Show 4 db CK ON if copyright 1914 by the wheeler cat CHAPTER L ke weary ghosts in a dead world CAN e to struggle bil bit M smoke gripped him cruelly and arched bea be dim him drawing forth from under his arm pit where it bad been thawed by the heat of his body a strip of caribou meat A quick exclamation from la drew smokes s attention bhe she had sprung to mccan s pack and was opening it instead of meat out pour ed moss spruce needles chips all the light refuse that bad had taken tile UK place ol 01 the meat and given the paci rits its due proportion minus its weight again band hand went vent to her hip and she flew at the culprit only to f a 0 she flew at the culprit only to be caught in smokes arms be caught in smokes arms where she surrendered herself sobbing with the futility of her rage oh oil lover it Is not the food she panted it is 1 you yo byoir ir life the dog ile is eating you he is eating you youl it was a morning stark starl stil clear blue above with white sun dazzle on the snow the way led up a long wide slope of crust they moved like weary ghosts in a world something 1 IR going to happen la will don t you feel ethere there everywhere every thing ming Is strange I 1 feel a chill that Is not riot of cold smoke answered nor Is it of hun hurt ger it Is in your head bead your heart she agreed excitedly that Is the way I 1 feel it A quarter of an hour later they paused for breath the air Is getting thick and heavy 8 eald itts it Is hard to breathe there be three suns mccan alcan mut hoarsely ua reeling as be clung to his staff for support they saw a mock sun on either side of the reil sun there are five said Labis kwee and as they looked new suns formed and flashed before their eyes by heaven the sky Is filled oiled with suns abeyant all countin mccan cried in fear which was true for look where they would halt half the circle of the sky daz aled and blazed with new suns form ing mccan yelped sharply with surprise and pain I 1 in stung he cried out then yelped again then wee cried out and smoke felt a pricking stab on his cheek check eo so cold that it burned like acid and then a shot rang out st strangely rangel Y muffled down the slope were the young men standing on their skis and one after another they opened fire ere spread out smoke commanded and climb for it we were re almost to the top they re a quarter of a mile below and that means a couple of miles the start of them on the oe down going on the other side thank the lord smoke panted to Labis kwee all these suns spoil their aim it shows my fathers temper she eald said they have orders to kill how strange you talk smoke said aid I 1 lour your voice sounds far away cover your mouth Lable Labis kwee cried suddenly and dont don t talk 1 know abat it to co a KZ our mouth mont with your sleeVe thus inus a 1 u a an clu nut not talk brom the crest looking back they saw the young men stumbling and fall ing on the upward climb they will never get here labick wee said it Is the white death I 1 know it though I 1 have never been u it I 1 have heard the old men talk soon will come a mist unlike any mist or fog or frost smoke you ever saw fe few w have seen it ana lived mccan gasped and strangled beep your mouth covered smoke commanded mccan bad had sunk down own squatting on bis his skis his mouth ana and eyes covered by his arms come on make a start smoke or dered I 1 can t move mccan moaned let at him be muttered harshly but smoke persisted dragging the wan to his feet and factor him do down a the long slope they must go then he started him with a shove and braking and steering with his stiff shot into the sheen of diamond du dust at and disappeared smoke looked at who smiled though it was all she could do to keep from sinking down he nodded tor for her to push off but she came near to him and side by side a dozen feet apart they flew down through the stinging thickness of cold fire brake as he be would smoke a heavier body carried him past her and he dashed on alone a long way at tre mentions speed that did not sl icken till he came out on a level crusted plateau here he braked till labiak wee overtook him and they went on again side by side with diminishing speed which finally ceased the leth loth argy had grown more pronounced rhe wildest effort of will could move them no more than at a snail snails s pace I 1 they hey passed mccan again crouched down on his skis and smoke roused him with hia his staff in passing now we must stop whispered painfully or we will die we must cover up so the old men said she did not delay to untie knots but began cutting her pack lashings smoke cut his and with a last look at tit the fiery death mist and the mock cry of suns they covered them themselves seles ies over with the sleeping furs and crouch ed in each others other s arms they felt a body stumble over them and fall then heard feeble whimpering dro drowned in a violent coughing fit and knew it was mccan who huddled agi ag tbt them as he h e wrapped his robe about him their own lung strangling began and they were racked and to u by a dry eo cough ugh spasmodic and uncontrollable smoke noted his temperature rising in a fever and f suffered simi barly hour after hour the couching spells increased in frequency and vio lence and not till late afternoon wis the worst reached after thit that the mend came slowly and between spells they dozed in exhaustion smoke awoke with lips touching hai hh lips ile lay partly in arms his tits head pillowed on her b e east abt her voice was cheerful and sauil the snuffled sound of it had lied it is day she said lifting the edge of the robes a trifle see oh nn mn lover it Is day we have lived ahr uh and we no longer cough let us ug I 1 I 1 k at the world though I 1 could stay here thus forever and always I 1 do not hear mccan gin ke said and what has hag become of the yung men that they have not found us I 1 he threw back the robes and siw s i w a normal and solitary sun in the sky A gentle breeze was blowing crisp with frost and hinting of warmer biyal to come all the world was wag natural again mccan lay on his lits back hie his un tin washed face swarthy from camp smoke frozen hard as marble the sight did not affect look she cried A snowbird it Is 1 a good sign there was no evidence of the young men either they had died on the oth er side of the divide or had turned back there was so little food that they dared not eat a tithe of whai what the thea needed and in the days that followed wandering through the lone mountain moin intrain tain land the sharp sting of life grew blunt ed and the wandering merged halt into a dream smoke would become abruptly conscious to find himself star ing at the never ending hated snow peaks his senseless babble still ringing in his ears and the next he would know after seeming centuries was that again he was roused to the sound of his own launderings maunde rings too was light headed most of the time came a day when it turned cold and a thick snow that was not snow but frost crystals crystal s of the size of grains ot of sand began to tall fall for three days and nights it continued to fall it was impossible to travel until it crusted un der the spring sun so they lay in their furs and rested and ate ate lel less because ec ause afi they ey te teolea am he sina small 11 vial a the itte rd littlon I lion they permitted pi it it give no appease ment went to the ir mer inger i ing that was much of the stomach bi t more of the brain and T abis kwee beltri us nn mi I 1 bened by the taste of her tiny I 1 orti ord in ut sobbing and in it riblin fell ip n tile next days portion and arld crammed it I 1 t her mouth month then it was riven given to smoke moke to see a wonderful ful tb th i g the fo d between her teeth roused her to i s I 1 lie 4 she spat it out and with a re it angel anger baruck herself with her out tied bed hit nt I 1 u the offending mouth it was given to smoke to see ee in nuni im wonderful things in the d dis is vet yet to Q come after the long si ow oa f fill I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 ime me on a great wind that dr re the tile dry dri and tiny frost p birti irti les as 04 0 4 s i I 1 Is 1 d iv ei or in a gan sandstorm all turn 1 I tt it the sand frost droe bv by ai at I 1 li it the full fill light of a dear lear aid it i I 1 blown dav day sm in ke lo 10 I 1 ed with swim ain ming eyes and reelon brain ill it tt it I 1 bt lic took to le be the vis a of a d e an all about towered treat great 1 aks hio from the tip of every 1 leik eik sw v ahng n ng und g out br adiv again 41 the azure sky SLY med gig giginto trill sn sit w banners miles in length milky and net ilous ever waving ligi ts ai at d sh nh d aws and flashing silver from tl it e s in sat up tip among the f rs I 1 dream Labis hwee he be said sold look do you too dream within my mr dream it Is no dream she replied this have the old men told me and after Us wll will blow the warm winds and we shall ih III e and win west smoke shot a snow ird and th hit dir divided 1 ded it once in a valley aher k wil willows bows budded standing in tt it e snow no he shot a snowshoe rabbit ai at ther tiler time little he got n lean white v weisel e i get it Is summer in the I 1 all ys said soon will it t te e sim am met mer here the day days lengthened and the sn V w tean tegan to sink pach day the cru eria I 1 thawed each it fr ze aien 1 an I 1 they were afoot early and late tate bein compelled comp ened to tamp camp and rest d irti g the midday hours of thaw when the crust could not bear their weight NN V hen smoke grew blind I 1 ibl ibi kwe towed him on a thong tied to her waist and when she aa was so blinded she was vi as towed bv by a thong t is I 1 is wil la 11 t and starving in tit a it deci deel er in they struggled on through an kellin land bare of any life save their on o 0 the time came the list f d was gone the high I 1 leaks oaks re eded the divides became lower ai at d the dav a v opened promisingly to the west wet R B U 11 their resen es of ath were gone and without food the time flow quickly fol lowed when they liv 1 iv down at niba and in tie na reli dd tit n t alle ail e smoke wt ikla paired tit his feet ol 01 lapsed and on hinis and knees rawl cd ed about the b illein ill din of a fire R B it try as she would I 1 abis kwee ee s sn it k b 1 l k each time in an extremity of deatra ness and smoke sank down basile basi ie her a wan van sneer on bis face fae for the automatism that hid bid in mile i le him strut gle for an ui ut needed tire fire chere was nai nothing to ook and the day was wag warm CHAPTER wonder of women I 1 my ply in a stupor bel breathing so go lm perc tible that le often smoke tho igl igi t her de d in the on oil the h n ater ing of a squirrel aroused him dr fir g ging the heavy rifle he wall aall iel ed through the crust that hid h id bee it e 0 slush he arelt cre t on hands hand and hiees ki ees or stood upright and tell fell for forward Nard in the direction of tae squirrel anit tn it hit its wrath and fled tied slowly ai tit d tantalizingly before him he had n t the strength t f r a quick shot and the squirrel was never still so prof uril aa was his big wei kiess thit he lay like de do d through the tile n r did dreams disturb him the sun wis wig in the sl the sine glue squirrel chattering ahr ugh the trees when hen I 1 abib kwee s hand ri si S ke kes heek cheek awakened awik awili ened him film I 1 ut yo ir h hind ind on rov my be feirt lover she said her vol e clear I 1 ut tit fair flirt t ind very fir away my sly heart is n i I 1 ve to and yo i a it id it in y ir h i d A I 1 n tin e seemed to go by ere she sl s I 1 e af jig ill till remember always there 1 Is 14 4 no way south tl TI at Is well wn wu to the carll carit it pe ile 1 ie vi 1 est th it Is tt e N w i u I 1 and yo vo i 1 are tire almost there and v it will mal mill e 0 it aid ar d sm bin ke dr weed in the nun I 1 neg ness i ill thit it Is ne I 1 r t de deah ith ill tit til tit on e it re I 1 she aroused him I 1 ut y ur arll ill 4 son on mine she slid I 1 will die so we will die together sweetheart was his answer no A feeble nutter flutter of her bird checked him and so thin was wag her vol voi e that mat scarcely did he tie hear it vet yet did he no hear bear alf of it 11 her hind hand fumbled and groped in the hood of her parka and she drew forth a I 1 ouch that she placed in his hand and now your ills II 11 a my mv lover your lips on MY lips and your hand on my ray heart and in that long kiss darkness came upon him again and when ag in he was conscious he knew that he was to die he was wearily glad th thit it he tie was to d die I 1 e he ile found his hand resting on the pouch with an inward smile at the curiosity that in nude ide him pull the draw he it out paired po ired a tiny flood of food there was no par tide of it that he did not all stolen by from labi kwe breid fragments frig ments saved tar far back an art I 1 strings of it meat 1 irtis gnawed crumbles of suet a hild nil d leg of the snowshoe nl rat bit funtow untouched bed a hit d let leg and part of a fo e leg of the v I 1 ito earli a wing dented still by her reluctant teeth and a leg f the snowbird pitiful remnants tr L re crucifixions of life m r stis stolen flow her hun er by her incredible jose t maniacal man Tacal au gute smoke flung tout 1 ft it all out on the hardening snow crust I 1 ai at d went I 1 uk ih li it to the blackness he the akon nn rin dry in its bed among amon muddy pools of wa ter and ice tee scoured rocks he wat war dered pi king up fat nugget hold gold rhe v w fight eight of it grew to be a b i den to him till he diio discovered vered th t it w ats is g od to eat and kieel hee lil il be lie ate after r all fill of whit worth was 9 id tl at it en ell plize prize it so have save tint thit it was good to eat he awoke to another sun his jig brain was strangely clear fio ISO lo 10 longer did his eyesight b ir the fa familiar mIllar millita tion th thit it hid vexed hin bin through all bis his frame was gone the jul jui es of his t tod oda seemed to sin sina as if the sp lug b h id enter d it blessed well being it I 1 tone oil P to him he turned to av a iken Libis kwee and nd siw saw and remembered he lo 10 ked led for the food nun flun 0 it on the biow it was as gone and he be knew that in tit delirium and dream it had been the I 1 lukon ukon bold gold in a ind bietto he hid bid taken heart of life from j tl it e life sa of I 1 who I 1 id I 1 ut her heart in his band hand and 01 or ed his eves eyes to woman and won conler ler he ile was vias surprised at the ease of hia his moi eme ants astounded that he was able to drag her tier fur wrapped body to the exposed thawed gravel bank it he be ui ut derminer der mined and caved upon her three days with no further food he fouat west in the mid third day he fell beneath a lone spruce beside a wide stream that ran oyen oen and that he be knew must be the klond ke fre i b ack conquered him he be his pak sat sail I 1 goodby to the bright world and rolled himself in to the robes chirping sleepy noises awoke nim bint ibe I 1 he long twilight was on above him among the spruce bows were gan hunger bit him into in t tl I 1 I 1 ac re tion though the action was wag ti it fin finite itel slow live I 1 ive minutes passed lefoie t be he was able to get his tits rifle to his big sho il it der and a second five mir ites I 1 14 el 11 ere he be dired lying on his hn bi k at hid d aiming straight upward to I 1 ill tie tl f tri trigger ger it was a clean miss no I 1 li it 1 fell but no bird flew they rial lid and rustled stupidly and drowsily ills shoulder pained him A second shot hot was st s oiled bv by the avol mcary wit e he made as its he 1 bulled trier the ptarmigan hid not no floan he doubled and redo bled the robe thai thal had cis ered him aid b h it in the hollow between his riat arm and his big side ke re ting ling the b itt tit f the rifle on the fur he fired again and a bird fell he clutched it greedily and f nd thai that be tie had |