Newspaper Page Text
The Wisdom of the Trail Sitka Charley, Idian Though He Was, Knew,and Failed Not in the Fight with Grim Death .. By JACK LONDON Copyright by Jack London E 9MITKA CHARLEY had achieved the impossible. Other Indians might have known as much of the wis dom of the trail as did he; but he alone knew the white man's wisdom, the honor of the trail, and the law. But these things had not come to him in a day. The aboriginal mind is slow to generalize, and many facts, repeated often, are required to compass an understanding. Sitka Char lay, from boyhood, had been thrown continually with white men, and as a man he had elected to cast his for tunes with them, expatriating himself, once and for all, from his own people. Even then, respecting, almost vener ating their power, and pondering over it, he had yet to divine its secret es sence-the honor and the law. And it was only by the cumulative evidence of years that he had finally come to understand. Being an alien, when he did know be knew it better than the white man himself; being an Indian, he had achieved the impossible. And of these things had been bred a certain contempt for his own people -a contempt which he had made it a custom to conceal, but which now burst forth In a polyglot whirlwind of curses upon the heads of Kah-Chucte and Gowbhee. They cringed before him like a brace of snarling wolf dogs, too cow ardly to spring, too wolfish to cover their fangs. They were not handsome creatures. Neither was i8tka Charley. All three were frightful looking. There was no flesh to their faces; their cheek bones were massed with hideous scabs which had cracked and frosen alter nately under the intense frost; while their eyes burned luridly with the light which is born of desperation and hun ger. Men so situated, beyond the pale of the honor and the law, are not to be trusted. Sitka Charley knew this; and this was why he had forced them to abandon their rifles with the rest of the camp outfit ten days be fore. His rifle and Captain Epplang well's were the only ones that re malned. "Come, get a fire started," he com manded, drawing out the precious match box with its attendant strips ao dry birch bark. The two Indians fell sullenly to the task et gatheriag dead branches and underwood. They were weak, and paused ofte, catching themselves, in the act of stoopln,. with giddy motlem, er stnbgerl to the center of opera tses with their knees shaking like estt After e trip they reted l, r a memo, as. solh and dead ly wemy. At times their eyes took on the patient stelesm of dumb safe'r la; and again the ego seemed almost bursinag forth with its wild cry, "I, I, want to exist r"-the dominant note of the whole living universe. A light breath of air blew from the south, nipping the exposed portions of their bodies and driving the frost, in needles of Are, through fur and flesh to the bones. So. when the fire had grown lusty and thawed a damp circle In the snow about it, Sitka Charley forced his reluctant comrades to lead a hand in pitching a fy. It was a prim itive affalr, merely a blanket, stretched parallel with the fire and to windward of it, at an angle of perhaps forty-five degrees, This ahaut out the chill wind. and threw the heat backward and down upon those who were to huddle in Its shelter. Then . layer of green spruce boughs was spread, that their bodies might not come in contact with the snow. When this task was co " " cL 1 1 ýI l~ 6 ý I lU Ui t WgR. 1kv ga ' pleted, Kah-Chucte and Gowhee pro ceeded to take care of their feet. Their ice-bound moccasins were sadly worn by much travel, and the sharp ice of the river Jams had cut them to rags. Their Siwash socks were similarly conditioned, and when these had been thawed and removed, the dead-white tips of the toes, in the various stages of mortitication, told their simple tale of the trail. Leaving the two to the drying of their footgear, Sitka Charley turned back over the course he had come. He, too, had a mighty longing to sit by the fire and tend his complaining flesh, but the honor and the law forbade. He toiled painfully over the frozen feld, each step a protest, every mus cle in revolt. Several times, where the open water between the jams had re cently crusted, he was forced to miser ably accelerate his movements as the fragile footing swayed and threatened beneath him. In such places death was quick and easy; but it was not his desire to endure more. His deepening anxiety vanished as two Indians dragged into view round a bend in the river. They staggered and panted like men under heavy bur dens; yet the packa on their backs were a matter of but few pounds. He questioned them eagerly, and their re plies seemed to relieve him. He hur rlied on. Next came two white men, supporting between them a woman. They also behaved as though drunken, and their limbs shook with weakness. But the woman leaned lightly upon them, choosing to carry herself for ward with her own strength. At sight of her, a fash of joy cast its fleeting light across Sitka Charley's face. He cherished d very great regard for Mrs. Eppingwell. He had seen many white women, but this was the first to travel the trail with him. When Captain Ep pingwell proposed the hazardous un dertaking and made him an offer for his services, he had shaken his head gravely; for it was an unknown jour ney through the dismal vastnesses of the Northland. and he knew it to be of the kind that try to the uttermost the souls of men. But when he learn ed that the captain's wife was to ac company them, he had refused flatly to have anything further to do with it. Had it been a woman of his own race he would have harboed no objec ti~ns; but these women of the North land-no, no, they were too soft, too tender, for such enterprises. N.ltka Charley did not know this kind of woman. Five minutes before, he did not even dream of taking charge of the expedition; but when ae eame to him with her wonderful smile and her straight clean English and talked to the a.nt, without pleading or per suadln& be had Ineoatinently yielded. Had there been a sottness and appeal to mercy in the eyes, a tremble to the voice, a taking advantage of sex, he would have stiffened to steel; instead her clear-searching eyes and clear ringing voice, her utter frankness and tacit assumption of equality, had rob bed him of his reason. He felt, then. that this was a new breed of woman; and ere they had been trail mates for many days, be knew why the sons of such women mastered the land anad sea, and why the sons of his own wom ankind could not prevail against them. Tender and soft l Day after day he watched her, muscle-weary, exhausted, indomitable, and the words beat in up on him in a perennial refrain. Tender and soft I He knew her feet had been born to easy paths and sumany lands, strangers to the moccasined pain of the North, unkissed by the chin tps of the frost. and he watched and marveled at them twinkling ever through the %weary day. She had always a smile and a word of cheer, from which not even the meanest packer was excluded. As the way grew darker she seemed to stiffen and gather greater strength, and when Kah-Chucte and Gowhee, who had bragged that they knew every land mark of the way as a child did the skin bales of the tepee, acknowledged that they knew not where they were, it was she who raised a forgiving voice amid the curses of the men. She had sung to them that night, till they felt the weariness fall from them and were ready to face the future with fresh hope. And when the food failed and each scant stint was measured jealous ly, she it was who rebelled against the machinations of her husband and Sitka Charley, and demanded and re ceived a share neither greater nor less than that of the others. Sitka Charley was proud to know this woman. A new richness, greater breadth, had come into his life with her presence. Hitherto he had been his own mentor, had turned to right or left at no man's beck; he had mould ed himself according to his own dic tates, aourished his manhood regard. less of all save his own opinion. For the first thine e had felt a call from without for the best that was in him. )I) Col Could Net Keep Up fer taeg. Just a glance of appreciation from the clearearching eyes, a word of thanks from the dear-rlaging voice, Just a ablight wreathn of the lips in the woodertal smile, and be wallked with the gods for hours to come. It was a new stimulant to his manhood; for the frst time he thrilled with a conscous pride in bie wisdom of the trail; and between the twnin they ever Utfted the inklg heaurts of their eom rodes. The res of the two men ad the woman brightened uas they saw him, for after all be wuas the stat they lean ed pon. But Stka Chaley, rigid as was his weat, coneaing pain and plesa lampartally beneath an iron exterior, asked them the welfare of the rest, told the distnce to the hare, and continued on the back trip. Next he met a single Idian, unburdened, limping, llps compressed, anad eyes set witfa the pain of a foot In which the quick fought a losing battle with the dead. All posable care had been ta ken of him, but ln the last extremity the weak and unfortunate must per ish, and Sitka Charley deemed his days to be few. The man could not keep up for long, so be pgave him rough cheering words. After that came two more Indians, to whom he had allotted the task of helping along Joe, the third white man of the party. They had de serted him. Sitka Charley saw at a glance the lurking spring ln their bod les, and knew they had at last cast off his mastery. So be was not taken un awares when be ordered them back in quest of their abandoned charge, and saw the gleam of the hunting knilves that they drew from the sheaths. A pitiful spectacle, three weak men lift ing their pany strength In the face of the mighty vastness; but the two re coiled under the ferce rifle blows of the one, and returned like beaten dogs to the leash. Two hours later, with Joe reeling between them and S1tka Charley bringing up the rear, they came to the fre, where the remainder of the expedition croched nla the bshel ter of the fy. "A few words, my comrades, before we sleep," Sthka Charley said, after they bad devoured their slim rations of ualeavened bread. He was speakln to the Inldas, in their own toangue, having already given the import to the whited. "A tfew words, my m rades, for yar own good, that ye may yet perace lu h I shall give yen the law; a hes ows head be the dsath of him that breas it. We have pmam ed the Hills of lmese, ad we mew travel the head reaches of the Sturt It may be eas p it may be several. it may be m eeps, but in tme we am a mme e mar -o the Inmi hon, who bawd mah rek . It were well that we Seek to the law. Today, Kah-Chuete and Gowhee, whom I com manded to break trall, forgot they were men, and like rightened children ran away. True, they forgot; so let s tr get. But hereafter let them remember. If it should happen they do met."- He touched his rifle carelessly, grimly. "Tomorrow they shall carry the sour and see that the white man Joe lies not down by the trail. The cupfuls of flour are counted; should so much as an ounce be wanting at nightfall Do ye understand? Today there were others that forgot. Moose-ead and Three-Salmon left the white man Joe to lie in the snow. Let them forget no more. With the Ngt e day shall they go forth and break trail. Ye have heard the law. Leok well, lest ye break It." itha charley found at beyond him to keep the line dclose a From Moose Head and Three-Saoman, who broke trail in advance, to Kah-Chacte, Gow bee. and Joe, It straged out over a mile. Each staggered, fell, or rested, as he saw ft. The limat march was a progression through a chaia of Irregu lar halts. Each drw upon the last remnant of his strength and stumbled onward till it was epadoed, t In some miraculous way there was al ways another lest remant. Each time a man fell, It was with the arm bellef that be would se no more; yet he did rlse, and asle, and agrl. The flesh yielded, the wi eemgered; but each triumph was a tragedy. The In dian with the froem Set, nm leager erect, crawled forwaer e a d and knee. He rarely rstd, fer e knew the penalty exacted by the feiet. Ers Mrs. Epplgwelrs Ups weeo at last set In a stony male, hd er oyes, useael saw not. Otten, se stepped, preseas a mittened head t heart, g~spsg and diay. Joe, the white man, had passed be yood the stage et aeng. e aso longer begged to be let alma preyed to die; but was sIbd and content under the amodye ft ddlblm. Kab Chucte and Gowhoee a sd him ea roughly, venting upon him may a sav age glance or blew. To them t was the acme of ajagies. Their hearts were bitter with Lhat heavy with fear. Why shold they mber their strength with Mos weskais? To do so, meant death; at a do se-end they remembered de law of Mtha Charley, and the sfi Joe fell with pesr breg f mey as the daylight wmqat so hard was he to raise that depped farther and farther be d. Sometims all three pitched late Se mew, so weak had the Idinad besAe. Yet en their backs was ife a,- strength, and warmth. Within ei seeks were all the potentiaaa o euemtea. They could not but p0 this, and it was not strange, that U same to pss. They had fallen t eaide of* a great timber jam whew a na eeds et firewood wades 6 lasr by was an ar h l a a Chue te l edi anee d ter, as did GswhtPd OW boad on.each other, a weed ma spokes. Gewl - be; .N=hb Rata amid a heated ItiH e be and of fig d&gene They-dd met ear a to Jo; but he Md not mind. He d met and any thln not even Mi meee ae, which scorched and maed" among the eeal. A crystal mist dof sw mell about them s tly, aressingly, wrappag them is ainging robes et white. Lad their feet would have yet trod many trails had not destiny brshed the clods aside and cleared the air. Nay, ten malnute dela woud have been alvtile., mIt n Choulr. loonasi k, saw the pillared smoke their Iar, and guesoed. Ame l iooked ahead forotten hat pe were met Good. Very good. Theew be f ewer belle to fed." astha chaety rsod the flear as a goke, strapplng te pack to th ene on his - heck. Re biue Jobe till the pain breotke gh te per devils m wminwp as whsman . w TIL biss and broulht him doddering to at feet. Thea be showed h eout yap the trail and started himan eas way. The two Indians attempted to sinp o. "Hold, Gowbee! Anad thouee, too. sab Chucte r Hath the Sour given such strength to thy legs that they may out run the swift-winged lead? Think not to cheat the law. Be men for the last time, and be contest that ye die ftll stomached. Come, step up, back to the tlamo, shoulder to shoulder. Come!" The two men obyed, quietly, with out fear; for it is the future which presse upon the man, not the present. ."Tho, Gowbee, Iast a wife and chil dren and a deersknla lodg In the Chippewyan. What Is thy will nl the matter?' "Give thou her of the goods which are mtine by the word of thes aptan the blankets, the bead., thei tobeoe the box which mak strange sounds after the manner of the wtte man. say that I did die ea the trail, but say not how. "And thou, Kah-Chute, who bast mo wife nor ehild? "Mline is a sister, the witfe of the actor at Kosm. He beats her, aad she Is not happy. Give thou her the goods which are mine by the cotraet, and tell her it were well sh go back to her own people. houldst thou met the mnand, be so minded, It were a good deed that he should die. He beats her, and she Is afraid." "Are ye contet to di by the law? "We are." "The sood-by, my good comrades. May ye sit by the we4l-lsd pot, is warm lodges, ee th day Is dome." As he spoke, hes rased. s re, and many echoes broke the silence. Hard ly had they died away, whim other riles spoke in the distance. ltha Charley started. There had been more than one shot, yet there was but oeN other rile Ia the party. He gave a seeting glance at the men who lay so quietly, smiled vidoy at the wisdom of the trail, and burred o to Msst the men at the YukPa. MAKE APPEAL TO APPETITE -Fed Materia Whise Are of Lttle lel Value Have Distliet Phae ons Table. Net all tood materials are said to be valuable in proporti to the appeal which the make to the appetite. For rnmple, the havor substances in foods which stimulate the olfactry and gsu tatory nerves, and thus give rso to appetite, are not ordinarily the sub stances on which the body depends for Its fuel, nor for doth great bulk of its building materal. T latter mate riala-protelns, fate or aells and ear behmdratem-m chemll lly p have little or o taste or smell. The preteres for dts and crlsp rather than eaq bacom Is givres as ana It l strasioe . h In a n m t perimet it was that of t 120 celeries whc -rpr seat the fuel vale of a very tin 30 m. (thaeesertbs e oe) ale 'only alsm elerles imaltmed when the sa was s t ao the tab , Is e al ries huems apeemened by the fat which " SM ent" late the pe. In this e f e ess-1- sent - of lever be ae d s wi rl it seeim s has been slMtel -iMed s with quantIties of ether leeds; whereas te scrap of sheleton time which has lst !s per cent ofts leed value Is regard ad as a dainty moriel. He Was no eat "Ye have a pretty good bnee, even In December." "Yes," said the proprietor of "They hear the ne a-ealli. I prs "I dae about that. We keep sm Ing out bookietasrigi alken"-Lods rle courisuJoral 'I suae la ine G se. aght along and emres the Pa seea and esa rr o a reaml wend ia ileace, aud awaie he vinelatle - thl vgen e inm Naet. SBDOY SCOUTS 00000 r W Naoemi Cow" e Ie :W BSeets of A eriea) SCOUTS IN FOOD CAMPAIGN Among the workers who have been doing excellent work In arousing the people to the necessity for conaserving ood d ad signing the pledge card, the boy scouts deserve to be stven much credt. Some ot these scouts bave had very Interesting experiences. One Wilming ton woman came to the door with a baby in her arms. Had she signed the card? No, she hadn't and didn't Intend to either. She told the scout to move on and not bother her. But this scout had much diplomacy In bhe makeup. While the woman was berating him, be began petting the child. He remarked what a -s4sLok lag gir It t was. Told Indignantly by the mother that It wasn't a girl, but a boy, be tactfully remarked that If that was the case, he bet the babe when It reached manhood would help Uncle Sam n every way that e could. The children across the seas were la such sorry need t food, the scout re marked, it was a shame that they did not have some of the stuf that people in Wilmington threw away In gapage That made the woman ask sme questions ' the scout. When be bad answered them, about the need for food being conserved, she asked hr a pledge card and signed It. SCOUT HANDLES POLICE DOSS. Poese saparement meess ems Plssed n in of t snd WMl 4 4W WO ML SCOTCH SCOUTS AmD AVY. Bey scouts are acting a dispatd bearers in the north at Scotland, snd without any ocers watehg them, but worklng simply under their own boy leaders, they are doing their patrie" dute, said Ijnt Gae. hadneerowo recently. "rveay night withut !A," be esa tinued, "these boys have esrIed di patches alean that wid coast dews t the adniral at the base, and they do about alx mles every anlg I nw the e hundred sad nlaneeamh mae sae go dows. It Is w derdfl how these boge fre di~lty and daer samhly from a seaen e duOty." 00OUTS AR NMISIT POLIC.L A large b e at o bergserl bha soeeurred at Peemn Gap, Te., and there being a large ameat of ttes eted there, the railraS compay a nd the bnelses mea empleyed a egal teusp o yr scouts to police th tws. te sacots to saeep uapo wMte an dtly. bour sems are y every nliht, and there in net an hoar that passes wtha t tha streets beinS pa Peesan Gap ms ecpy a abne po-tons and - omesel - lImY SOY SCOUTS PIND BOUUS bnoy souts, dlag late a luri mousnd near Park iver, . .. un earthed the skulls and the keletem eo three Indians, who must Lhve bes barled there a hundred years or more ase, as the mound wasu there when tbhe earlIest pioneers cam to that sectim et the state. It is believed tLt furth er excavating will yield omie lntebes laS reles of aborialaadia dysu sOoD TUtNS SY SCOUTS boy seou t In Tever part e ndiSa b·rve been called uop by Commander . A. Bell o the Idanvapoels Navl Re eniting station to d risbete hall urdlg men to Jeoin tbhe ary. The Spoaue entmastst modea ies has pledge that thr soe wim sei aen War Uavls eertleate eeh per month. outs oa r Troep Ne. 1. Asoimm.H , IS., rendered scest service as to p-on eparatoms du rg ChmauS tbe ald enstme of heangng the . tieted e rm theaig Is id to haw its orIgin in tha ides tht sins, the plat d at ha Its rsts la the gron n part o it sod ever he permitte to teoch the earth. Aam tMe laes the tat that misel wa podsa froem theL et o a dwSemg intmaee t e* mabor thLt tia hesepityt or the home was at Ms I. posad sad bea s beahes lessnd ·an stranger, vaual as lat gether. as together in ememndthsaA and DCTUII gRED AN OPERATION hissdI I lek L E. L - ameri Was Cm ld. homi Vege-e Co ean acehs se t ever mstbwedh to the din Trea b. m fer doim oto Sdter wa " . ~ s aalPs L Mr-sla.Urnb S" ara's Vestabms mmm1·k to as We Ie b tioat mdegetaie ICa mid -a n b'LLit ompIl o soa M aulk we md .r . eu - the at t est qmd wo bac riw b teYI r ,ssI, Im - t- ips aom f foras tha it wdessm s - who eým -e m . t ud mer i be. bm anir i ta tImmAI 0sseo 1ra em ealssa "How objects do pasw from eye to eye." "Yes; I suppose they do it -a IIE SETS II II IMl FU1, 2m umet r, to s/8 O We afrkaw Mn I taes that 0r e. tens Caused His Appeti to seturn and Asee amesd Ur Troblies. Ams those to Iadre Orgptema so aely Is C T. Easer, a Ittlde IeL eoutractor sad buider, who -emI speedy reld frem stomah sad i trembes byk the se the W tseph preparatim. Mr. Kssr hbs this to my: 1 wee eompletely n de sMsE r wereoo4 aen seed** seth e tie at alt. I e as sdop Nier er smpeassmwit ! Semeas ow.e I stk was4 NO sW. s lseeag s . hs( I _ mas beads I hLdes 3I4it seess my -s pow hbin aM my servem essmfsm was 0ky m. ew My step was mee- i a a·l, s I wom rose sr my mgab md ejoseui tha% m d they Bowl" - m as they ashou." towa; Ift .t the prptid wlb to mdet p zrpe to uea erbdem se t ep et $e pr betti a i ezbet iaer OA., Jptim, Ms-Mdv. - The sm. rt Magistr.t-I -a i 34 thes laws with tet.b.' u3***4 IW Or ulioe r ml rle -p - dae toewth Or seume Wash semm semp ass het we dmdge a '·mmm lseen, ag.. you is to rst ber hrft osope aim Ia thi pim. lhe rei is imp. Usttw umb yr mil ht aim ho Ve. - . . three yemre agea swore spit is. veloped. If I Isepsi. a terrible plm utes I eoliat might the pals Ia I had to prop my. brook. Wery - oyoo sm my bet were 5.swmi w. lu mhai to w warl ppers. 3. ie ds O ed ts em em sad pinst irnt my see ve lmeet boo NeM smme to help meat I 3m - ml se- m* PISO'S