! The Wisdom of the Trail j
Sitka Charley, Indian Though
He Was, Knew, and Failed Not
in the Fight with Grim Death
By JACK LONDON
< i Copyright by Jack London i i
_itiiiii4||||^mi4xXAAAAitAlii**l ..................
f ~ . They, Cringed Before Him.
MfBQniTh.A CHAKLEI bad
K0] 'Ski achieved tile Impossible.
V^Lnfij Other Indians might have
B9M| known aa much ot the wis
dom of the trail aa did be;
but be alone knew the white man's
wisdom, the honor of the trail, and
the law. But these things had not
?ome to him In q day. The aboriginal
mind 1? slow to generalize, and many
factp, repeated often, are required to
compasji an understanding. 8ltka Char
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,
Vnce and for all, from his own people.
Even then, respecting, almost vener
ating their power, and pondering ever
It, he had yet to divine Its secret es
sence?the honor and the law. And
It was only by the cumulativdtevldence
of years that he bad finally come to
understand. Being an alien, when he
did know be knew it better than the
white man himself; being an Indian, be
bad achieved the Impossible.
And of these things had been bred
a certain contempt for his own people
?a contempt which be had made I* a
custom to conceal, but which now burst
forth In a polyglot wblrlwlndtof curses
upon the heads of Kah-Cbucte and
Oowhee. They crlDged before him like
I brace of snarling wolf dogs, too cow
riflly to spring, too wolfish to cover
melr fangs. They were not handsome
features. Neither was Sitka Charley.
Ulthree were frightful lo6xlng. There
isSgno flesh to their faces; their cheek
were massed with hideous scabs
which had cracked and frozen alter
lately under the Intense frost; while
Jietr eyes ?burned luridly with the light
rhlch Is born of desperation and hun
ter. Men so situated, beyond the
?le of the honor and the law, are
lot to be trvsted. Sitka Charley knew
his; and this was why he had forced
hem to abandon their rifles with the
est of the camp odtflt ten days be
ore. His rifle and Captain Epping
vell's were the only ones that re
nalned.
"Come, get a fire started,'' he com
sanded, drawing out the precious
natch, box with It* attendant strips ot
try birch bark.
The two Indians fell sullenly to the
lit of gathering dead branches and
nderwood. They were weak, and
?used often, catching themselves, In
lie act of stooplngVwth giddy motions,
r staggering to tbe center of opera
ions with their knees shaking like
If^anets.- After each trip they rested
K a moment, as though sick and dead
r weary. At tlmea their eye* took on
M patient stoicism of dumb suffer
ig; and again the ego seemed almost
urstlng forth with Its wild cry, "I,
want to exist I"?the dominant
ote of the whole living universe.
Plght breath of air blew from the
, nipping the exposed portions of
r??
needles of fire, 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 hi* reluctant comrades to lend
a hand In pitching a fly. It was a prim
itive affair, merely a blanket, stretched
parallel with the fire and to windward
of It, at an angle of perhaps forty-five
degrees. This shut out the chill wind,
and threw the beat backward and
down upon those who were to huddle
In its shelter. Then i. layer of green
spruce boughs was spread, that their
bodies might not come In contact with
the snow. When this task was com
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 riven jams had cot them to rags.
Thglr 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 mortification, 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 ait by
the flre and tend his complaining flesh,
but the honor and the law forbade.
He toiled painfully over the frosen
field, each step a protest, every mus
cle In revolt. Several times, where the
open water between the Jams had re
cently crusted, Nf ?' an mrcin iu intset*
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
bis desire to endjire more.
His deepening anxiety vanished as
two Indians dragged into view round
a bend In the river. They staggered
and panted Uke men under heavy bur
dens; yet the packs on their backs
were a matter of but few pounds. Ha
questioned them eagerly, and their re
plies seemed to relieve him. He hur
ried 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 flash of Joy cast Its fleeting
light across Sitka Charley's face. He
cherished a very great regard for Mrs.
Bppingwell. He bad seeh mnny white
women, but this was the first to travel
the trail with hlmi When Captain Bp
pingwell proposed the hasardous un
dertaking and made him an offer for
his services, he had ahaken 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 ctptaUi's wife was to ac
company them. h?4 had refused flatly
to have anything Further to do wltji
It. Had It been a!woman of his own
m !\
mi* he would have harM^M^^ftrth
Uoot; but Lheae women
land?no, no, they were
tender, for such enterprl-JB'^B
Sltku Charter did not kudWI
of woman. Five minutes ??
(lid not even dream of t..i JHk^H
of the expedition; bnt whei^^RL^B
to him with her wonderful
her straight dean English. ? QTf
to the point, without plea>!
suadiug, he had lnvontlneu ^Hj
Had there been a softness
to mercy in the eyes, a tre qH
voice, a taking advantage M *Pr
would have stiffened to att-aM ?JF"
her dear-searching fTea , ?n?l '* "*tl
ringing voice, her utter fraJfrf *P>"
tacit assumption of Br '1'
bed him of his reason. UfflH; K''
that this was a now ?.r. I ,r
and ere they had been t>: U jjW?JW J'
many daya, be knew why
such women mastered tl
sea, and why the sons of i
unkind could not prevail i
Tender and aoftl Day *ggJ'
watched her, muscle-weui , ?? in ?P
indomltable, and the wor< dM
on him In a perennial ref ^JP''n
and aoftl He knew her
born to easy paths and ^Pfe
strangers to the moccasin
North, nnklssed by the
frost, and be watched
at them twinkling evei
weary day.
She had always a smii -
of cheer, from which i
meanest packer was excli 'mH^Fd
way grew darker she seen 4B jB*'1'
and gather greater strength,
Kah-Chucte and Gowhe>. ym
bragged that they knew "
mark of the way as a chili rlt4?' . J"'
bales of the tepee, acknovlJf'gJ*
they knew not where they w^Kl
she who raised a forgiving vS"MB*
the curses of the men.
to them that night, "till thdB~J^F
weariness fall from them^B'^V'
ready to face the future
hope. And when the food ?r**
each scant stint was ineasl -9M
ly, she it was wbo rebak iH
the machinations of her II
Sitka Charley, and demanl
eel ved a share neither
less than' that of the otli*
Sitka Charley was proud .
this woman. A oew richness,
breadth, bad come Into his Uf I with J
her presence. Hitherto he had
his own mentor, bad turned to
or left at no man's beck; be had nJI^H
ed himself according to his own
tates, nourished his manhood regaifl
less of all save his own opinion* JTo^
the first time he had felt a call from 1
without for the best that was in him.
Just a glance of appreciation from
the clear-searching eyes, a word of
thanks from the clear-ringing voice,
just a alight wreathing of the lips In
the wonderful smile, and he walked
with the gods for hours to come. H
was a new stimulant to his manhood;
for the first time he thrilled with a
conscious pride in his wisdom of the
trail; and between the twain they ever
lifted the sinking hearts of their com
rades.
The faces of the two men and the
woman brightened as they saw him,
for after all he wag the staff they lean
ed upon. But Sitka Charley, rigid as
was his wont, concealing pain and
pleasure impartially beneath an iron
exterior, asked them the welfare of
the rest, told the distance to the fiiv.
and contlniKd on the back trip. Next
he met a single Indian, unburdened,
limping, lips compressed, and eyes set
with the pain of a foot in which the
quick fought a losing battle with the
dead. All possible care had been ta
ken of him, but in the last extremity
the weak and unfortunate most per
ish, and Sitka Charley deemed his
days to be few. The man could not
keep up for long, so he gave him rough
cheering words. After that came two
more Indians, to whom he bad 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 lnrking spring in their bod
ies, and knew thejr had at last cast off
his mastery. So he was not taken un
awares when he ordered them back In
quest of their abandoned charge, and
saw the gleam of the hunting knives
that they drew from the sheaths. A
pitiful spectacle, three weak men lift
ing their pony strength in the face of
the mighty vastness; but the two re
coiled under the fierce rifle blows of
the one, and returned like beaten dogs
to the leash. Two hours later, with
Joe reeling between them and Sltkn
Charley bringing up the rear, they
came to the fire, where the remainder
of the expedition craucbed in the shel
ter of the fly.
"A few words, my comrades, before
wa sleep," Sitka Charley said, after
they had devoured their slim rations of
unleavened bread. He was speaking
to the Indians, in their own tongue,
having already given the Import to
the whites. "A few words, my com
rades, for your own good, that ye may
yet perchance ilve. I shall give you
the lnw; on his own head be the death
of him that breaks It. We have pass
ed the Hills of Silence, und we now
travel the head reaches of the Stuart
It may be one sleep, It may be several,
It may be many sleeps, but In time we
shull come among the men of the Yu
fcon, who t;ave much grab. It were
well that we look to the law. Today,
Kah-Chucte and Gowhee, whom I com
manded to break trail, forgot they were
men, and like frightened children ran
away. True, they forgot | so let us for
get. But hereafter let them remember
If It should happen they do not."? H?
touched his rifle carelessly, grimly.
"Tomorrow they shall carry the flout
and see that the white man Joe lief
not down by the trail. The cupfuli
of den? are counted; ahould so much
as an ounce be wanting at nightfall
Do ye understand? Today there
others that forgot. HOose-Head ant
Throe-Salmon left the white mpn Jo
to He In ?the wow. Let them forge
no more. With the light of day thai
they go forth and break trail. Ye havi
heard the law. Look well, lest y<
V break It"
L Sitka Charley found It beyond him ti
?keep the line cluse up. . Froai Moose
Mead and Three-Salmon, who bruki
I trail In advance, to Kah-Chucte. Uow
hee, and Joe, It straggled out over ?
mile. Each staggered, fell, or rested
as he saw fit The line of march was i
progression through a chain of Irxvgu
lar halts. Each drew upon the lasi
remnant of his strength and stoinblet
onward till it was expended, bat li
some miraculous way there was al
ways another lust remnant Eacl
time a man fell. It was with the flru
belief that he would rise no more; yet
he did rise, and again, and again. TtM
tesh yielded, the will conquered; bul
each triumph was a tragedy. The In
dian with the frozen foot no longei
erect crawled forward on hand and
knee. He rarely rested, for he knew
the penalty exacted by the frost Even
Mrs. Epptngwell's lips were at last set
In a stony smile, and her eyes, seeing,
taw not. Often, she stopped, pressing
a mlttened band to her heart gasping
And dizzy.
Joe, the white man, bad passed be
yond the stage of suffering. He no
longer begged to be let alone, prayed
to die; but was soothed and content
nnder the anodyne of delirium. Kal^
Chucte and Gowchee dragged him on
roughly, venting upon him many a sav
age glance or blow. To them It was
the acme of Injustice. Their hearts
were bitter with hate, heavy with fear.
Why should they cumber their
strength with his weakness? To do
so, meant death; not to do so?and
? they remembered the law of Sitka
Charley, and the rifle.
Joe fell with greater frequency as
the daylight weaned, and so hard was
be to raise that they dropped farther
and farther behind. Sometimes all
three pitched Into the snow, so weak
had the Indians become. Yet on their
backs was life, and strength, and
warmth. Within the flour saefcs were
itll the potentialities of existence. They
?Mid pot but think of this, and it was
not (trance, that which can/Wv***
They had fallen by the sl<]</>M ?r. at
timber Jam where a thous/d /?r,ls ot
firewood waited the mabft. K?** by
was an air hole through it Ifle Kah
Chucte looked on the wrw natf the wa
ter, as did Oowhee; 0#> looked
on each other. Nevw ? won1 was
spoken. Gowbee strV 4 ?re! Kah
Chute filled a tin cti/'I*1 w?ter and
heated it; Joe babbl/thl?e* In an
other land, In a iA1"' 'hey did not
understand. TtJ jutted floor with
the warm water / " 8 ""In paste,
and of this th'/,r""'1 many cupful*.
They did not P* nuy *? but he
did not mini/"'' Jld not mlni1 any
thing. not d" moccaslus, which
scorched at?m"ked among the coals.
A cryav?1'" ct ?now M aflbnt
them, s??' caressingly, wrapping
them In/"*1"* rob#s of *Wte. And,
their (/ wul<l hare yet trod many ,
traits/? Bot **tlny brushed tM t
clou(V^llW nnd c,e"r*<l the air. Nay, |
ten/'lutp', d,>,*y wonl<' hare been ,
ga|w??D Sitka Charley, looking back. ,
JXhe pillared smoke of their fire, ,
"7fu.-ased. And he looked ahead. ,
/horn who were faithful, and at Mrs. i
iplncwett. I ,
'"So my good comrades, ye have ?g?'n1 .
? Vi^viicu UiOV J\JU ncic IUCU I UW11.
1 Very good. There will be fewer bellies
1 to feed."
Sitka Charley ret led the flour as he
spoke, strapping the pack to the one
on his own back. He kicked Jo# till
the pain broke through the poor derll's
bliss and brought him doddering to his
feet. Then he showed him out apon
the trail and started him on his way.
The two Indians attempted to slip off.
"Hold, Gowhee! And thou, too, Kah
Chucte! Hath the flour 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 content that ye die full
stomached. Come, step np, back to
the timber, shoulder to shoulder.
Come!"
The two men obeyed, quietly, with
out fear; for It la the future which
presses upon the man, not the present
"Thou, Gowhee, hust a wife and chil
dren and a deer-skin lodge In the
Chlppewyan. What Is thy will In the
matter?"
"Give thou her of the goods which <
are mine by the word of the captain? <
the b!ankots, the beads, tjie tobacco, i
me dox wqicn mases strange sounds
after the manner of the white man. Say
that I did die on the trail, bat say
not how."
"And thou. Kah-Chucte, who hast
no wife nor child T"
"Mine Is a sister, the wife of tha
Factor at Koshlm.1 He beats her, and
she Is not happy. Give thou her iha
goods which are mine by the contract,
and tell her It were well she go back
to her own people. 8honldst thou meat
the man, and be so minded, It were a
good deed that he shoold die. Ut
beats her, and she is afraid."
"Are ye content to dia by the IibT
"We are."
"Then good-by, my good tOMlk
May ye sit by the well-AIM pat, 9
warm lodges, ere the day la daaa.*
As he spoke, he raised his rifle, sat
many echoes broke the silence. Hard*
ly had they died away, when other
rifles spoke In the distance. Sitka
Charley started. There had been mora
than one shot, yet there was but om
other rifle In the party. He (rare a
fleeting glance at the men who lay a*
juletly, smiled viciously at the wisdom
of the trail, and harried on to meet tfea
men of the Yukon.
I f)
Could Not Kstp Up for Mw/
8m I led Vivaciously at the Wicdom of th? Trail.
MAKE APPEAL TO APPETITE
Food Material* Which Are of Llttla
Real Value Have Dlttlnct
Place on Table.
Not all feod materials are raid to be
valuable In proportion to the appeal
hblch they make to the appetite. For
ibkUiple. the flavor substances in foods
MbJ^taiulate the olfactory and gus
and thus give rise to i
jkjt ordinarily the sub
"npipitB body depends for 1
k^^^^B^^^Mkreat
ItslHHWllPr.- The latter mate- '
'?*> m or ?ns and car- I
rials chemicalIp - pure, t
j Mstratlon. ?
In a recent experiment It tag toast
that of the 129 calories which repre
? sent the fuel value of a very thin
?0 gin. (three-fourths ounce) slice,
only nine calorics remained wtren the
slice was seut to the table. 120 calo
ries being represented by the fat which
*fried out" Into the pan. In this case
a considerable amount of flavor body
also goes into the fat, yet most persons
wonld not consider eating It unless It
has been aklllfully blended with large
quantities of other foods; whereas the
scrap of skeleton tissue which has lost
93 per cent of Its-food value la regard
ed as a dainty morsel.
Be a "Live wire."
To Increase your earning capacity,
you must be an energetic, live speci
men of humankind. Ton should be
throbbing with surplus power. Ton
should possess a degree of strength
that will give ynu confidence and cour
age and endurance. Then you can go
on day after day adding to yonr skill
and knowledge and power In your pro
fession. And when you have climbed I
to the highest point on one sphere of
endeavor, you will be reudy to look I
sround for other work, and continue '
to experience the delights that come
nily with the dally struggle, required
Tor the attainment of the objects one
us In view. Do not forget the value I
if systematic effort. Do not waste
ronr energies. Intelligent direction Is
01-lmportant. Force, to be of value, I
nust be applied at the proper place.
Effort, to be productive of reward,
nust be directed by superior IntelH- li
[ence.?fcxchanga. r
QUEER BELIEFS ABOUT MOON
??? *
Superstition* Handed Down From PMt
Ages Have Not by Any Mean*
Died Out
The Idea that the moon powerfully
Influences not merely the weather ai>4
the growth of crope bnt the func
tion* of the human body and even tba
carpers of men and women waa al
most a part of the religion of the aa
olent Egyptians, Jew*, (1 reeks an<9
Romans. The same lden runs through
English literature, nnil the very norda
?lumttle" and "lucid" are derived from
t. The works of Sliakespesre. Spett
ier, Beaumont, Fletcher, Ren .Tonson,
md even such modern authors as By
teg^Jcott and Shelley, are full of
hgrikdnaa not appenr In Edgar Al
JPPtfK yet has but to reM
Hu. 1 nl* ? naikini: Hiustra*
tioiT pe^'lee theaa
Among setsfBW *tl,) shnost
Ideas aliout th<* r^fn yuntry. an4
universal. In ourV****^|}* ?* ?
other* In which ?
highest, one needs
farmers' almanac
faith la placed In thiwl??1*!^1
by persona with even t falM,*'.,
education. v!L ?i*"
Though different p.np'??
ferent traditions, It seema t
moat part the full moon '? ? rVVL
the most auspicious phase. lIM Hi '
l>elng propitious In proportki 190^.
luminous face la on the Incren V I
unpropltlous when It Is on
crease, the worst phase of all btH
at the dark of the moon.
He Waa No Poet.
"Ton have a pretty good bnatna^JH
even In December."
"Tea," said the proprietor Of tltt
ocean hotel. ?
"They bear the tea a-calling. I pn> V
"I dunno about that We keep *eo4- '
nt? out booklet* right along,"?Ixpl*>
rtira Wrarler-Journal.
-
Language In the Making.
"Lexicographers have to fletemlaa
lice shade* In the meaning of
"No doubt"
"Dictionary maker* of the MM'
lave their work cut oat tor that"
"How aol"
"Walt until geeser, gay aad 0Bfc
ato the langnagtb"?Louisville Onh
lor-JournnL .
?