Mission High School - Mission Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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MISSION HIGH SCHOOL '00 'IGN first of which is that a blue-eyed kid from the States is the finest he-man in Alaska. And the second is that he's going to get as square a deal as he gave! Cree joe hadn't known what to make of the strange dogs, the corpse, and the standing sledge he knew belonged to McKinley. Neither was he able to account for the wild acclaim that he received as he crossed the finish line first. Great was his sur- prise when the thousand dollars in gold was handed to him. To his credit be it said, he instantly reported the disappearance of McKinley and the presence of the strange team and the body of a dead man. As soon as the next two teams had crossed the line, and the drivers had borne out Cree Joe's statement, there began a rush back to the place where the popular young tenderfoot had disappeared. The second-raters in the race had given up and were already grouped about the spot where the body hadi lain, for it had since been removed. There was considerable mystery about what had happened, until an old prospector read the signs in the snow. His conclusions were so accurate that he told everything that had happened except the reason for McKinley's heading for Nome. A week of terrible weather prevented McKinley's return for a while. He stayed in the town, helping out as much as he could, while the disease abated. At last a day arrived when he could travel back whence he had come. But another team had gone ahead, with an hour and a half start over the magnificent brutes that drew McKinley. At that, the first driver arrived only forty minutes ahead of him. But forty minutes was plenty of time. The Nome trail had been watched ever since McKinley's disappearance, and the traveler found an eager audience awaiting him. Having told his story, he demanded the way to McKinley's cabin. He was led to it. Forcing an entry, he placed upon the table a money sack containing a thousand dollars in gold-the equivalent of the Classic prize. McKinley's townsmen weren't the people to let such a thing happen without coming in on it themselves. Consequently, considerably more than a thousand was left on the table in the cabin when the house-breakers filed out, and locked the place as securely as the young fellow had left it. There was a crowd lined up to receive the tenderfoot when he rode into town, and the cheering' and actions of his townsmen showed him that no explanations were neces- sary. When the reception was over, and he returned to his cabin, feeling within himself utterly discouraged, the first thing that caught his eye was a swollen money sack resting on the table beside a card written in a strange hand, which read, Nome Classic Sweep- stakes. He made inquiry of Cree Joe about it. The Indian having recently contributed one hundred and fifty dollars to a certain worthy cause, was unable to give him any in- formation. McKinley then sought to learn something from Guo Paulsen. The latter having recently contributed fifty dollars to the same worthy cause, was utterly ignorant of what McKinley was talking about. All his efforts at discovering the donors of the gold ending in failure, as far as his townsfolk were concerned, he sent a ,letter asking information of Dr. Seward. In return he received a nice long letter, utterly void of any information at all. So, finally, the young tenderfoot who had so successfully met the test of the North was compelled to be content, and to accept the prize for his race against Death. WILLIAM NICHOLS. f 23 l

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THE MISSION 0460 0650 A memory of a girl back in the States came to him. She would expect him to-he removed the dead man's dogs from the sledge, and harnessed his own huskies to it. He drove up to the crossing, looked at the trail behind, swore deep and loud, and turned his team westward toward Nome. His long whip cracked over the leader. lVIush! They were off toward the stricken city. II Dr. Seward, health officer of Nome, turned to his little corps of nurses, some of them trained, others volunteers. A look of despair was on his face. Unless more antitoxin arrives today we are beaten, and Nome is a city of the dead! But, Doctor, protested one of the volunteers, we've cured half the cases with the antitoxin the other sledges brought through. Yes, but as fast as we cure them new cases break out. Now we're out of serum. The disease is still rampant and spreading faster all the time! Disconsolately, despairing but still fighting, the gallant workers turned to their terrible task of caring for those stricken with the dread disease. Returning to his headquarters on the outskirts of Nome, Doctor Seward found four of his helpers stricken down. Half an hour passed, and one of the four succumbed. Tears trickled down the doctor's cheeks as little Jess McLeod's body was borne away. It is useless,', he sobbed. 'KWe are beaten! Mush! A soft, mellow voice floated down from far up the trail. There came a baying of huskies, and Dr. Seward rushed to the door, took one look at the approach- ing sledge and reverently breathed, Thank God l A yellow-haired boy sprang from behind his team of weary dogs and inquired in a tired, listless voice, Where do I bring the antitoxin ? Here! How much did you bring, man? We need a lot of it. God grant that you've brought enough I I don't know. I took the place of the fellow who got it. He cashed in on the trail. Dr. Seward promptly made an investigation of the contents of the sledge. Good Lord, he exclaimed, a triple load! enough to save all Nome! But what in the world did the man do for food ? A sudden suspicion occurred to the doctor. What did the man look like ? he inquired of McKinley. In the same beaten, discouraged voice, McKinley answered, I don't remember except that he had two fingers gone. Hugh McLeod! ejaculated the physician. He tried to come through on no food, and bring all the serum we needed. Young man, you and your dogs have saved Nome! McKinley nodded, and turned his attention to caring for his dogs. For a hero who has saved a city from destruction, thought Dr. Seward, 'ithat young fellow is the most unhappy specimen I ever saw. At that moment one of his subordinates came up to him asked. What's Al Mc- Kinley doing here. He's supposed to be running in the Classic right now! Dr. Seward shrewdly put two and two together. As he set out to administer the newly arrived antitoxin, he said to himself, Now I understand a lot of things. The IZZI

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THE M1ss1oN THE FEW The easy roads are crowded, The level roads are jammed, The pleasant little rivers With drifting folks are crammed. But off yonder where it's rocky Where you get a better view, You will find the ranks are thinning And the travelers are few. Where the way is smooth and pleasant You will always find the throng, For the many, more's the pity, Seem to like to drift along. But the tasks that call for courage And the things so hard to do, In the end, lead on to glory, For the never wavering few. ELs1E CARLSON, KNOWLEDGE In mind we saw a lad bent on learning, The lesser school could not his cravings fill, And soon the curious found him nightly burning The midnight oil, at greater College hill. He specialized and groped in truth and theory, 'Twas then we said, Your wisdom must be great, He answered thus, to this our simple query, I'm searching now to find the entrance gate. When we begin to sense our lack of knowledge- Begin to see how little is our store, Though well bedecked with honor gems at college VVe learn we're but a stone's throw out from shore. When, as we pass and college lights grow dimmer Our bearing breathes of worth and less of fame, Indeed, then first is opened life's real primer And we at last are students, true to name. ELs1E CARLSON. I24I 0630