The Silver Horde

ny further exertion. He had allowed the Russian to show him to a bed, upon which he flung himself, half dressed, while the others followed suit. But he was too tired to sleep. His nerves had been fil

lure haunted him. This was no new apparition, but never before had it appeared so horrible as now. He was too worn out to rave, his strength was spent, and his m

the ease and certainty of long practice, rousing him now and then to give him nourishment, and redressing his frozen members when necessary. As for Balt, he slept like an Eskimo dog, wrapped in the senseless trance of compl

woke, every muscle aching, every joint stiff, every step attended with pain. He found his companions up and already breakfasted, Big George non

sherman. "He's in cold storage at the church. When

n't in his mukluks. If you two hadn't stuck to me-well, him a

?" Emerson asked, seating

led hand, which was well bandaged. "However, I gu

ard about th

N

misse

?" demanded Big

m delayed us just lon

ill the next trip,"

"She may not be back h

done

e wrinkled as if he were about to burst into

at meeting the problem. "We'll put off the scheme for a year.

ough on the flash, I can't do it at all. My time is up. I'm down and out. All

from his grasp enraged him. He cursed shockingly, clinching his great fists above his

t! D'you want to ha

the storekeeper, entered, and forthwith began to cross himself devoutly. Observing

hell is th

e westward

t she? Then why don't she stop

his fat shoulders. "Sh

oing

up quickly, "Wh

rge answered; then turned again

pty cannery? Why, there ain't nobody at Uyak. It's more of that damned Com

tellin. "You'd ought to have

merson. "The weather couldn't have been any worse

t and faced the speaker; but as he met Emerson's eye he checked the explosi

at due at Uyak?

time inside

is that f

that flamed into the miner's eyes, Petellin hastened to observe:

We can hire a s

at. I lost my sloop last

an't we, and get the natives to put us ac

couldn't cross at this time of year-it's too stormy; these Straits

his chair, and stared

ther only shook his head. And after a farewell squint of curi

e fellow's colorless eyes settled upon him with a trace of solicitude, and he resumed: "I'm doggone sorry you lost out, pal, but mebbe something'll turn up yet." Then, seeing that the young ma

t with the English language. 'I am indeed blue this afternoon. Won't you talk t

is salmon business ain't what it's cracked up to be, after all. It's a smelly proposition, no matter how you take it, and a fisherman ain't much better than a Reub;

' says Mr. Emerson, 'and I f

of yonder b

Balt out into the cold. He turned down the bank to the creek, however, and made a careful examination of all the canoe

We'll catch

led the big

iak, down on the beach. We'll hire a cr

son. You know the Shelikof Straits is a bad place even for steamship

nly fifty m

y be just as bad as five hundred-unless you're lucky.

othing. It's our only

Big George, "let'

their desire, he utte

ed too often. The Straits is always rough, and the weathe

chanc

, you'll go to sea. The tides are st

nough men to handle that oomiak, that's

ed the little fat man. "The

storekeeper went in search of the village chief, shakin

n when they re-entered the store, questioned them as to wha

ackle the Straits

that's the craziest stunt I

ut him up, brusquely. "You

that? If I do, it's because I'm sick. I just got this far by a g

it for the

And I'll register myself, too. There ain't

dful of hunters, for Emerson found that money was quite powerless to tempt them. Using the Russian as interpreter, he coaxed and wheedled, increasing his offer out of all proportion to t

nd money is no good to dead men." Another native spoke: "'It is ver

thing more than long walrus-hide canoes completely decked over, save for tiny cockpits wherein the paddlers sit. "They don't have to com

they'll have to trade here." But Petellin's arguments were as ineffective as Emerson's,

hey'll take to s

Petellin told him, af

orge. "Will you tack

ecisive. Not one of them would venture forth unless accompanied by one of his own kind, in whose endurance and skill with a paddle he had confidence. It seemed as if fate had laid one

me, I suppose. I'm alway

and still doubting. The fellow had so consistently shirked every hards

that. But these Siwashes won't stand the gaff, they're too wise; so

a boat?" deman

les Canon. During the big rush in '98 I ran the rapids for a living. I got fifty dollars a trip, and it only took me three minutes by the watch. That was the only easy money I ever picked up. Why, them tender

for this trip. It may take us forty-eight hours of constant paddling against wi

r turned violently

ai Pass, I s'pose you'll never get done throwing it up to me. My feet were sore; that's why I petered out. If it hadn't

mpletely confused the others and left them rather at a loss what to say.

up so I can die in comfort, why, go ahead and buy that fool-killer boat, and we'll all commit suicid

were not deep nor his hurts serious, however, so by the afternoon of the second day he announced, with surly distemper, that he would be ready to leave on the following morning, and the oth

ea to fury. Fraser openly rejoiced, and Balt's heavy brows, which had carried a weight of trouble, cleared; but Emerson was plunged into as black a mood as that of the storm which had swallowed up the landscape. For three days the tempest held them prisoners, then died as suddenly as it had arisen; but the surf continued to thunder upon the beach for many hours, while Emerson looked on with hopeless, sullen eyes. When at last they did set out-a week, to a day, from their arrival at Katmai-it was to

o with us! I'd rather tackle

e was also worn out by the rogue's unceasing

me here with this fat man. I'll stand as much as anybody, but I won't stand for no deal like that. No, sir! You said I could go

dicine like a man,

, you do it. I like to make a fuss wh

them, and the positions they were forced to occupy soon brought on cramped muscles. The bidarka is a frail, narrow framework over which is stretched walrus skin, and it is so fashioned that the crew sits, one behind the other, in circular openings with legs straight out in front. To keep themselves dry each man had donned a native wa

nd, while unusually seaworthy, the bidarka requires more skill in the handling than doe

water lay before them; fifty miles, which meant twelve hours of steady paddling. Gradually, imperceptibly, the mountain shores behind them shrank down upon the gray horizon. It seemed that for once the weather was going to be kind to them, and their spirits rose in consequence. They ate frequently, food being the great fuel of the North, and midday found them well out upon the heaving bosom of the Straits with the Kodiak shores plainly visible. Then, as if tired of toying with them, the wind rose. It did not blow up a gale-merely

them from their places when at last they effected a landing. One of them, in fact, was unconscious and had to be carried to the house, which did not surprise the watchman when he learned whence they had come. He did marvel, however, that another of the travellers should b

said the care-taker, sympathetically. "S

e lie in Kodiak?"

here. Lefs see-to-day is the 22nd-she'll pull out for

ried Emerson, quickly.

I'll pay you an

"You see, I'm here all alone, except for Jo

t us some natives. I do

o village. There's nothing here but these t

in a chair; and Fraser, noting the appeal, answered, gamely, with

ady to leave in t

t wind. The town was well filled and the merrymaking vigorous, and inasmuch as winter is a time of rest, during which none but the most foolhardy trust themselves to the perils of the sea, it caused much comment when late on Christmas afternoon an ice-burdened canoe, bearing three strange white men, landed on the beach beside the dock-or were they white men, after all? Their faces were so blackened and split from the frost they seemed to be raw bleeding masks, their hands were cracked and stiff beneath their mittens. They were hollow-eyed and gaunt, their cheeks sunken away as if from a wast

CROSS THE LONESOME W

l proffered assistance, then paused, with his swaying body propped upon widespread legs, staring malignantly into the north. From their deep sockets his eyes glittered like live coals, while his blackened,