Nebraska Newspapers

    THURSDAY, JANUARY 7. 1913.
PLATTSMOUTH SFMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL.
PAGE 7.
--ri- vw tnjrj.
Copyright, 1914, by
PROLOGUE.
II is the" Hi! tYoaf' Mash i
on! Chook! Chook!" spirit
the vim, dash end "go" of (
a hustling mining country C
like the Yukon that Jack
Louden has put into these
Smoke Bellew stories. A'r.
London writes of reel men
men hnse daily job is to
join issue with danger and
sudden death with never a
whimper. You can't help
feeling the thrill that runs
in the veins of these iron
muscled giants of the go'd
fields, particularly since
Jack Z.ondon, a good, husky
figzire of a man himself,
hasbecn through mcny of
the adventures he writes
about and has the knack of
taking yuu along and of
making you "hit the traii"
with him. "Smoke," once a
tenderfoot, now a sure
enough soar dough, has the
test of his life in one story
and is saved from defeat by
a mere girl. In another he
drops, as he supposes, to sud
den death to save the Ufa -jf
a friend. lieyond question
Jack London has struck the
rich "mother lode" of fic
tion in thess wonderful sto
nes. CHAPTER. I.
The Taste ct the Meat.
the Deginrdn:: be was Christo
t pber i;eliew. r.y the tame tic was
at college he ti:i(l become Chris
Bebew. L.i.tei m the boneiuiau
croud of au rraneisco tie was culled
Kit Bellew. and in trie end tie was
Known by no .ther name than Smoke
Ht'.'Iew. Nor woul.l it have happened
bad lie,rot hid a fund mother and uu
iron uncle aid b:id lie not received a
letter from li'ltt Bellamy.
"I cave j:i-t seen a copy ct the Bil
Jow." iilVt wrote trotu Paris. "Ot
Course O'iiara' will succeed with it.
Hut tin's missing some trh.-ks. Go
down and see him. Let him think
they're your own suggestions. Above
ail. dun't tovzi t to make him tire that
jut tio's doing the musical and art
criticism. Another thinij. T11 bitn to
t: ti around and irt t soi:ie Jnnii to tii'D
out a live serial and to put into it the
real roTn.-u'f-e Mid j.;!anour and color uf
an I'rarii'ico." .
Ami down to the oliiie of tl;o
Jow went Kit lltliew raithfujly to in
struct. O'llara listened. O'Hnra
reed. Uilara tirel the d;'.l w!i
wrote enri jmiis. r tirtbi-r. u lien
O'Hara wanted anything m tnend
could deny bun. I'm lore Kit Kcllew
couid escae irom 1 lie oliice he ha J
bt-eorue an assn. iate editor, had agreed
to write wt-eJily coltniins ot criticism
U!i so'ne decent pen was totir:l and
had p fed zed tiimett to write a weekly j
lntailnient cr hi wonis ou the mu
J-'rancisco j-erial and all tins without
pay. Tin r.i!Iov wasn't paying yet.
U flam eplaitit d
l-ncUiiy for Kit ho had his own in
corre. mall It was compared witli
some, yi t It was lar'e enouti to en
atie him to Pelouu lo several cl!ii
and mair,tai:i a studio in tbe l;itir
1'iarter. et tie was always broke, for
t:- r.i:iow, in pen-nuiai distress, ab
si ::! his 4 as:i us tti l! as his brains
'J were t !t- liinstrators. who pe
r:"i!if;l!y' refused to illustrate: the
printers, who periodically r-tiised tu
print, and the o!ti e toy. who freq lent
ly i. -fused t" o:fuiata. At sucti times
Oliara iooked at Kit, find Kit did the
r-.-t.
Wh. xi the steanisnip llscel.ior tiriiv
er; trota AlaUa. bntisrini the new Ot
x: KiKTidi! e st:i:-.e that set the nn
tr; mad. Kir made a purely frivolous
pll.t,v.IUlI.
. !,ere. O'Hata." he s::id.. "This
p - 1 n.-!i is siba to r?e Ms tfie days
r -I'.! onr -ii:a:n Suppose 1 cover it
to: the I'.illcv. t I'M pay my own ri
it iP.ra srio..; l;!s bead. "Chi t h:irf
jo i rroin tij.- otiice. Kit. Tbn Ilieres
1. .1 -c:::ii.'-
l iir- in-xr Kit ::: rd ol the Kiondiht
- "i s i.ii dro.'-pet ::iti! tl - cin!i
t'.::t af!-rio":i :'!:'! ount ered his tin -t
. " :-'iiv iiVMM iilar relative." Kit
-icf? "'--'( irt ytui joia lat'V"
I!.- ! ;-- a ii;t l!ie tm U
wj i .:ri':if S d;.ipi'iv:i; jit
f . '.-iv ; 'I i 11 ;.. ir. pai n's
1 .; i.li !-u- of t?i' Old
l.:i U ::od bard' stM U mat bad crusst'd
EE&riT
the Wheeler Syndicate.
tne plains fcy ox team in the fifties,
and in him was this same nnrdness
md the hardness 'of a childhood spent
ia the conquering of a new laud.
"You're uot iiviuc rirht. Christopher.
I'm ashamed of you. Your father was
a man, every Inch of hinx 1 think he'd
hare whaled all this musical and urtis
tic tomfoolery out of you."
"Alas! these degenerate days," Kit
sighed.
TLe older man was cn the verire ot
chokies with wrath, bnt swallowed it
down and managed to articulate, "How
old are you r"
"1 have reason to believe"
"1 know. Twenty-seven. You fin
IsLe-d college at twenty-two. You've
dabbled and played and frilled for rive
years. Before God and man, of what
use are you': When 1 w;is your nj:e
I had one suit of underclothes. I was
riding with the cattle In Coluso. I
was hard as rocks, and I could sleep on
a rock. I lived on jerked beef and
bear meat. 1 am a better inarj pbyfi
cally ri?bt now than you are. You
weigh about 1C5. I can throw you
right now or thrash you with my fists."
"It doesn't take a physical prod icy
to mop up cocktails or pink tea." Kit
murmured deprecatingly. "besides. 1
wasn't brought up right- Now, if when
I was a youngster I had taken some of
those Intensely masculine vacations
you go in for I wonder why yoti didn't
invite me sometimes"
The older man looked at bis nephew
with unconcealed disgust. "Well, I'm
going to take another one of those
what yon call masculine vacations.
Sup;ose I asked you to come along?
Ihil and KoL?rt are going in to Klon
dike, and I'm going to see them across
the pass and down to the lakes, then
return"
lie got no further, for the young man
Dad sprung forward and gripped tils
aand. "My preserver!"
John liellew was Immediately sus
picious, lie had not dreamed the In
vitation wouid be accepted.
"When do we start?"
"It will be a hard trip. TooTl be In
the way."
"No. 1 won't, ni work."
"Each man has to take a year's sup
plies in with hiin. There'll be such a
jam the Indian packers won't be able
to hand!-? it. Hal and Robert will have
to pack Uietr outfits across themselves.
That's what I'm going along for to
help them pack. If you come youll
have to do the same."
"When do we start?'
"Tomorrow."
"You needn't take it to yourself that j
your lecture has done it." Kit said at
parting. "1 just had to get away
somewhere, auywhere, from O'LIara."
Kit Hellew lauded through the mad
i:oss of the Dyea beach, congested with
the thousand pound outfits of thou
sands of men. This immense mass or
luggage and food, flung ashore in
A Young Woman Standing In the Door
way Had Caught His Eye.
mountains by the steamers, was begin
ning slowly to dribble up the Dyea
valley and across CUilkoot. It was a
portage of twenty-eight miles and
eouid he accomplished only on the
backs of men.
Tet.denst of the tenderfcet was Kit.
Like many hundreds of others, he car
ried a ttig revolver $wuE.g on a car
tridge belt. A strapping six foot Jn
Ii;iti' passed him, carrying an unusual
& Hi! lite
ly large pact. Kit pwung In behind,
admiring the splendid calves of the
man and the grace and ease with
which he moved along under his bur
Jen. The Indian dropped his pack on
the scales iu trout of the post, and Kit
joined tiie group of admiring gold rush
2rs who surrounded him. The pack
weighed V2Z pounds, which tact was
uttered back and forth in ttm&i ot awe.
"doing to Iike Liiideman with it.
old man?" Kit asked.
The Indian, swelling with pride,
grunted an aliirmative.
Here Kit slid out of the conversation.
A young woman standing in the door
way had caught his eye. Unlike other
women lauding from the steamers, she
was neither short skirted nor bloomer
clad. She was dressed as any vomau
traveling anywhere would be dressed.
The bright beauty and color of her
oval face held him. and lie looked over
Jong looked till stie' resented, and tier
own eyes, long lashed and dark, met
his in cool survey. 1-torn hi lace they
traveled iu evident amusement down
to the big revolver at his thigh. Then
her eyes came back to bis. and in them
was amused contempt. She turned to
the man beside her aud indicated Kit.
The man glanced him over with the
same amused contempt.
"Chekako." the girl said.
The man, who looked like a tramp In
nis cheap overalls and dilapidated
woolen jacket, grinned dryly, and Kit
felt withered, thougli he knew uot why
"Did yon see that man with the
girl?" Kit's neighbor asked hiiu excit
edly. "Know wtio be is?"
Kit shook his bead.
"Cariboo Charley. lie was just
pointed out to me. lie struck it big on
Klondike- Old timer. I'eeu ou the
Yukon a dozen years. lies just come
out."
"What does 'chekako u.an?" Kit
asked
"You're one; I'm one." was the an
swer "tenderloot"
Kit's first pack was a success. Hp
to I'inneuau's Crossing they had man
aged to get Indians to carry the '."OO
pound outfit. iTom that point their
own backs mu.t dothe work. They
planned to move forward at the rate
of a mile a day. it looked easy ou
paper.
Since John Uellew was to stay in
camp and do the cooking, he would be
unable to make more than an occa
sional pack. So to each of the three
young men fell the task ot carrying
SCO pounds one mi!e each day. If they
made tifty pound packs it meant a
daily walk of sixteen miles loaded and
of fifteen miles light, "because we
don't back trip the last time." Kit ex
plained the pleasant discovery. Kighty
pound packs meant nineteen miles
travel each day. aud 100 pound packs
meant only fifteen miles.
"1 don't like walking." said Kit,
"therefore I shall carry 100 pounds."
lie caught the grin or iucredulity oa
his uncle's face and added hastily:
"Of course 1 sKT:ll work up to it- I'll
start with fifty.'
He did and ambled gnyly along the
trail. He dropped the sack at the next
camp site and ambled back. It was
easier than tie had thought. Hut two
miles had rubbed oil the velvet of his
strength and exposed the underlying
softness. Ills second pack was sixty
live pounds. It was more d:tli i;!t. and
he no longer ambled. Several times,
following tbe custom ot ail packers, h
sat down on the ground, resting the
pack behind him ou a rock or stump
With the third pack he became bold
lie fastened the straps to a ninety-live
pound sack of beans r.Dj started At
the end of a hundred yards he felt
that he must collapse. He sat down
and tuoppeJ his face.
"Short hauls and short rests." be
muttered. "That's the trick."
Sometimes he did not make n bun
dred yards, and inch time he struggled
to his feet for another short Haul the
pack became undeniably heavier. lie
panted for breath, aud the sweat
streamed from him. lie fore be had cov
ered a quarter of a mile he stripped oil
his woolen shirt and hung it oa a tree.
A little later he discarded his hat. At
the end of half a mi'e he decided he
was finished. As he sat a::d panted
his gaze fell upon the big revolver and
the heavy cartridge belt.
"Ten pounds of junk:" he sneered as
he unbuckled it
He did not bother to hang It on a
tree, but Hung it into the underbrush.
His short hauls decreased. At times
a hundred feet was ail he could stag
ger, and then the ominous pounding of
his heart against his eardrums and the
sickening tottering of his knees com
pelled him to rest. And his rests grew
longer. Hut his tniud was busy. It
was a twenty-eight mile portage, which
represented :s many days, and this by
all accounts was the easiest part of it.
"Wait till you gel to Chiikoot." oth
ers told him as they rested and talked,
"where you climb with bands and feet."
"Wait till you hit the canyon. You'll
have to cross a raging torrent on a
sixty foot p::ie tree. No guide ropes,
nothing, aad the water boiling :;t the
sag of the Ion to your knees. If you
fail witli a pack on your back there's
no getting out of the straps. You just
stay there and drown."
He and the sack of beans became a
perainbtihitim: tragedy. It reminded
him of the Old Man of the Sea who sat
on Sindl.adu neck. A;ain and 'igaiu
be was nearly seduced by the thoujAt
of abandoning the sack of beans in the i
brush and of tncaking around the
camp to the beach and catching a
steamer for civilization.
ISefore the mile pack was ended if
ever a man was a wreck he was. As
the end of the pack crime in sisht he
strained himself In desperation, gained
the camp site and pitched forward or.
his face, the Ic.ins on his back It did
not kill him. but he lay for tifte':i min
ntes lefnrc lie ron'd summon iifiv-ietif
Flireds of strength to release himself
from the strips. Then he became
i dVnth'y rtcfc nml was ?0. fnnrd by
j Itobbie. who bad similar troubles of
; lus own.
I "And ! am tweaty seven years old
I ami a man," be privately assured him
self many times iu the days that fol
lowed. There was need for it. At the
end of a week, though Uh tad suc
ceeded in moving his 800 pounds for
ward a mile a day, he had los: fifteen
Ipound of bis own weight. His face
was lean and haggard. All resilience
had gone out of Ids body and mind
He no longer walked, bnt plodded, and
on the back trips, traveling light, his
feet dragged almost as much as when
he was loaded.
He had hecome a work animal. He
fell asleep over his food, and bis sleep
was heavy and beastly save when he
was aroused, screaming with agony,
by the cramps in his legs. Every part
of him ached. He tramped on raw
blisters.
When they bad moved the outfit
across the foot logs at the month of
the canyon they made a change in
their" plans. Word had come acros
the pass that at Lake Liudeman the
last available trees for building boat
were being cut. The two cousins, with
tools, wbipsaw, blankets and grub on
their backs, went on, leaving Kit and
bis uncle to hustle along the outfit
John Iiellew now shared the cooklnp
with Kit, and both packed shoulder to
shoulder. Time was flying, and on the
peaks the first snow was falling. To
tie caught on the wron side of tin
pass meant a delay of nearly a year.
The older man put his Iron back
under 100 pounds. Kit was shocked
but he gritted his teeth and fastened
bis own straps to 100 pounds. it
hurt, but he had learned the knack
and his body, purged of all softness
and fat, was beginning to harden up
with lean and bitter muscle.
Also he observed and devised. H
took note of the bead straps worn by
the Indians and manufactured one jo:
himself, which he used in addition t:
the shoulder straps. It made thiio
easier, so that he began the practice
of piling auy light, cumbersome piece
of luggage oa top. Thus tie was soon
able to bend along with 100 pouuds in
the straps, fifteen or twenty more ly
ing loosely on top the pack and againsi
his neck, an ax or a pair of-oars in
one hand aud in the other the nested
cooking pails of the camp.
lint work as they would the toil in
creased. The trail grew more rugged,
their packs grew heavier, and each day
saw the snow line dropping down the
mountains, while freight jumped to Co
cents. No word came from the cousin
beyond, so they knew they must be at
work chon.ina down the standing
trees and whipsawing them into boat
planks.
CHAPTER II.
The Making ot a Man.
reOIIN UELLEW grew anxious
fi Capturing a ouucb of Indians
14 backtrippiug from Lake Lintle
man. he persuaded them to put
their straps on the outfit. They charg
ed 30 cents a pound to carry it to the
summit of Chiikoot. aud it nearly
broke him. As it was. some 40u
pounds of clothes bags and camp out
Ut were not handled. He remained be
bind to move it along, dispatching Kit
with the Indians. At the summit Kit
was to remain, slowly moving his ton
until overtaken by the 400 pounds with
which his uncle guaranteed to catch
him.
Kit plodded along the trail with his
Indian packers. At the end of a quar
ter of a mile lie desired to rest, liut
the Indians kept on. He stayed with
them aud kept his place in the line
At the half mile he was convinced that
he wtis incapable of another step, yet
he gritted his teeth, kept his place and
at the end of the mile was amazed
that he was still alive
Then, in some strange way, came
the thing called second wind, and the
next mile was almost easier than the
first. The third mile nearly killed him.
but, though half delirious with pain
and fatigue, he never whimpered. And
then when he felt hp must surely faint
came the rest. Instead of sitting in
the straps, as was the custom of the
white packers, the Indians slipped out
cf the shoulder and head straps and
lay at ease, talking aud smoking.
A full half hour passed before they
made another start. To Kit's surprise
he found himself a fresh man. and
"long hauls and long rests" became his
newest motto.
The pitch of Chiikoot was all he had
heard of it. and many were the occh
sions when be climbed with hands as
well as feet But when be reached
the crest of the divide iu the thick ot
a driving snow squall It was in the
company of his Indians, and his secret
pride was that he bad come through
with them and never squealed and
never lagged.
When he had paid off the Indians
nd seen them depart a stormy dark
oess was Calling, and he was left alone.
a thousand feet above timber line, on
he backbone of a mountain. Wet to
the waist, famished and exhausted, he
would have given a year's Income for
a fire and a cupful of coffee. Instead,
be ate half a doKen cold flapjacks and
crawled intoje folds of the partly nu
rolled tent.
In the morning, stiff from his labors
and numb with the frost, he rolled out
of the canvas, ate u couple f iwinnd
of uncooked bacon, buckled the strap
on a hundred jiounds and went down
the rocky way. Several hundred yards
mcneath the trail led across a .small
glacier and down to Crater lake. Oth
er men packed across tiie ulaeier. All
that day he dropped bis pa ks at th? J
glacier's upper edgp. and by virtue of j
tup shortness i the pa k he put his
rrrp on lfV po)rls each load. rj!
astonishment at being able to do It
never abated
Unwashed, enwarmcd. hi clothing
wet with sweat, he slept another night
in the canvas.
In the early morniug he spread a
taipaulin on the ice. loaded it with
three-quarters of a ton and started to
pall. JSVhere the pitch of the glacier
accelerated, his load likewise accelerat
ed, overran him. scooped biro in on top
and ran away with him.
A hundred packers, bending under
their loads, stopped to watch turn. He
yelled frantic warnings, and those in
his path stumbled and staggered clear.
Below, on the lower edge of the gla
cier, was pitched a small tenr. which
seemed leaping toward him. so rapidly
did it grow larger. He left the teaten
track where the packers' trail swerved
to the left and struck a pitch of fresh
snow. This arose about him in frosty
smoke, while it reduced his speed. He
saw the tent the Instant he struck it,
carrying away the corner guys, burst
ing in the front flaps and fetching up
inside, still on top of the tarpaulin and
in the midst of his grub sacks.
The teut rocked drnnkenly. and in
the frosty vapor he found himself face
to face with a startled young woman
ML iikv
AE.K.CK
"Did you ee my 'smoke?" he queried
cheerfully.
who was sitting op In her blankets
the very one who had called him u ten
derfoot at Dyea.
"Did you see my smoke?" he queried
cheerfully.
She regarded him with disapproval.
"It was a mercy you did not overturn
the stove." she said.
He followed her glance and saw a
sheet iron stove and a coffeepot, at
tended by a young squaw. He sniffed
the coffee aDd looked back to the gir!.
"I've shed my shooting irons." lie
said.
Then she recognized h!ni. and her
eyes lighted. "1 never thought you'd
get this far." she Informed him.
Again, and greedily, he snilied the
air. "As I live, coffee'" He turned and
directly addressed her: "I'll give you
my little finger cut it off right now
I'll do anything; I'll be your slave for
a year and a day or any other old time,
if you'll give me a cup out of thai pot.'
And over the coffee he gave his name
and learued hers, Joy Gasteil. Also he
learned that .she was an old tinier m
the cotjiutry. She had beeu born in a
trading post on the Great Slave and as
a child had crossed the Rockies with
her father r.nd come down to the Yu
kon. She was going In. she said, with
her father, who had beeu delayed by
business In Seattle.
In view of the fact that she was still
in tier blankets, he did not make it a
long conversation, and. heroically de
clining a second cupful of coffee, he re
moved uimseir ana nis quarter ot a
ton of baggage from her teut. Further.
he took several conclusions away with
him she had n fetching name and
fetching eyes, could not be more than
twenty or twenty-oue or twenty two.
her father must be French, she had a
will of her own. temperament to burn
and she had been educated elsewhere
than on the frontier.
The last pack from Long lake to
Linderman was three miles, and the
trail rose up over a thousand foot bog
back, dropped down a scramble of slip
pery rocks aEd crossed n wide stretch
of swamp. John Be'lew remonstrated
when he saw Kit rise with a hundred
pounds in the straps and pick up a
fifty pound sack of flour and place it
on top of the pack against the back of
his neck.
"Come ornyou chunk of the hard."
Kit retorted. "Kick in on your bear
meat fodder and your one suit of un
derclotbes."
But John BeZlew shook his- head
I'm afraid I'm getting old. Christo
pher."
"Avuncular, I want to tell you some
thing important, I was raised a Ixtrd
Fauntleroy, but I can outpack you. out
walk you. put you ou your back or lick
you with my fists right now."
John Bel'ew thrust out ris hand
"Christopher, my boy. I believe yoij
can do It. I believe you can do It with
that pack on your back at the same
time. You've made good. L-.y. though
It's too unthinkable to believe."
Kit made the round trip of the last
pack four times a day. which if to sny
that he dally covered twenty-four
miles of mountain climbing, twelve
miles of It under 150 pounds. He was
rr:f h-ird tr i ip-4-d .;i .fpletidhi
i:.. i- ;t . O!.1!.' Mil.
Oii pi . t : tioiin-wd him lie bad
learned ih;u m- n I with m bun
dred weight on n: iMk-and survive,
but he was rout ! i ' that if fie fell
with that addith". itv pounds nrross
the hack of In i.t- it would break
it clean. Kach trail through ihe
swamp was qui. kly cnuniei bottom
less by the thou-md ot packers, who
were compelled continually to make
new trails. It was wbiie pioneering
such a new trail that be solved the
problem of the extra tifty.
The soft slush surface gave way un
der him. He floun.lered and pitched
forward on his face. The fifty pounds t
crushed his face into the mud and
went clear without snapping his neck.
With the remaining hundred pounds
ou his back be arose on hands and
buees. But he got no farther. Oce
arm sank to the shoulder.' pidowing
his cheek in the slush. As he drew
this arm clear the other sank to the
shoulder. In this position It was im
possible to slip the straits, and the hun
dredweight on his back would uot Int
him rise.
On hands and knees, sinking first
ne arm and then the other, be made
an effort to crawl to where the small
sack of flour had fallen. But he ex-
u.iuMeu unnseu. tMiLioui auvauciug, i
and so churned and broke the grass
surface that a tiny pool of water began
to form in perilous proximity to his
mouth and nose.
He tried to throw himself on his back
with the pack underneath, but this re-
suited in sinking both arms to the ,
shoulders and gave him a foretaste of i
drowning. Then he began to call for
help. After a time be heard the sound '
of feet sucking through the mud ns
some one i;dvanced from behind.
"Lend a hand, friend." he said.
"Throw out a life line or something."
It was a woman's voice that answer
ed, and he recognized it,
"If you'll unbuckle the straps 1 can
get up."
The hundred pounds rolled iuto the
mud with a soggy noise, and he slowly
gained his feet.
"A pretty predicament," Miss Gasteil
laughed at bight of his mud covered
face.
"Not at all." he replied airily. "My
favorite physical exercise stunt."
He wiped his face, flinging the slush
from his hand with a snappy jerk.
"Oh." she cried in recognition, "it's
Mr. ah Mr. Smoke Be'lew."
"I thank you gravely for your timely
rescue aud for that name." he answer
ed. "I have been doubly baptized.
Henceforth I siiai: iuit always cu be
ing called Suioke l'.eiew."
The arctic came Ul-wii apace. Snow
that had come to stay lay six inches on
the ground, and the ice was tormmg in
quiet ponds despite the tierce gaies
that blew. It was lu the late aller
noon during a lull in such a ga:e ttiat
Kit and John Uellew helped the
e"ousius load the boat aud watched it
disapjtear down the lake in a snow
squall. ,
"And uow a night's sleep and an ear
ly start in the morning." saiJ .John
Bellew. "If we aren't storm bound at
the summit we'll make Pyea tomorrow
uiii'hr. and if we h-n- :urk in -:!t -binsT
a steamer we'll be 1:1 saa rrauciscu tu
a week."
Their cauip for that last night at
Linderman wns a melancholy remnant.
Everything of use, including the lent,
had been taken by the cousins.
Only once during supper did Kit
speak. "Avuncular." he said, "alter
this I wish you'd call me Smoke. I've
made some smoke on this trail, have 1
not?"
A few minutes later he wandered
away in the direction of the villair ot
tents that sheltered the gold rushers
who wire still puking or bmaling
their boats. He was gone -era:
hours, and when he returned and slip
peu into his hiankcts John Iiellew was
asleep.
In the darkness of a gale driv.n
raortiag Kit crawled out. built a fir
in his stocking feet, by which he thaw
ed out his flo'eli sli-ics. then Im'iiii
coffee and fried b.u-ou. It asacht i
miserable meal ' As soon as it un
finished they strapped their blank t
As John Bellew turned to lead th wa
toward the Chiikoot trail Kit held o'O
his Hand.
"Goo.lb.v. a vuru-ul ir," he said.
John Bellew looked at turn t;0
swore iu his surprise.
"But what are yoa going to do?"
Kit waved his hand in a general :li
rection northward over the Hot in lash
ed lake. " What's the use of luri.iii
back after getting this far':" he aUel
"Besides. I've got my taste ot meat,
and i like it. I'm going on."
"You're broke." protested John Bel
lew. "You have no outlit,"
"I've got a job. Behold your nephew.
Christopher Smoke Bellew; He's got
job. He's a gentleman s man lie's
got a job at Sir.1) per month and grub
He's going down to Dawson with a
couple of dudes and another gentle
man's man camp cook, boatman and
general all around hustler. Goodby!"
But John Bellew was dazed and
could only mutter. "1 don't under
stand"
"They say the baid face gr17.lie are
thick in the Yukon . basin." Kit ex
plained. "Well. I've got only one suit
of underclothes, and I'm going alter
the bear meat, that's all'"
(To Be Continued.)
Registered Jersey Bull
for service,
mouth.
C. E. Babbitt, Platts-l'-2-2mos-wkly
Farmers, mechanics, railroaders, la
borers, rely cn Dr. Thomas' Eclectic
Oil. Fine fer ci'.ts. burns, bruises.
Should be ,kcpt in every home. 23c
and 5Cc.
IN PLATTSMOUTH
! FOKTY YEARS
A (it).
? t V 9
Property is going up on lower M; in
Ftreet fast. Dr. Doneian's drug store
rose several feet last week and I'.cm
IlempeTs is still rising. (lood for
I'lattsmouth.
Doctor W. D. Jones keeps o'.c of the
tet teams for driving1 in the state.
We mean the biack mare and her
mate. Try them if you an t-a-y-handling,
quick-stepping te;.m.
Sir. Purdy
Eclair, Ohio, an!
family arrived here la.ct week
will make this their future hone
l uidy is a brother-in-'.iw to Mr.
. Mr.
Phil
lip Harrison ofthis place,
he will like his new home.
W,
F. G. Sierth, the rri'Ier from I'ni. n
Mills, drops in on us occasionally. If
the hoppers outside don't beat his
hopper inside this year he will build
a new mill soon.
Marshal Murphy has put in u go!
rev bridge in the j!uce of the oil
concern that has spanned the flit, ii
west of Ilcisel's mill. Y-r which he
j will receive the thanks of ull w ho
use it.
Report of Sui't-rhuemler.t of Ciiy
School.': To the Honorable. the
Mayor and Coum-il of PL.tt-niojth :
Gentlemen: In closing ray tvrm of
cilice I would submit, a short state
ment of the school work during the
first two terms of the present school
year. On Monday, the 7th d;.y of
September lart. the Fchols of thf
city v.cie opeticJ for the second year's
work under the p-esc:;t system, with
a full appointment of tcr.chers. All
the departments have ben open, ami
have been con Jucte l wi;h a goo 1 de
gree of efntk-r.cy, ar! with general
satisfaction to an. ir.lel'.igpnt patron
age. The subjoined Ftteme-.t v.i'l
furnish the item? of chief ii.tcvcst to
the public. The figures i;i the iirst
table indiert? the r.? .re ;ta pproima
tions in regard to enroiimcrt a:i i
average attendance:
Number of children 3 an! 21 years
of ace. according to cens.
!X7l.
! f ?2. Number of children enrol!- d in
jill the departments, f;ifl. Th? large t
attendance at any one time, ."To. The
.stnallert attendance r.t any one time.
211. The average attendance in all
the department for the two terms,
C2G.S3.
The laFt item shows an average of
"2 to each department, though at
times in some of the school.; the num
ber was much !r.rgr. The bicrc-i en
rollment in the Fourth ward during
the first term was f.t, and the roll
from the thin! priT.'.ry def r.rtniri.t
for the !a?t term fhuws the same
number.
The nun:bsr of leathers employed.
Nun.bcr cf days of school, 1 .".".
Wr.ges of the Teachers Principi'l,
per month $80; first rramsr, per
mcnth, $o0; Fcccncl ir.tcrnvvHr tc, per
month, $".0; first intermediate, per
month, $'.0; fourth primary, pr
month. $"9; third primary, per month,
50; First wr.rd. per no-ith, -i"; Sec
end v.ard, per month. ?4; Third ward,
per north, ?I3; Fourth ward, per
ir.onth, $43.
HELPFUL WORDS
' From a I'lattsmouth Citizen.
Is your back lame and painful?
Does it ache especially ;.fter exer
tion ?
Js there a soreness in the kidi.cy
region ?
These symptoms suggest weak kid
neys. If so there is danger in delay.
Weak kidneys get fast weaker.
Give your trouble prompt attention.
Dean's Kidney Pills are for weak
kidneys.
Your neighbors use and recori.me.i 1
them.
Read this Plattsmouth tc-timony.
Jonathan Hatt, gcnei-al : torekerp-c-,
-114 T.Iain ftreet, Pi.tttsmouth.
-:ays: "I consider Doa'.'s Kidn.y
Pills a very frcoJ rcme.iy for back
ache and other kidney troubles. Th-y
have proven their valje to me. Other-,
of my family have also tried Ih.ai;"
Kidney Tills.f rocure 1 ::t G;ring
Co.'s Drug Store. They thir.k jj.;t i5
much of them as I do."
Price r.Oc, at all dealers. Doi 'J
duply ask for a kidney rcrr.edy ;;et
Doan's Kidney Pills the same tha'.
Mr. Hatt had. Fnstcr-Miiburn Co.,
Props, Buffalo, N. Y.
CASTOR I A
For Ijifauts and Children.
Tfca Kind Yea Have Ateajs B:uM
Bears the
Signature of