The Silver Horde

Silver Horde, The

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Title: The Silver Horde
Author: Rex Beach
Release Date: July, 2004 [EBook #6017] [Yes, we are more than one
year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on October 17, 2002]

Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE
SILVER HORDE ***

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Proofreading Team.

THE SILVER HORDE
BY REX BEACH
Author of "The Auction Block" "The Spoilers" "The Iron Trail" etc.

BOOKS BY REX BEACH
TOO FAT TO FIGHT THE WINDS OF CHANCE LAUGHING BILL
HYDE RAINBOW'S END THE CRIMSON GARDENIA AND
OTHER TALES OF ADVENTURE HEART OF THE SUNSET THE
AUCTION BLOCK THE IRON TRAIL THE NET THE
NE'ER-DO-WELL THE SPOILERS THE BARRIER THE SILVER
HORDE GOING SOME

CONTENTS

I. WHEREIN A SPIRITLESS MAN AND A ROGUE APPEAR II. IN
WHICH THEY BREAK BREAD WITH A LONELY WOMAN III. IN

WHICH CHERRY MALOTTE DISPLAYS A TEMPER IV. IN
WHICH SHE GIVES HEART TO A HOPELESS MAN V. IN
WHICH A COMPACT IS FORMED VI. WHEREIN BOREAS
TAKES A HAND VII. AND NEPTUNE TAKES ANOTHER VIII.
WHEREIN BOYD ADMITS HIS FAILURE IX. AND IS GRANTED
A YEAR OF GRACE X. IN WHICH BIG GEORGE MEETS HIS
ENEMY XI. WHEREIN BOYD EMERSON IS TWICE AMAZED
XII. IN WHICH MISS WAYLAND IS OF TWO MINDS XIII. IN
WHICH CHERRY MALOTTE BECOMES SUSPICIOUS XIV. IN
WHICH THEY RECOGNIZE THE ENEMY XV. THE DOORS OF
THE VAULT SWING SHUT XVI. WILLIS MARSH COMES OUT
FROM COVER XVII. A NEW ENEMY APPEARS XVIII. WILLIS
MARSH SPRINGS A TRAP XIX. IN WHICH A MUTINY IS
THREATENED XX. WHEREIN "FINGERLESS" FRASER
RETURNS XXI. A HAND IN THE DARK XXII. THE SILVER
HORDE XXIII. IN WHICH MORE PLANS ARE LAID XXIV.
WHEREIN "THE GRANDE DAME" ARRIVES, LADEN WITH
DISAPPOINTMENTS XXV. THE CHASE XXVI. IN WHICH A
SCORE IS SETTLED XXVII. AND A DREAM COMES TRUE

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE GIRL STOOD BAREHEADED UNDER THE WINTRY SKY
OUT ACROSS THE LONESOME WASTE THEY JOURNEYED
MILDRED CEASED PLAYING AND SWUNG ABOUT--"WHAT
DO YOU MEAN?"

[Illustration: THE GIRL STOOD BAREHEADED UNDER THE
WINTRY SKY]

THE SILVER HORDE

CHAPTER I
WHEREIN A SPIRITLESS MAN AND A ROGUE APPEAR

The trail to Kalvik leads down from the northward mountains over the
tundra which flanks the tide flats, then creeps out upon the salt ice of
the river and across to the village. It boasts no travel in summer, but by
winter an occasional toil-worn traveller may be seen issuing forth from
the Great Country beyond, bound for the open water; while once in
thirty days the mail-team whirls out of the forest to the south, pauses
one night to leave word of the world, and then is swallowed up in the
silent hills. Kalvik, to be sure, is not much of a place, being hidden
away from the main-travelled routes to the interior and wholly
unknown except to those interested in the fisheries.
A Greek church, a Russian school with a cassocked priest presiding,
and, about a hundred houses, beside the cannery buildings, make up the
village. At first glance these canneries might convey the impression of
a considerable city, for there are ten plants, in all, scattered along
several miles of the river-bank; but in winter they stand empty and still,
their great roofs drummed upon by the fierce Arctic storms, their high
stacks pointing skyward like long, frozen fingers black with frost.
There are the natives, of course, but they do not count, concealed as
they are in burrows. No one knows their number, not even the priest
who gathers toll from them.
Early one December afternoon there entered upon this trail from the
timberless hills far away to the northward a weary team of six dogs,
driven by two men. It had