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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1918)
THE SEMI WEEKLV TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. 111 IFTPI'fl ' H "IP1 T An Alaskan Love -I Jl lie iikEii JL rail 52 Copyright, Wlllinm Maclcod Ralne, By William MacleO(3 RaUie ELLIOT IS INTRODUCED TO MISS O'NEILL AND WITHIN A FEW HOURS THEY HAVE A TERRIFYING ADVENTURE 8ynopsls. As a representative of the government Gordon Elliot Is est his way to Alaska to Investigate coal claims. On the bont ho meets md becomes Interested In n fellow passenger whom he learns Is Shcbn vNlll, also "going In." Colby Mncdonnld, active head of the lnnd irabblag syndicate under Investigation, comes aboard. Mncdonnld is tt4&cd by mlno laborers whom he had discharged, and tho active leUrfventlon of Elliot probably saves his life. Elliot and Mncdonnld Wvese In a monsuro friendly, though tho latter docs not know that Mfcrfc tfl on a mission which threatens to spoil plnns of Macdonald to aegatro millions of dollars through tho unlawful exploitation of lm neasoly vnlunblo coal fields. Elliot also "gets a line" on tho position coupled by Wolly Sclfrldge, Mncdonnld's right-hand man, who is re t&rnlng from a visit to "tho States," where he had gone In nn effort to eoaTlnce the authorities that thero was nothing wrong In Mncdonnld's Method. CHAPTER II Continued. Tho purser gave Information to El Met "They call her Aunt Shobn, but ofce'a no relative of theirs. The kids are on their way In to their father, ts an engineer on ono of tho creeks back of Kntmn. Their mother dtfed two months ago. Miss O'Neill mot tkesi first aboard tho Skagit on tho way p and sho has mothered them over since." The eyes of KlUot rested on Miss WNni. "She loves' children." "Stee sura docs no bluff about that" A& trap of mischief sparkled in the eye Mf tho supercargo. "Not raarrlod your self, aro you, Mr. Elliot?" No," "Smpr That was all he said, but Cordon felt the blood croep Into his faco. This wwoyefl him, so he added brusquely: Aad not likely to bo." Whes the call for breakfast carao IftM O'Neill took her rotlnuo of young Men with her to tho dining room, looking across from his scat at an 9WJolnlng table, Elliot could see her Waiting upon them with a flno ab Wrptlon In their needs. Before taey had been long In tho gtatag room Maedonald came In carry lag a sheaf of business papers, no saoeed around, recognised Billot, and Made Instantly for the float across the tWe from him. On his face and head were many marks of the recent bnttle. Trade yon a cauliflower ear for a pair of black eyes, Mr. Elliot," ho laeg&ed as he shook hands with tho man wbose name he had Just learnod ttom the cursor. tee grip of his brown, muscular band was stroag. It was In character "with the steady, cool eyes sot deep bo aeath the Jattlng forehead, with the mfldeot earrlage of tho deep, broad eklUHtlder. Yo might throw In several other ftttUe SOTTKilrs to boot and not miss 0tan," suggested Billot with a smile. Macdonald sodded Indifferently. "I (gave and I took, which was as It should "But We Ain't Through With Oolby Macdonald Yet" bt. Bt ifa different with you, Mr. Mlttet This wasn't your row." "I hada't been In a good mix-up since I left college. It did me a lot of good." "Hack obliged, anyhow." He turned Ms atteatlea to a lady entering the sMnlng room. "'Mornln', Mrs. Self ridge. How's Wally?" She threw up her hands In despair. "He's en his second bottle of liniment already. I expect those ruffians havo raised bis singing voice. When I think f how close yon both came to death fcurt night" "I doa't know about Wally, but 1 had no notion of dying, Mrs. Self ridge. They mussed vn up a bit. Thnt was all." "But they meant to kill you, the cowards.. And thoy almost did It too. Jook at Wally confined to his hod ftud speaking In a whisper. Look at you a wreck, horribly beaten dp, aV most drowned. Wo must drive tho vil lains out of the country or send them to prison." "Am I n wreck?" the big Scotsman wanted to know. "I feel as husky as a well-fed malnmutc." "Oh, you talk. But wo all know you how bruvo and strong you arc. That's why this outrage ought to bo punished. What would Alaska do If anything happened to you?" "I hadn't thought of that," admitted Macdonald. "Tho North would Havo to go out of business, I suppose. But you're right nbout ono thing. Mrs. Sclf rldge. I'm brave and strong enough nt tho breakfast table. Steward, will you bring mo n double order of these shirred eggs and a Bmall stenk?" "Well, I'm glad you can still Joke, Mr. Macdonald, after such a terrlblo oxporlcnco. All I can say Is thnt I hope Wally Isn't permanently lrfjurcd." Mrs. Sclfrldge sighed and passed to her plnco. Tho eyes of tho big man twinkled. "Our little fracas has been a godsend to Mrs. Selfrldge. Wally and I will both emerge ns heroes of a desperate struggle. You won't oven get a men tion. But It's n pity about Wally'fl Injuries and his singing voice." Tho younger man agreed with a zravlty back of which his amusement was apparont Tho share of Selfrldge In tho battle had been limited to log work only, but this had not been good enough to keep him from being over hauled and having his throat squeezed. Elliot finished breakfast and left Macdonald looking over a long type written document. Tho paper was a report Selfrldge had brought In to him from a clerk In tho general land of fice. Tho big Canadian and the men ho represented wcro dealing directly with tho heads of the government de partments, but they thought It tho part of wisdom to keep In their employ sub ordinates In tho capacity of secret sorvlco agents to spy upon tho higher- ups. CHAPTER III. The Crevasse. For an hour before tho Hannah renched Katmn Miss O'Neill was busy getting her little brood ready. Her heart was as tender as a Madonna to theso lambs so 111 fitted to faco n frigid waste. Their mother had been n good woman. Sho could tell that. But she had no way of knowing what kind of man their father might bo. When thoy said their sniffling good-bys nt Katma she was suspiciously bright and merry. Soon the children were laugh lug again with her. Ono glanco at their father, who In troduced himself to Miss O'Neill ns John Husted, relieved her mind great ly. His spontaneous delight at seeing them again and his choking gratitude to her for having looked aftor them wero evidence enough that this kind eyed man meant to bo both father and mother to his recovered llttlo folks ner temporary family stood on the end of tho wharf and called good-bys to tho girl. When they turned away sho went directly to her room Elliot was passing forward when Miss O'Neill opened her stateroom door to go In. The eyes of tho young woman were blinded with tears and sho was biting her Up to keep back tho emotion that welled up. ne knew sho was very fond of tho motherless chlldron, but ho guessed at an addl Uonal reason for her sobs. Sho, too, was as untaught as a child In tho life of this frontier land. Whatever sho found here how much of hnrdshlp or happiness or grief or wots sho know that sho had left behind forever the safe harborage of quiet waters In which her Ufo craft had always floated. It camo on to rain In tho afternoon, Heavy clouds swept across from tho mountains, and the sodden sky opened ltko a slulco-box. The Kuslnk contln gent, driven Indoors, resorted to bridge. Miss O'Neill read. Gordon El Uott wrote lottcrs, dawdled over mag' a tines, and lounged alternately In Uie ladles' parlor and tho smoking room, whore Macdonald, Strong, a hardware merchant from Fairbanks, and n pair of sour-dough miners had settled them selves to n poker gntno that was to last nil night and well Into the next day. Of tho two bridge tables all the players were old-timers excent Mrs. Mallorir Wio had como In over tho Ico for the first time last winter. Tho other women felt thnt sho wns a bird of passage, that the frozen Arctic could bo no more than a whim to her. They deferred n llttlo to her because sho knew the great world Now York, Vienna, London, Paris. Great names fell from her Hps casually and care lessly. Sho wus full of spicy llttlo anecdotes nbout German royalty and the British aristocracy. It was no won der, Gordon Elliot thought, thnt she had rather stunned tho little social set of Kuslak. Through Northrup and Trolowney n new slant on Mncdonnld was given to Gordon, no had fallen Into casual talk with them after dinner on tho foro deck. To his surprise tho young man discovered that they boro hlra no grudge at all for his Interference the night before. "But wo nln't through with Colby Mncdonnld yet," Trelawney explained. 'Mind, I don't sny we're going to get him. Nothing llko that. Here's the point. Wo stand for Lnbor. Ho stands for Capital. See7 Things nln't whnt they used to bo In Alaska, and It's be cause of Colby Mncdonnld nnd his friends. They're grabbers that's what they arc. They want tho whole works. Understand? It's up to us to fight, nln't It?" Later Elliot put this viewpoint be- foro Strong. "There's something in It," tho mtner agreed. "Wages havo gone down, nnd it's partly because tho big fellows aro consolidating Interests. Alaska ain't a poor man's country tho way It was. But Mac ain't to blnmo for that, no has to play tho game tho way the cards are dealt out." Tho sky was clear again when the Hannah drow in to tho wharf at Moose ncad to unlond freight, but tho mud In the unpnved streets lendlnc to the business section of tho little frontier town wns Instep deep. Many of the passengers hurried ashoro to make tho most of the five-hour stop. Elliot put on a pair of heavy boots and started uptown. At the end of tho wharf he passed Miss O'Neill. She woro no rubbers and sho had como to a halt at the begin ning of the mud. After a momentary indecision she. returned slowly to tho bont Tho young man walked up Into tho town, but ten minutes later he crossed tho gangplank of tho Hannah again with a package under his arm. Miss O'Neill wns sitting on tho forward deck, making a pretense to herself of reading. Ho moved over to where she sat and lifted his hat. "I hope you won't think It n liberty, Miss O'Neill, but I've brought you some rubbers from n store uptown, I noticed you couldn't get ashore without them." The girl was visibly embarrassed. Sho was not nt all certain of tho right thing to do. Where she had been brought up young men did not offer courtesies of this sort so informally. "I I think I won't need them, thank you. I've decided not to leave tho boat," she answered shyly. Elliot had never been accused of be ing a quitter. Having begun this, he proposed to see It out He caught sight of tho purser superintending tho dlschargo of cargo and callod to him by name. The officer Joined them, a pad of paper and a pencil In his hand. "I'm trying to persuade Miss O'Neill that she ought to go ashore while we're lying here. What was It you told me about the waterfall back of tho town?" "Finest thing of Us kind In Alaska. Evoryone takes It In. Wo won't get away till night You've plenty of time If you want to sco It" "Now, will you plcaso Introduce me to Miss O'Neill formally? Tho purser went through tho usual formula of presentation, nddlng thnt Elliot wns a government official on his wny to Kuslak. Having done his duty by the young man, tho busy sn percargo retired. "I'm suro It would do you good to walk up to tho waterfall with me, Miss O'Neill," urged Elliot, Sho met a llttlo dubiously the smile that would not stny quite extinguished on his good-looking, boyish face. Why shouldn't sho go with him, slnco It wns tho American way for unchnperoncd youth to enjoy Itself naturally? "If they'll fit," tho girl answered, eying tho rubbers. Gordon dropped to his knees nnd demonstrated thnt they would As they walked along tho muddy street she gave blm a friendly llttlo nod of thanks. "Good of you to tako tho trouble to look out for me." Ho laughed. "It was myself I wns looking out for. I am a stranger In tho country and was awfully lone some.' "Is It that this Is your first tlmo in, too?" sho asked shyly. "You'ro going to Kuslnk, aren't you? Do you know anybody there?' replied Elliot "My cousin lives there, but I haven't seen her since I was ten. She's un American. Eleveu years ngo Bho vis Itcd us In Ireland." "I'm glad you know someone," ho said. "You'll not be so lonesome with some of your people living thero." "Aro you going to live at Kuslak?" "No ; I'll bo stationed In tho terrl tory for several months. I'll be In and out of tho town a good deal. I hopo you'll let mo bco something of you." Tho flno Irish coloring deepened in her cheeks. He had a way of taking in his stride tho barriers between them, but It was impossible for her to feel offended at this cheery, vigor ous young fellow with the winning smllo and the flrm-sct Jaw. She liked tho warmth in his honest brown eyes. Sho liked the piny of muscular grace bencnth his well-fitting clothes. Sheba did not know, ns her resilient muscles cnrrlcd her forward Joyfully, that she vn answering tho call of youth to youth. Gordon respected -her shyness and moved warily to establish his con tact. He let tho talk drift to Imper sonal topics as they picked their way out from the town along the mossy trail. They were ascending steadily now along a pathway almost too Indistinct to follow. Tho nlr was aromatic with The Qlrl Swung Out Into Space. pine from a grove that came straggling down the side of a gulch to tho brook. "Do you know, I have a queer feel ing that I've seen all this before," tho Irish girl said. "Of course I haven't unleBS It was In my dreams. Natu rally I'vo thought about Alaska a great deal because my father lived here." "I didn't know that." "Yes. He came In with tho Klon- like stampeders." She addod quietly: Tie died on Bonanza creek two years later." "Was he c alner?" "Not -until he came north. He had an Interest In a claim. It lata? turned out worthless." A bit of stiff climbing brought them to a boulder field back of which rose a mountain ridge. Beyond the boulder field the rldgo roso sharply. Gordon looked a little dubiously at Sheba. "Are you a good climber?" "I'm suro I must be," she answered with n smile adorable. "I bcllovo could do tho Matterhorn today." Well up on tho shoulder of the ridge they stopped to breathe. Tho distant nolso of falling water camo faintly to them. "Wo'ro too far to tho left must havo followed the wrong spur," Billot explnlned. "Probably wo can cut across tho faco of tho mountain." Presently they came to an Impasse The gulch between tho two spurs ter minated In a rock wall that fell almost sheer for two hundred feet. The color In tho cheeks beneath tho oager eyes of tho girl was warm. "Let's try It," sho begged. Tho young man had noticed that sho was as sure-footed as a mountain coat and that sho could stand on the edge of n preclplco without dizziness. The surface of the wall was broken. Whnt It might bo beyond ho could not tell, nut tho first fifty feet wns a bit of ottractivo and not too difficult rock traverse. anoy had been following a ledge that narrowed till It ran out. Jutting Knoos or feldspar nnd stunted shrubs growing rrora crevices offered toe grips Instead of tho even foothold of the rock Itself. As Gordon lookod down at tho dizzy fall beneath them his Judgment told him thoy had better go back. Ho said as much to his com panion. Tho smllo sho flashed at him was de lightfully provocative. "So you think I'm n 'frnld-cnt, Mr. Elliot?" His Inclination marched with hers. It was their first adventure together and ho did not wnnt to spoil It by un duo caution. There really was not much danger yet so long as they wero careful. Gordon abandoned tho traverse and followed an ascending crack In the wall. The going was hard. Ho looked down nt tho girl wedged between the slopes of the granite trough. Sho read his thought "Tho Old Guard never surrenders, sir," was her quick answer as sho brushed In salute with the tips of her Angers a stray lock of hair. Tho trough was wor&o than Eliot had expected. It had In it a good deal of loose rubble that started in small slides at the least pressure. "Be very careful of your footing," he called back anxiously. A small grassy platform lay above the upper end of tho trough, but the last dozen feet of the approach was a very difficult bit. Gordon fought his way up with his back against ono wall nnd his knees pressed to the other. Three feet short of the plntform the rock walls became absolutely smooth. The climber could reach within a foot of tho top. "Are you stopped?" asked Sheba. "Looks that way." A small plno projected from the edge of the shelf out over the preci pice. It might be strong enough to bear his weight It might not Gor don unbuckled his belt nnd threw one end over the trunk of the dwarf tree. Gingerly he tested It with his weight, then went up hnnd over hand nnd worked himself over thb edge of the llttlo plateau. "All right?" the girl called up. "All right. But you can't make It. I'm coming down again." 'Td llko to try It I'll stop If It's too hard," sho promised. Tho strength of her slender wrists surprlsedjilm. She struggled up the vertical crevnsse Inch by Inch. His heart was full of fear, for a misstep now would be fatal. He lay down with his face over tho ledgo and lowered to her the buckled loop of his belt Twice she stopped exhausted, her back and her hands pressed against the walls of tho trough angle for sup port "Better give It up," ho advised. "I'll not, then." Sho smiled stub bornly ns she shook her head. Presently her Angers touched the belt. Gordon edged forwnrd an Inch or two fnrther. "Put your hand through tho loop and catch hold of the leather above," he told her. She did so, and at the same Instant her foot slipped. The girl swung out Into space suspended by one wrist The muscles of Elliot hardened into steel as they responded to tho strain. His body began to slide very slowly down the incline. In a moment the acute danger wns past. Sheba had found a hold with her feet and relieved Bomewhnt the dead pull upon Elliot Sho had not voiced a cry, but the face that looked up Into his was very white. "Take your time," he said In a quiet matter-of-fact way. With his help she came close enough for hlra to reach her hand. After thnt It was only a moment before she knelt on tho plateau beside him. "Touch and go, wnsn't it?" Sheba tried to smile, but the colorless Hps told tho young man she was still faint from the shock. He knew ho wpb going to 'reproach himself bitterly for having led her Into such n risk, but he could not Just now afford to wasto his energies on regrets. You might have sprained your wrist, he said lightly as ho rose to examine tho cliff still to be negotiated. Her dark eyes looked at him with quick surprise. "So I might," she answered dryly. But bis Indifferent tone had the ef fect upon her of a plungo Into cold water. It braced and stiffened her will. If he wanted to Ignore the ter rible danger through which she had passed, certainly she was not going to remind him of It. Gordon was mountnineer enough to know thnt tho climb up Is safer than tho one back. The only possible way for them to go down tho trough was for hlra to lower her by the belt until she found footing enough to go alone, lie did not quite admit It to himself, but In his heart he doubted whether she could make It safely. Tho alternative was the cliff face. CHAPTER IV. Across the Traverse. Elliot took off his shoes and turned toward the traverse. "Think I'll see If I can cross to that stairway. You had better wait here, Miss O'Neill, until wo And out If It can bo done." Shcbn looked across the cliff and down to Uio boulder bed two hundred feet below. "You can never do It In the world. Isn't thero another way up?" "No. The wall above us slopes out. I'vo got to cross to the stairway. If I make It I'm going to get a rope." "Do you menn you'ro going back to town for ono?" "Yes." Tier eyes fastened to his In a long, unspoken question. She rend tho nn swer. no was afraid to have her try the trough again. To get hnck to town by wny of their roundabout ascent would wasto time. If ho was going to rescue her before Jight, he must . K tho shortest cut, md tnat was ucros tho face of tho sheer cliff. For tho first tlmo she understood hov Bcrlous was their plight. Tho gleoco of tho girl swept again the face of the wall ho must cross. It could npt bo done without a rope. Her fenr-fllle'l eyes came back to his. "It's my fault I wado you come," sho said In a low volco. "Nonsense," he nnswered cheerfully. "There's no harm done. If I can't reach tho stairway I can como back nnd go down by tho trough." Shcbn assented doubtfully. , It had come on to drizzle again. Tho rain wns Ano nnd cold, almost a mist, and nlready it was forming a Aim of lco on tho rocks. "I can't take tlmo to go back by the trough. Tho point Is that I don't want you camped up hero after night There has been no sun on this sldo of the spur and In tho chill of tho evening It must get cold even In summer." Ho wns making his preparations as ho talked. His coat he took off and threw down. His shoes ho tied by tho laces to his belt "I'll try not to be very long," he promised. "It'a God's will then, so it is," sho sighed, relapsing Into the vernacular. Her volco was low and not very steady, for the heart of the girl was heavy. She knew she must not pro test his decision. That was not tho way to play the game. But somehow the salt had gono from their light hearted ndventure. Elliot took her little hand In a warm, strong grip. "You're not going to bo afraid. We'll work out all right you know." "Yes." "It's not Just tho thing to leave a lndy In tho rain when you take her for a walk, but It can't be helped. We'll laugh about It tomorrow." Would they? she wondered, answer ing his smile faintly. Her courage was sapped. He turned to tho climb. "Yon'vo forgotten your cont," she re minded. "I'm traveling light. this trip. You'd better slip It on before you get chilled." Sheba knew ho had left it on pur pose for her. Her fascinated eyes followed him while he moved out from the plateau ncross the face of the precipice. He had none of the tools for climbing no rope, no hatchet, none of the sup port of numbers. All the allies he could summon were his bare hands and feet, his resilient muscles, nnd his stout heart. To make it worse, the Ice film from the rain coated every Jutting Inch of quartz with danger. But he worked steadily forwnrd. moving with the Infinite caution of one who known thnt there will bo no chance to remedy later any mistake. A slight error In Judgment the failure In response of any one of fifty muscles, would send him plunging down. Her eye left him for nn Instant to sweep the gulf below. She gave a little cry, ran to his coat, and began to wave It. For the first time since Elliot hnd begun to traverse she took the Initiative in speech. "I see some people away over to the left, Mr. Elliot I'm going to cnll to them." Her voice throbbed with hopo. But It was not her shouts or his, which would not havo carried one tenth the distance, that reached tho group in the vnlley. One of them caught a glimpse of the wildly wav ing coat There was a consultation and two or three fluttered handker chiefs in response. Presently they moved on. Shobn could not believe her eyes. "They're not leaving us surely?" she gasped. "That's what they're doing," nn swered Gordon grimly. "They think we're calling to them out of vanity to show them where we climbed." "Oh I" She strangled a sob. "I'm going to make It. I think I see my way from here," her companion called ncross to her. "A fault runs to the foot of the stairway, If I can only do the next yard or two." He did them, by throwing caution to the winds. An Icy, rounded boulder projected nbove him out of reach. He unfastened his belt again and put the shoes, tied by tho laces, around his neck. There was one way to get across to the ledgo of tho fault. He took hold of tho two ends of the belt crouched and leaned forward on tip toes toward the knob. Tho loop of the belt slid over tho ice-coated boss. Thero was no chance to draw back now, to test the hold ho had gained. If the leather slipped he was lost His body swung ncross the abyss and his feet landed on the little ledge beyond. His shout of success came perhaps ten minutes later. "I've reached the stairway, Miss O'Neill. I'll try not to bo long, but you'd better exercise to keep up tho circulation. Don't worry, please. I'll be back beforo night." "I'm so glad." sho cried Joyfully. "I was afraid for you." And I'll not worry a bit Good-by." Elliot made his way up to the sum mit and ran along a footpnth which brought him to a bridge across the mountain stream Just above the falls. Before ho had specialized on the short distances Gordon had been a cross country runner. Ho was In fair con dition and he covered the ground fast Elliot dlocovers that ho and 8heba have mutual friends. Ho and Macdonald, naturally antag onistlc, become energetic rivals for the girl's faVor. (TO BE CONTINUED.) But Not Quite. "Father, what Is a glutton?" A glutton is a grown man who can out almost as much as a Bmall boy." Life.