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Show t " BEAR RIVER VALLEY LEADER, THURSDAY. JULY 11, 1929 TTDilE TTKADEL 99 (DET A Northland Romance by ROBERT W. SERVICE Illustrations by Irwin Myers V;U Scrvic CHAPTER IV Never shall I forget the last I saw f her, a forlorn, pathetic figure In Clack, waving a farewell to me as 1 stood on the wharf. The gray eyes were clear and steady as she bade to me, and from where we good-b- y stood apart, her face had all the pathetic sweetness of a Madonna. Well, she was going, and sad enough her going seemed to me. They were all for Dyea, and the grim old Chil-coowith Its blizzard-beatesteeps, while we bad chosen the less precipitous, but more drawnout, Skagway trail. Among them I saw the inseparable twins; the grim Hewson, the silent Mervin, each quiet and watchful, as if storing up power for a tremendous effort There was the large unwholesonieness of Madam Winkle-steiall Jewelry, smiles and coarse badinage, and near her, her perfumed husband, squinting and smirking abominably. There was the old man, with his face of a Hebrew seer, his visionary eye now aglow with financial enthusiasm, his lips ever muttering: "Klondike, Klondike"; and lastly, by his side, with a little wry smile on her lips, there was the white-face- d girl. How my heart ached for her! But the time for sentiment was at an end. The clarion call to action rang out. The reign of peace was over; the fight was on. Hundreds of scattered tents; a few rame buildings, mostly saloons, dance IiaUs and gambling joints; an eager, excited mob crowding on the loose in the sidewalks, floundering knee-deemire of the streets, struggling and squabbling and cursing over their outfits that is all I remember of Skagway. The Prodigal developed a wonderful executive ability; he was a marvel of activity, seemed to think of everything and to glory in his responsibility as a leader. Always cheerful, always thoughtful, lie was the brains of our party. Me never abated in his efforts a moment, mid was an example and a stimulus to us all. I say "all,' for we " had added the (A was the general name given to :in Englishman on the trail) to out number. It was the Prodigal who discovered him. He was a tall, dissolute Englishman, gaunt, ragged and verminous, but with the earmarks of a A lost soul in every sense gentleman. of the word, the North was to him a refuge and an unrestricted stamp So, partly in pity, partly in hope of winning back his manhood we allowed him to join the party. Pack animals were in vast demand, for It was considered a pound of grub was the equal of a pound of gold. We were lucky in buying a yoke of oxen from a packer for four hundred dollars. On the first day we hauled half of our outfit to Canyon City, and on the second we transferred the balance. This was our plan all through, though in bad places we had to make ninny relays. It was simple enough, yea, oh the travail of It! All days were hard ail exasperating, all crammed with discomfort; yet, bit by bit. we forged uliead. The army before us and the :niiy behind never faltered. It was n endless procession, in which evcrj ::i;in was for himself. There was no '!"rey, no humanity, no fellowship. H was blasphemy, fury and ruthless tormiiintioii. It Is the spirit of the t, n n, p "Jam-wagon- Jam-wago- : '"Id-trail- . Subscribe for The Leader. a year. S2.C0 Only At the canyon head was 1 large camp, and t lie re, very much in evi dence, the gambling fraternity. On one side of the canyon they had estab lished a camp. It was evening and we three, the Prodigal, Salvation Jim and myself, strolled over to where a three-shel- l man was holding forth. It was Mosher, with his bald head, his crafty little eyes, his flat nose, hi black beard. I saw Jim's face harden. He had always shown a bitter hatred of this man, and often I wondered why We stood a little way off. The crowd thinned and filtered away until but one remained, one of the tall young men from Minnesota. We heard Mosher's rich voice. "Say, pard, bet ten dollars you can't place the bean. See ! I put the little joker under here, right before your eyes. Now, where is It?" "Here," said the man, touching one of the shells. "Right you are, my hearty! Well, here's your ten." The man from Minnesota took the money and was going away. "Hold on," said Mosher; "how do I know you had the money to cover that bet?" The man laughed and took from "Klondike or Bust," was the Slogan. t, Jam-wago- he-wa- n on Irrigated Land. 6Vfc per cent. No commissions. JOHN J.SHUMWAY Phones: B. ft V. 69a-2- ; Bell, 129 For The Month Of July 2 Extra Shampoo's and Finger Waves with every Duart permanent wave for $8.00 at Myrtle Holmgren Bell Phone 132 Garland ma ft.Ul.MT. Of I. COMBINED HARVESTERS n Jam-wago- Depend on a "Holt" d Grain Saving Dependable Combine Time counts when the grain is ripe. A Year of labor-l- and rental cost of operating machinery a year's crop. These are at Stake at harvest time. The Time-Teste- There is a correct time for harvesting just as for plowing, harrowing, or seeding. At one certain time the grains are the plumpest and have the lowest moisture the stalks stand the straightest and the weeds are fewest. That is the time to crank up a "Holt" Combine and harvest hour after hour day after day week after week. Will your crop be delivered to market or safely stored away before killling frosts, ruinois hail, snow or rain in spite of rough fields, down grain or weeds? Good reasons for "Holt" Combine. having on the job a dependable, Models in Stock at Tremonton for immediate delivery. 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I Imagined that if anything happened to her 1 would forever blame myself. I hurried forward. I nut the Twins. They had Just escaped the slide, they told me, and had not yet recovered from the shock. A little way back on the trail it was. I would see men digging out the bodies. They had dug out seventeen that morning. Some were crushed as flat as pancakes. Again, with a pain at my heart, I asked after Berna and her grandfather. Twin number one said they were both buried under the slide. I gasped and was seized with sudden faintness. "No," said twin number two, "the old man Is missing, but the girl has escaped and is nearly crazy with grief. Good-by.Once more I hurried on. Gangs of men were shoveling for the dead. Every now and then a shovel would strike a hand or a skull. Then a shout would be raised and the poor misshapen body turned out Again I put my Inquiries. A busy digger paused in his work. "Yes, that must have been the old guy with the whiskers they dug out early on from the lower end of the slide. Relative, name of WInklesteIn, took charge of him. Took him to the tent yonder. Won't let anyone go near." He pointed to a tent on the hillside, and it was with a heavy heart I went forward. The poor old man, so gentle, so dignified, with his' dream of a golden treasure that might bring happiness to others. It was cruel, cruel . . . "Say, what d'ye want here? Get to h outa this." The words came with a snarl. 1 looked up in surprise. There at the door of the tent, all like a gutter-brecur, was WInklesteIn. I felt myself grow suddenly, savagely angry. I measured the man for a moment and determined I could handle him. "I want," I said soberly, "to see the body of my old frienCL" (To Be Continued) y m-- SPECIAL " n Jam-wago- Unlimited Money to effect 1 ! OUR d I dike or bust" the strong man, with infinite patience, righted his overturned sleigh, and in the face of the him!" blinding blizzard, pushed on through or "Klondike the clogging snow. "And who was Sam Mosely, Jim?" trail-worone "Sam Mosely? Sam Mosely was bust" the weary, the skunk that busted up my home an' raised himself from the hole where he had fallen, and stiff, cold, racked with stole my wife, blast him '." pain, gritted his teeth doggedly inJ us man each of after staggered on a few feet more."Klon-dik- e Day day, or bust" the fanatic of the trail, poured out on the trail the last heelwith the gold-luscrazed of performed of his and the coming tap strength, night found us utterly played out. mad feats of endurance, till nature reSalvation Jim was full of device and belled, and raving and howling, he was resource, the Prodigal, a dynamo of carried away to die. eager energy; but it was the We were camping In Paradise valwho proved his mettle In a magnificent and relentless way. Brian ley. Before us and behind us the Wanless his name, a world tramp, a great Cheechako army labored along derelict of the Seven seas. He must with infinite travail. We had suffered, once have been a magnificent fellow, but the trail of the land was near Its and even now, with strength and wil- end. And what an end! With every s a man among mile the misery and difficulty of the lpower impaired, Then we men, full of quick courage and of a way seemed to increase. to Horses. of a word came ever trail the was It Rotting haughty temper. Dead animals we bad seen all along and a blow with him, and a fight to the trail in great numbers, but the the desperate finish. Though taciturn and moroe with sight ns we came on this particular showed a tireless place beggared description. There were men, the One night we affection for animals. From the first thousands of them. six of before we was them it but ox ; our of he took charge dragged away for horses his fondness was most ex- could find room to put up the tent. pressed, so that 011 the trail, where There they lay, sprawling horribly, there was so much cruelty, he was their ribs protruding through their hides, their eyes putrid in the sunconstantly on the verge of combat. "That's a great man," said The shine. It was like a battlefield, haunt-inglhideous. Prodigal to me. "a fighter from heel It was a Sunday and we were in the to head. There's one he can't fight, tent, indescribably glad of a day's though, and that's old man P.ooze." was mending a One day we were making a trip rest. The with a load of our stuff when, just bit of harness; the Prodigal was playahead, there was a check in the march, ing solitaire. Salvation Jim had just went forward returned from a trip to Skagway, so I and the to investigate. It was our old friend where he had hoped to find a latter P.ullhammer in difficulties. He had from the outside regarding one Jake rather a fine horse, and in passing a Mosher. His usually hale and kindly , his sled had skidded and face was drawn and troubled. sump-hole"I always did say there was God's into the water. Now downhill slipped he was belaboring the animal unmer- curse on this Klondike gold," he said ; hoocifully, acting like a crazy man, "now I'm sure of it. There's a to cost, doo on it. What it's shouting in a frenzy of rage. The horse was making the most gal- what hearts it's goln' to break, what lant efforts I ever saw, but, with homes It's goin' to wreck no man'll every fresh nttc lpt, Us strength ever know. God only knows what It's weakened. Time nd again it came cost already. Hut this last is the whir!! were raw worst yet." clown 011 its knee "What's the matter, Jim?" I said; and bleeding. It was shining with a hair was last?" dry "what sweat so that there Well, "Why, haven't you heard? on its body, and if ever a dumb brute's f' .ir, that there's just been a snowslfde on the eyes spoke of agony and horse's did. Hut I'.iillhannr.rr grew t'hilcoot .an' several hundred people wrenchburied. Hundreds of poor sinners cut every moment more infuriatod. it ever the without a chance to repent." off its l";:'iMg and mouth ing lie was going to improve on the ochead with a club. It wa a sickening I was to the Incasion when the Prodi ra I cut in. sight and. used as I would have trail. "Poor devils I guess we must know humanity of the some of them, too." He turned fo me. interfered had not the Polak friend's jumped in. He was deadly pale and "I wonder if your little all burned. eves right?" his Indeed my thoughts had just flown "You Infernal brute! If you strike I'll break to Iterna. Among the exigencies of that horse another blow, shoulders." the trail (when we had to fix our your club over your Surminds on the trouble of the moment IUillhammcr turned on him. choked and every moment had its trouble) man, rage the paralyzed prize him. They were both big husky fel there was little time for reflation. to face. Nevertheless, I had found at all times lows, and they drew up face visions of her flitting bffore me, spoke. Kitllhanuner Then "Curse you. anyway. Pont Interfere thoughts of her coming to me when I 1 out of least expected them. Pity, tenderness with me. I'll bent bloody h un' 'a won't I )' and a good deal of anxiety were In the horse if I was silent, I suppose see?" my mind. one word, With that he struck the horse an- grave, and it must have been some other vicious l low on the head. There intuition of my thoughts that made The club was ihe Prodigal say to me: was a quick scuffle. r.ullhammer's hand. 1 from wrenched "Say, old man, if you would like to saw it come down twice. The man take a run over the Dyen 'nil, I while over him guess I can spare you for a day or so." sprawled on his back, "Yes, indeed, I'd like to see the stood the Jam wagon, looking very slipped horse back The quietly trail." grim. "Oh, yes, we've observed your eninto the water. ! I've a blackguard interest in trails. Why don'l thusiastic good "You ugly mind to beat you within an ace of you marry the girl? Well, cut along, not worth It" old chap. Don't be gone too long." your life. Rut you're So next morning, traveling as lightly He gave I'.ullbammcr a kick. The He was a cowfeet. his on as man got possible, I started for Bennett. I was Jogging along past the ad ard, but his pig eyes squinted In Impotent rnge. He looked at Ids horse vance guard of the oncoming army in the Icy water. when who should I see but Mervin and lying shivering "Cet the horse out yourself, then, Hewson. They looked thoroughly sea curse you. Io what you please wltn aoned, and had made record time wish Jam-wago- In contrast to the men with face worn, weary-eyepinched and puckered, they looked Insolently fit and full of fight They had heard of the snowslide but auld give me no particulars. 1 Inquired for IJerna and the old man. They were somewhere behind, between Chllcoot and I.indf man. Yes, they were prob ably buried under the slide. Good-by.- " 1 hurried forward, full of apprehension. A black stream of Cheechakos were surging across Lindeman; then I realized the greatness of the advancing army, and the vastness ot the Impulse that was urging these Indomitable atoms to the North. It was blowing quite hard and many had put up sails on their sleds with good Another week had gone and we were still on the trail, between the head of the canyon and the summit of the Pass. Day after day was the same round of unflinching effort, under con dltions that would daunt any but the stoutest hearts. "Klondike or bust," was the slogan. It was ever on the lips of those bearded men. "Klon his pocket a wad of bills an Inch thick. "Guess that's enough, ain't it?" Quick as lightning Mosher had snatched the bills from him, and the man from Minnesota found himself gazing into the barrel of a "This here's my money," said Mosher; "now you git." A moment only a shot rang out. I saw the gun fall from Mosher's hand, and the roll of bills drop to the ground. Quickly the man from Minnesota re covered them and rushed off. That night I said to Jim: "How did you do It?" He laughed and showed nie a hole In his coat pocket which a bullet had burned. "Good Job you didn't hit him worse." "Wait a while, sonny, wait a while. There's something mighty familiar about Jake Mosher. He's mighty like a certain Sam Mosely I'm Interested in. I've Just written a letter outside to see, an' if Its' him well, I'm saved; I'm a good Christian, but God help a large outfit. him. Rut, mark you HI get even with you for this I'll get even." He shook his fist and, with an ugly oath, went away. The block In the traffic was relieved. The trail was again in motion. When we got abreast of the submerged horse, we hitched on the ox and hastily pulled it out, and (the Jam wagon proving to have no little few veterinary skill) In days it was fir to work again. Phone 20 Garland Milling Company Manufacturers of the Famous "PRIDE OF UTAH" FLOUR Also all Kinds of Mill Stuff. The Best Mill in the Bear River Valley. Highest Cash Trice Paid for GOOD WHEAT Near the Depot Garland Utah Reliable I Y Not Swim Watches at SPECIAL PRICES AT THE BEST PLACE IN THE WEST. Come In and See Them 5. THE MORE YOU SWIM HERE, THE MORE YOU'LL WANT TO. J UDY HOT SPRINGS Tremonton - Utah |
