng at the fine tino perfection olio ol ot i ae io Always was vas she an on object onder to me me- me something me-something something to bel be bo 1 l to demand all that was fine in mo me sometimes om it was the tho very N Int Iny In- In y t of ot m my lovo love that made me meo eo 0 o that In the ecstasy of a mor moT moi mo- mo r T i could catch my breath andr and w. w rIf r It If it all an could last And althe althe althe al- al the memory of at 1 LoCasto w was a ft aIT ar IT r shadow hadow He Ho h hd 1 prone gone one out terribly tar broken In health hc th gone 8 g mo me hoarsely and vowing he be return Would he o that knows the knows the North can ever everL it L lure ura Wherever you OU be it ill all and call to you In the sh South you will hear h ar it will willor or tr the keen tingle of ot Its sliver silver or the vaster glory glor of ot its atari atar- atar 1 i nights In tho city's heart beart it me omo to you OU till you hunger for Tor clean sp spaces its racing riv- riv s i purple In the homes rich its voice will trill seek you OU id nd d you will ache for your lone- lone tp mp fire tire a n. sunset den en death the night where whore the tho thoi i clutches clutch s an and the heavens forth white whito fire tire Yes Yea you will willit willand it t and hear It It till a Q madness over you rou till you ou leave the ig tg men of or the sUck sticky pave- pave to seek it out once more the theire there there ire re of at its lustrous lakes the yearning of at its peaks to tho thoI 1 I stars Then as a child comes will Rill you come home And I that some da day to the land landIn landa In n a ho he had reigned a n. conqueror to o 3 too would return I down on the grey town eider Onder of ot Its growth came Clime over tow low changed from th the muddle its to and cabins the tho lined boat ithe the swarming hordes of at tho the auts JAuts Where was the swamp the mud the unrest the ever aver of at 98 I looked for these iJ and d saw aw in their stead fine tine aces trim gardens well kept 8 I almost rubbed rl my eyes ces as zed the magic ic of the DoJ i. i 4 J great as was wall tho the city's out- out change hange its change of 01 spirit was neater reater The day lilY of ot dance hall hail mUon was over Vice walked No longer was It U Itlo lo to on the tho street to speak to a af if ot f easy virtue without causing lent ent al of ot tho the had hadl l vanished banished over tho the Klondike 7 In a n. colony reached II by a a. craz crazy ridge brIdge their red lights gleamed of at sin The Tho dance d were still sUll running but th the pie plc- ue impunity of the old muck- muck days laya was gone sono forever You d' d in vain for the crude scenes e the tho wilder passions passions' were unI und un- un cd d I and human nature revealed In ISn n primal nakedness Heroism ity Itty ty splendid achievement ent und un- un ed d l license the North seams Beams ring Ing out all that i Is best r worst in a man Itan It Iti 8 i an exuberant vitality a 0 mador madin mad- mad tor or in action whether it be for the he Le town too Ufo lifo was ng g 3 of more sober Bober hU hues 9 Sick of oc lod d morality men mon were so ir wives and children The old I I o of home bome and lovo and social y were triumphing With VUlt I the he theof thet t of the good woman the dance girl Irl rl was doomed The city was ng g c Itself Society ty divided Into The more p pretentious were 1 pongs Ping while a n. majority eed ed d In the tho name of oC Rou Rough neck h-neck lh The postoffice ce abuses w were were re remedied the grafters ousted from the government govern n-ent n offices Rapidly tl trio the e gold camp cam was T becoming modernized Yes Its spectacular days Jays were o over r. r No 0 more would the live one himself in hi his wild and woolly glory The delirium of at 98 was fast t becoming becom ing n a memory The leading actors actors In Ii Ir that fateful drama where drama where were wen the they Dead some somo b by their owr ow hands and S out many of oC bygone days poor pro prospectors pros pros' prospectors a few dreaming of a new nee gold Sold strike And as I think of or It It comes eve oyer mo me that HUlt tho the thing thinK Is vastly tragic Where are th they y now these kings s these givers elvers of oC champagn ne baths these se plungers rs of ot tho the got gold camps How many of at those tha that stood out in the limelight of at 98 catell cartell cantell car can tell the tho tale talc talo today Ladue l Is dead leaving little behind Big Alec MacDonald MacDonald MacDonald Mac Mac- Donald utter after lavishing a dozer dozen fortunes on his bin friends dl dies s at at last almost friendless and alone r Jim and Stillwater Willie Willie Willie-in in whit what back slough of oC vicissitude do the they languish today Dick Low lies In t a drunkards drunkard's grave m Skookum Jim Jin- would lain fain qualify for lor one Dawson Charlie reeling home from tram n. n debauch a-debauch drowns in the river In Impecunious despair Harry Waugh h hangs himself Charlie Anderson after aCter squandering a fortune on a n thankless wife works work for a a. laborers laborer's hire So I might go on and on The TheL stories would fill volumes And as assat 1 I sat on tho the quiet hillside listening tc to the drowsy hum of oC tho the bees the In Inner Inner In- In ner nor meaning of at it it all came homo home to meOnce meOnce me Once again th the thie great groat lone Jono land wai wn sifting out and choosing its own reaching Far-reaching was its Ils vengeance it worked In divers ers ways It fell tell or them oven even as it had fallen on the their theli brethren of ot the trail In the guise n ol ft fortune it dealt their ruin From the austere of its snows snow it war wai mocking them beguiling them tc to their doom Again it was the land Jand o othe ol of the strong Before c all nU it demander demanded d strength moral and physical strength I was WaI minded of at the words of or ol old 3 Jim Jam Where hero one wins ninety anc and nine nino will fail tall and time had proved him true The great grim land lond wot weeding out tho the unfit was reward rewarding ing those who could understand it the faithful brotherhood of ot the high big North Full Fun of such thoughts as the these E l I Ii roared aired i my eyes and down the river towards the Bluffs Hullo There Just below belo the town was a n. great sheet of or water ater and even ever as I watched I saw law it pre spread d and spread People were shouting running running running run run- ning from their houses houles speeding to tc tho the beach I was conscious of or a thrill of at excitement Ever widening was vas the water and now it stretched from rom bank to bank It crept forward to the solitary post Now It was al almost almost al- al most thc there re Suddenly the post started started start start- ed d to move The vast ice field was waft I sliding g f forward Slowly serenely it wont on on Then all at once the steam whIt Ics les shrilled out the bells pealed and rom from tho the black mob of people pe-ople that mod the banks bank there went up an ex- ex exultant ch cheer r. r The lea ice Is going out out out- the tho ice in is going out ant I looked at my watch Could I believe belove be- be love lieve my eyes Seven Beven seconds seven seven minute P past on ono ono his his hunch was Wl ight his guardian angel had inter inter- ened emd the wagon Jam had been give gl fn n e his hla chance to make mako a new start CHAPTER XIV The waters were wild willI with jO joy rom From tho the mountain snows the sun sad bad set them free Down hill hm and andlabo lalo labo they sparkled trickling from boulders dripping from mossy cran- cran ales rioting lu in narrow runlets Then taping and laughing in a c. mad ec- ec tacy of ot freedom they the dashed into the tam fam Here was something they thoy did not understand some Borao contrivance of at the Man to curb them to harness them hem to make them his slaves Tho The waters eaters were angry They gloomed Bloomed As they swelled higher In n the tho broad basin their wrath grew The They chafed against their prison walls they licked and lapped at Lt the stolid bank Higher and higher high high- er r they mounted growing stronger stron r rth with th over every leap More and more bitterly hit bit terly erly they frett fretted d at their durance Behind them other waters were pressing ju Just t as eager to escape as they hey They lashed and writhed In spite Not much longer cr could these patient walls withstand their heir anger Something must hap hap- pen en The was WUI a a. man He raised tho the floodgate and there thero at Ja last t Vas a way of oC escape How Joyously lr the he eager waters ru rushed at It They tumbled and tossed In their mad hury hUrr hurry hur hUr- r ry y to get cut The They surged und and sw swept pt and rod roared about the narrow openIng open- open In Ing ng But what t was this They had come ome on a 0 wooden box that streaked lawn down tho the slope UH as straight ht as ns an arrow ar- ar arrow ar ar- row raw from the bow It was some othel other other oth oth- er el scheme of tho the tyrant Man Nevertheless Nev Nev- the they jostled and to get into it On Us its brink they poised a 11 moment then down down they Like Jlko a cataract thc they rushed everand ever everand everand and ever growing faster r. r Hot Hoi this was motion now this tillS was waa action strength th power As they shot down that steep hill hm they shrieked for tor very I IjO II Joy jO Freedom m freedom at last Nomore No Nomore more trickling f feebly ebly from snowbanks snowbanks snow now more boring devious channels chan chan- channels banks no nels in oozy clay no more stagnating stagnating l They Thoy were alive In ing In sullen BUllen dams alive swift Intense terrific They gloried In their might The They roared the raucous song ROng of freedom an and charged Like faster taster and faster r they stampede of at maddened horses thc they a thundered on What power on earth could stop them Wo We o must be bo freeo free freel cried Croe frog they be Wo We must ahead the Suddenly thc they saw black hole of a n great p pipe pe a n hollow hollo It looked looked like Prison shard hard of at steel contrivance of at the ty tyrant tyrant tyrant ty- ty again some would fain have Man They rant late It was too overleapt over It but waters were wert bt behind hind other Countless forward rd with irresistible Ir- Ir forcing them them power And faster and resistible crashed Into the faster still mill they thy of steel shard trapped atrociously ero They Th y were trapped cabined confined rammed remorseless forward by a vast and Yet there was escape Just pressure of or light ahead It was as a tiny point an outlet They must squeeze through It They were crushed and pinioned In that prison on of at steel and ml mightily they the tried to burst It No there was only that orifice they thoy must paws pass through it Then with that great force Coree behind them tortured maddened maddened maddened mad mad- desperate the tho waters crashed through tho the shard of oC steel to serve the will of at Man The man stood by his water gun and from Its nozzle the tho gleaming terror leapt At first it was only a slim volley volle of light compact and steel To pierce solid as a a. shaft of ot It would have splintered to pieces the sharpest sword It was a n. core coro of round glistening and smooth water vater yet In Ha its mighty power It was a monster of ot destruction Tho The man was was was' directing It here and there on the face of at the tho hill hUt It flew like an arrow from Crom the bow and whenever he aimed It the seemed to reel and shudder at the tho shock Great cataracts catAract of at gravel shot Ahot out avalanches of cla clay toppled over vast boulders were hurled Into the air like heaps of oC fleecy wool Yes tho the waters were mad macL The They were like an angry bull bun that gored the tho hillside It seemed to melt and dissolve before them Nothing could withstand that assault In a a. few minutes they would reduce the stoutest stoutest stoutest stout stout- est stronghold to a heap of ot pitiful ruins There where the waters shot forth In their fury stood their conqueror He was ono one man yet et he was WaB doing the work of ot a hundred As he battered battered bat bat- at that bank of clay he exulted in his power po A little turn of the wrist and a a. huge mass mas of ot gravel cravel crumbled Into nothingness s. s He bored deep holes in tho the frozen muck he hammered his way down to bed rock ho swept wept It clean as a floor There with the solid BoUd force lorce of a n battering battering- ram he pounded at the heart of at the hill bill The roar deafened him He lIe heard the crash of falling rock but h he was waR wanso wasso so BO intent on his work he did not hear another man approach Suddenly he looked up and saw He gave a a mighty start then at once he was calm again This was the meeting he ho had dreaded longed for fought taught against desi desired d. d Primordial Primordial Prim Prim- ordial emotions surged within him rim but outwardly he gave no sign Al Almost Almost Almost Al- Al most savagely an and with a curious blaze In hl his e eyes ho redirected the little giant He waved his hla hand to tho the oth other r. r Go 00 away ho shouted Mosher MOlher refused to budge The generous living of at Dawson had made him pursy purs almost porcine His pig eyes glittered gUttered and he took off his hat to wipe somo some beads bEada of at sweat from rom the |
