Show an alaskan alaska love THAL LA 2 YUKON TRAIL story by william macleod raine I 1 copyright william macleod lit alne CHAPTER VIII continued 5 A man staggered drunkenly into view lie ile reeled halfway across the mouth of the draw and stopped nia ills eyes questing dully fell upon the camp he stared as if doubtful whether they had played him false then hirchel toward the waiting group lost and all in said in a whisper to bud the other man nodded neither elther N of them made a move toward the stronger stranger who stopped in front of their camp and looked with glazed eyes from one to td another ills face was drawn and haggard and lined ex exa exhaustion showed in every movement ile he babbled incoherently dont you see hes starving and out of his head snapped holt brusquely get him grub pronto the old man rose and moved toward the suffering suf ferine man come pard aba thae a all right sit down right hero here and go to it as tho old sayin savin Is he led the man to a place beside dig big bill end and made him sit down better light a fire boys and get some coffee on OIL dont give him too much solid grub at first the famished man ate what was given him and clamored tor for more coming up soon pardner holt told him soothingly now tell us how come you to get lost the man nodded gravely hit flit that una line low gord nit hit ler er low only three yards to gain plumb bughouse A commented dud chewing tobacco stolidly out of his head bead all hell heil be right enough after hes hei fed up and 1 I A man staggered ered drunkenly into vl w bad a goo booi sleep but right now be hes a sure eure some exhibit A look at the bones through his cheeks big bill commented come old timer get down in your collar to it once more now dont ue ile down on the job all together now the stranger clucked to an imaginary horse and made a motion of lifting with his hands looks like his big haass ls Is bogged down in fifty mile swamp suggested holt looks like agreed dud the tha old miner said no more but bis big eyes narrowed to shining slits silts it if this man had come through fifty mile swamp he must have started from the liver that pro probably babiy meant that he be had come from ne ile was a joung man talking the jargon of a drIll aze fool football ball player without doubt he was wag in ID the old phrasing of the north a che chako gideon holts bolts sly brain moved keenly to the possibility that he be could put a name to this human derelict they had picked up lie began to see it as more than a possibility as even a probability at least as a fifty fifty chance A sardonic grin hovered about the corners of his bis grim mouth it would be a strange freak of irony if wally selfridge to prevent a meeting between him and the government land agent had sent him a hundred miles into the wilderness to save the life of gordon elliot and so had brought about the meeting that otherwise would never have taken place CHAPTER IX the rah rah boy functions Function a big bill grumbled a good deal atthe addition to the party it would be decidedly awkward it if this stranger should become rational and understand the status of the camp he had joined the word of old holt alone might be negligible but supported by that of a disinterested party it would be a very different matter stul there was no help for it they would have to take care of the man until he was able to travel at the worst big bill could give him a letter to selfridge explaining things and so pass the buck to that gentleman gid holt had with the tacit consent of his guards appointed himself as a sort of nurse to the stranger early in the evan ing the sick man fell into a sound sleep from which he did not awake until morning george was away looking after the packhorses pack horses dud was cooking breakfast and big bill ills his rifle close at hand was chopping young firs fifty feet back of the camp the cook air also 0 had a gun loaded with buckshot lying on a box beside him so that they were taking no chances with their prisoner the old miner turned from rearranging the boughs of greeli green fir on the smudge to see that his patient was awillie awake and his mind normal the quiet steady eyes resting upon him told him that the delirium had bad passed pretty nearly all in I 1 the young man said the answer of gid holt was an od odd d one yep seven eleven afif fifteen teen take er easy old man he said in his shrill high voice as he moved toward the man in the blankets then in a low tone while be pretended to arrange the bedding over the stranger he asked n quick question are you elliot yes dont tell them talk football lingo as if layon you was still out of your haid bald ho itola it turned and called to dud says he be wants some breakfast 11 on the way tile the cook answered violt seemed to be soot soothing bing the delirious man what he really said was this his selfridge has arranged a plant for you at Kamat lah the camp has been turned inside out to fool you brought me here a prisoner so as to keep me from telling you the truth up now big bill had bad put down his ax and was approaching lie he was not exactly suspicious but he did not believe in taking unnecessary chances 1 I tell you im out of training played the last game we come through with a square meal you four flusher demanded elliot in a querulous voice ile he turned to macy look here cap I 1 played the game all tall fall dont I 1 get what I 1 want now were through the voice of the young nan man was excited ills eyes had bad lost their quiet steadiness lind and roved restlessly to and fro it if big bill had held any doubts one glance dissipated them sure you do hustle over and help dud with the breakfast holt ril look out for our alend elliot ano holt found no more chance to talk together th that at mor morning ing sometimes the young government official lay straight in front ol of him sometimes he appeared to doze again he bo would talk in the tha disjointed way of one not clear in the head an opportunity came in the afternoon for a moment keep your eyes skinned for a chance to lay out the guard tonight and get his gun Holt taid quickly gordon nodded 1 I dont know that ive got todo to do everything just as you say he complained aloud for or the benefit of george who was passing on his way to the place where the horses were hobbled now now I 1 there aint nobody trying to boss you yon holt explained in a patient voice I 1 better not snapped the invalid some scrapper that kid said eald the horse wrangler with a grin macy took the first watch that night he turned in ot at two after he had roused dud to take his place the afie cook had been on duty about an hour when elliot kicked holt who was sleeping beside him to make sure that he was ready the old man answered the kick with another presently gordon got up tip yawned dawned and strolled toward the edge of the camp dont go and get lost young fellow cautioned dud gordon on Ms his way back passed behind the guard who was sitting tailor I 1 his strong fingers closed on the gullet of the man fashion before a smudge with a shotgun across his bis knees this aint no country for chedia checha koes to be wandering around without a keeper the cook continued looks like your folks would have better sense than to let their rah rah boy ue ile got no farther elliot dropped to one knee and his strong fingers closed on the gullet of the man so tightly that not even a groan could escape him the old miner wailing with every muscle ready and every nerve under tinder tension flung aside his blanket and hurled himself at the guard it took him less time than it takes to tell to wrest the gun from the cook he got to his feet just as big bill his eyes and brain still fogged with sleep sat up and began to take notice of the disturbance dont move warned holt sharply v i better throw your hands up no monkey business do you hear id as lief blow a hole through you as not dig big bill turned bitterly to elliot so you were faking all the time young fellow we save your life and you roun round d on us youre a pretty slick proposition as a double crosser and that aint all chirped up holt blithely let roe me introduce our friend to you mr big bill maey macy this Is gordon elliot the land agent appointed to look over the Kamat lali lah claims selfridge gave you lads this penitentiary job so us as I 1 meet elliot when he reached the camp if lie he been so darned anxious about it our young friend would have died here on the divide but mr selfridge madly kindly outfitted a party and sent us a hundred miles into the hills to rescue the perishing as the old sayin goes consequence Is elliot and me meet up and have that nice confidential talk after all the ways of providence Is strange as you night might say mr macy your trick conceded big bill sullenly now what are you going to do with us not a thing going to leave you right here to prospect wild goose creek I 1 answered holt blandly durden bays ays theres gold up here heaps of IV it DIU bill macy condemned durden in language profane and energetic ile he stop at durden holt came in for a share of it it also elliot and selfridge cut it out bill that line 07 0 talk dont buy you anything said bald holiny ho curtly the xi use e of beefing now youre shouting my friend agreed old gideon 1 I guess elliot you can loosen up tip on the chefs throat awhile iles hes had persuading enough dont you reckon ill III sit here and sorter keep the boys company while you cut the pack ropes and bring lem em here but first rd id step in end and unload all the hardware packing it if you yoa dont one of them Is likely to get anxious id hate to see any ot of them commit suicide with none of their friends here to say dont III he e look natural elliot brought back the pack ropes and cut them into suitable leng lengths holts monologue rambled on ile he was garrulous and affable not for a long time had he enjoyed himself so much gordon tied the hands bands of big bill behind him then roped his feet together after which he did the same for holway the old miner superintended super intended the job and was not satisfied till 11 he le had added a few extra knots on his own behalf hold them tor for awhile I 1 wonder now it just cover friend chef with this sawed off gat elliot ill throw the diamond hitch over what sup auppl plea es well need to get back to Kamat lah ill take one bronch and leave the other to the convicts said holt cheerfully forget that convict stuff growled macy with macdonald back of us and the Gutten childs back of him have a hectic time getting anything on us that might be true if these folks were back of you but are they course I 1 aint any sherlock holmes but it dont look to roe me like play any such fool system as this after holt had packed one of the animals he turned to elliot 1 I reckon were ready under orders from elliot dud fixed up the smudges and arranged the mosquito netting over the bound men so Is ats to give them all the protection possible were going to take dud with us for a part of the trip well send him back to you later in the day have to fast till he gets back but outside of that do very well it if you dont roll around trying to get loose do that and jar loose the mosquito netting you know what that means explained gordon it aint likely any grizzlies grizzlier grizz lies will come their noses into camp but you never ician can tell any last words you want sent to relatives asked gideon holt the last words they heard from big bill as they moved down the draw were sulp sulphuric hurle it was three ocl ocl in the morning by the watch when they started about nine they threw off tor for breakfast by this time they were just across the divide and were ready to take the down trail 1 I think well let dud go now elliot eiliot told his partner in the adventure better hold him till afternoon then they cant possibly reach us till we got to Kamat lah what does it matter it 11 they do we have both rifles and have left them only one revolver besides I 1 dont like to leave two bound men alone in so wild a district for any great time no nell ell start dud on the back trail that grizzly you promised big bill might really turn up the two men struck the headwaters of wild goose creek about noon and followed the stream down they traveled steadily without haste so long as they kept a good lookout there was nothing to be feared from the men they had left behind they had both a long start and the advantage of weapons if elliot had advertised for a year ile he could not have found a nan man who know knew more of past than gideon holt the old man had worked a claim on frenchman n creek with him and had by sharp practice so at least he had bad come to believe been cawed out of his rights by the shrewd scotsman F for or seventeen years ile he had nursed a grudge against mae macdonald and he was never tired of talking about him one story in particular interested gordon there was farrell oneill ne he was it 11 good fellow farrell was but he had j just list one weakness there was times when lie he liked the bottle too well lied hed let it alone for months and then just lap tho the stuff up it was waa the time of the stampede to bonanza creek well th the C news of the strike on bonanza reached dawson and we all burnt up the trail to get to the new ground first oneill was one of tile the first ile he got in about twenty below discovery if I 1 remember mae mac in dawson but he got there next nest and heard the news ile he lit out tor for bonanza pronto 11 the old miner stopped took a chew ot of tobacco lund and looked down into the valley far below where could just bo be seen a little huddle of huts buts well asked elliot it was occasionally sio nally necessary to prompt holt when he paused for his dramatic effects mae mac drops in and joins at highl they knew each other j Z un der stand so 0 course it was a s natural mac W would III pu put up tip tit at his bis camp camp oneill had a partner and they had located together fellow named strong not hanford strong a little heavyset man somewhere around fifty youve tagged the right man know initial him ive met him well I 1 never heard beard anything against han strong anyway he was off that night packing grub up while farroll farrell held down the claim mac had a jug of booze with him ile he got farrell tanked up you yon know mac how bow he can put it across when hes a mind to hes a forceful devil and he be can be a mighty likable one but when he Is friendliest you want to watch out he be dont slip an uppercut at you put you out of biz lie he done that to farrell and done it plenty aplenty a illow how T oneill ONel ll got mellowed up till he be thought mae mac was his big best friend ile he was ready to eat out of his bis hand so mac works him up to sign a contract before w witnesses It nesses too trust mac tor for that exchanging his half interest in the claim for five hundred dollars in cash and maes macs no count lease on frenchman creek inside of a week mae mac and strong struck a big pay streak they took over two hundred thousand from the spring cleanup clean up it was nothing better than robbery call it what you want to anyhow it stuck oneill kicked and all the good it did him he consulted lawyers at dawson finally he got so discouraged that he be plumb went to pieces got on a long bat and stayed there till his money ran out then one bitter night he starts up to bonanza to have it out with mac the mercury was so low it had run into the ground a foot farrell slept in a deserted cabin without a fire and not enough bedding ile he caught in mony ony by the time he reached the claim he was a mighty sick man next week lie he died oil all mae mac done to oneill ONel ll not a thing that legal either gordon thought of sheba oneill as she sat listening to the tales of macdonald in dianes parlor and his gorge rose at the man but mae mac had fell on his feet all right continued holt ile he got his start off that chiald claim now hes bes a millionaire lion |