A Ticket to Adventure

  CHAPTER XIII A BRIGHT NEW DREAM

  In the meantime, life was not dull on "Rainbow Farm," as Mary hadlovingly named their little claim in the happy Matamuska valley. Aswinter came blowing in from the north, some settlers, discouraged by thetoo frank breezes that swept through their green log cabins, sold out andsailed for home. From these Mark purchased two fine flocks of chickens.These called for a snug log cabin chicken house, more work, and addedhopes for the future.

  Every one settled down to the routine of winter's work, all but MadamChicaski. She did the most unusual things and obtained the mostastonishing results. Having polished and oiled her large pile of rustytraps, she one day threw them, a full hundred pounds, over her ampleback, then disappeared over the nearest hill. She remained away untillong after dark. Mary was beginning to worry about her when, all bentover with fatigue, but smiling as ever, she appeared empty-handed at thedoor.

  After consuming a prodigious amount of cornmeal mush, she sat dreaming bythe fire.

  "Renewing her youth," Mary whispered.

  Mark nodded and smiled.

  What was their surprise when three days later she appeared with fivefoxes, four minks and a dozen muskrats, all prime furs.

  "For you a good long coat," she held the muskrat skins before Mary'seyes. "Bye and bye many more.

  "And for you perhaps a cape," she held up the mink skins as she nodded toMrs. Hughes. "Who knows? The minks, they are harder to catch."

  "And the fox skins?" Mark asked.

  "To buy more traps, always more traps," was the big woman's enthusiasticresponse.

  "There is money in it," Mark said to Dave McQueen next day.

  "Yes, if she'll show us the tricks," Dave agreed.

  "She will," Mark declared. And she did. As Mark followed her about he sawhow she cut snow thin as cardboard for concealing the traps, how shescattered drops of oil about to supply a scent leading to the traps, howshe discovered a mink's run at a river's brink, and many other littlesecrets of the trapping world.

  Soon both Mark and Dave were full-fledged trappers with trap linesrunning away and away into the hills.

  Mary too was contributing her bit to the family's wealth. The number ofSpeed Samson's hunting trips with his airplane increased. He had come torelish the food served at Rainbow Farm. Knowing that his clients wouldenjoy it as well, and at the same time be charmed by the life there, hemade a practice of dropping down upon their small lake. More often thannot he brought his own supply of meat. A hunk of venison, a loin of ayoung moose, a leg of wild sheep, even brown bear steak went into pot orroasting pan to reappear as the delicious _piece de resistance_ of abountiful meal. His clients got in the way of leaving a folded bank notebeneath each plate. In this way Mary began to accumulate quite aconsiderable little hoard.

  At last, in a spending mood, she took the train at Palmer and rode allthe way to Anchorage. There she made a surprising and, to her, ratherdisturbing discovery.

  Having mailed a letter, she stood looking over the low railing into therear of the postoffice when her eye was caught by a pile of second-classmail. It was in sacks, but the half-open sacks presented a strangepicture. Out of one a beautiful doll appeared to be struggling. From asecond a toy train, apparently at full speed, had been arrested inmidtrack, while from another cautiously peeped a woolly teddybear.

  Leaning forward, Mary read the address on one sack. "Wales, Alaska. Whereis that?"

  "Cape Prince of Wales, on Bering Straits above Nome," said thepostmaster.

  "Way up there!" Mary was surprised. "Christmas presents. Will they getthere in time?"

  "In time for the 4th of July," was the reply. "Some teacher up thereasked friends to contribute to his tree for Eskimo children. These sacksarrived too late for the last boat. Cost a small fortune to send them byair mail, so here they stay."

  "Oh, that--" Mary exclaimed, "that's too bad. Think what all thosepresents would mean to the cute little Eskimo children!"

  "Oh, sure, but that's what you get in the North." The postmasterdismissed the matter at that. But for Mary, forgetting the appealingdoll, the rushing train that did not rush, and the peeping bear, was notso easy.

  "If only Florence had known they were here!" she thought as she turnedaway. "Perhaps they had not yet arrived. Anyway--"

  Anyway what? She did not exactly know. She wished that she might own anairplane all her own and go where she chose in this great white world ofthe North. This, she knew, was only a mad dream, so taking the train forhome, she settled down to the business of feeding chickens, gatheringeggs, and assisting in the preparation of delicious meals.

  And then one bright, clear day something very strange happened. In acutter drawn by two prancing horses, Mr. Il-ay-ok, the Eskimo, appearedat their door.

  "Excuse, please," the little man bowed low. "Mr. Speed Samson, he comesto this place very soon. Is it not so?"

  "I--I don't know," replied Mary.

  "It is so. I am convinced. With your kindness I shall wait. It isimportant, so important to my people." The little man bowed once more.

  "You are welcome to stay as long as you like," was Mary's welcome.

  The driver was dismissed. Mr. Il-ay-ok entered. Mary experienced a coldshudder as she thought, "Peter Loome may follow on his trail." But sheintroduced the little man to her mother and did all in her power to makehim feel at home.

  When, true to Il-ay-ok's prophecy, Speed came zooming in from the sky,the little Eskimo, nearly bursting out the door in his haste, went racingdown to the landing.

  "Excuse, please," he exclaimed as Speed stepped from the plane. "You musttake me to Nome. I must go soon, perhaps at once. You shall take me toNome."

  "Who says that?" the aviator grinned.

  "I say it. I, Mr. Il-ay-ok."

  "Well," Speed drawled, "can't do it."

  "You must!" sudden distress and rigid determination shone in the littleman's eyes.

  "I must not," replied Speed. There was a note of finality in his voice."This is the hunting season. I have customers coming. I cannot wire themnot to come then go zooming off on some wild goose chase to Nome. This ismy harvest. How much money you got?" he asked suddenly.

  "Unfortunately, no money," Mr. Il-ay-ok's face fell. "But you shall bepaid," he was up and at it again. "My people they have fox skins, veryfine fox skins, red, white, cross fox, silver gray fox. You shall havemany fox skins. You shall sell them for much money."

  "I'm afraid that won't do." Speed's face sobered. In the little man'sface he had read sincere distress. Speed was a kindly soul. "It is trulyimpossible for me to give up my work now. Perhaps in three or fourweeks--"

  "Ah, yes!" the little man's voice rose shrill and eager. "Before Januarythe first?"

  "Yes, I guess so."

  "Oh!" Mary breathed, suddenly enchanted with a bright idea. "BeforeChristmas, you must!"

  "What? You must go too?" Speed cried, banteringly.

  "I--I might," the girl could scarcely believe her voice, it was the firsttime she had ever thought of it. "Anyway," she added hurriedly to concealher embarrassment, "you are to be Santa Claus to a hundred Eskimochildren."

  "If I am Santa Claus," said Speed, seizing her hand, "you shall be littleMiss Santa Claus. I don't know what it is all about, but here, shake onit." He gave her hand a hearty squeeze.

  Il-ay-ok rode back to Anchorage in Speed's plane and there, for a time,the matter rested.