__ By U*RECE HUDGINS
- «
CHAPTER NINE
THE GREAT CHERRY STICK
Bucky tried not to show his dis
appointment at the horse Santa
had made him. It was a finely
carved stick, strong yet slender,
with the end curved forward like
a head and a narrow strip of
leather looped through the notch- j
ed mouth.
“It’s great,” said Bucky politely, j
“It is a very special horse,” said
Santa. ‘For the right cowboy it
might do anything—even win a
race through the Northern
Lights.” -
‘Santa,” said Bucky, “I will do
my best but I do not even know j
what the Northern Lights are.”
Santa took Bucky by the hand
and led him outdoors. The night
was sharp and clear. Santa point
ed over the horizon and Bucky
saw what he’d been far too excit-1
ed to notice before.
Great shafts of red and yellow
lights almost encicled Santa Land.
Whether they streamed from the
heavens or from the earth, Bucky
could not tell. They moved, some
in arches like rainbows, some
straight like big colored poles.
“It's the Aurora Borealis—the
great Northern Lights.” said San
ta. “No one has ever ridden
through them or even been close
enough to touch them. In the race
you must ride in one end and out
the other and then back to Santa
Land.” 1
Bucky’s fingers tightened on
Santa's hand. He was afraid. San
ta understood. “If you do not want
to try it,” he said, “you need not.”
“What will happen if I do not
win" whispered Bucky.
‘I dare not think about it,” said
San‘a. “The Jindians have Dasher
—mv best reindeer. They say they
will burn the shops. The Jindians
love no one and would not care
at all if Christmas never came to
the world again.”
“Don’t worry,” said Bucky so
berly. “I’m sure I can win. A cow
boy always wins.”
He was not nearly so sure as he
sounded. Still when Mrs. Claus
finally put him to bed for a few
hours rest he dropped off to sleep
at once for he knew that worry
never did anybody any good and
that tomorrow would take care of
itself.
The next morning in the half
light of the Northern day Chief
Hurricane and all his tribe rode
into Santa Land. From their midst
rode Lonesome Boy. Bucky’s
ropes fell when he saw the strong
black horse the Jindian had.
Straight to Bucky came Lonesome
Boy.
‘Where your horse?” he asked
in a low? voice.
Bucky held the cherry stick,
“this is my horse,” he said in a i
loud voice, loud because he was
afraid and because he didn’t want
anyone to think he was ashamed
of the stick.
Lonesome Boy shook his head.
“No good,” he said. “Not fast, j
Northern Lights have evil spirit, j
You never get through.”
“I’ll get through,” reported j
Bucky. “You just better look out
for yourself on that old black ■
nag.” He hugged his stick horse;
loyally. j
Lonesome Boy and Bucky lined
up side by side. The Jindian look
ed straight ahead. Bucky looked
over at Santa. He smiled to cheer i
the fairy folks.
Chief Hurricane threw up his,
hands. “Go!” he shrieked.
Like an arrow from his father’s
bow Lonesome Boy hurtled across
the plain. In an instant he was j
lost to sight in the half-day, half
night. Bucky wras left far behind, j
galloping along on his stick.
“I don’t care,” thought Bucky j
angrily. “It’s a good horse all the |
same. Anything Santa makes is
bound to foe better than what that
old Jindian has!” j
So he ran till his breath was
hard to get and his legs were stiff
and sore and ready to crumple.
The cold wind made tears run
from his eyes. A pain in his chest
grew7 sharper every second.
The Jindians hooted. The fairy
folk moaned. Mrs. Claus chewed
Santa took Bucky by ttie hand and pointed over the
horizon -great shafts of red and yelloui lights
almost encircled Santa Land.
the end of her apron worriedly.
Santa alone seemed hopeful. His
eyes sparkled. If you had watch
ed, you would have seen him whis
pering strange words to himself.
What words they were I do not
know but surely they were very
powerful. Suddenly the cherry
stick between Bucky’s galloping
legs wus not a stick at all but a
stalwalt chestnut horse, as fine
and strong and swift a horse as
you would ever want to see. The
astonished cowboy leaned over
the horse’s neck. “Oh, wonderful
beautiful Fellow!” he whispered.
Now Kid Buckaroo rode like a
whirlwind toward the flickering
Northern Lights.
(Next: The Giant of the Lights)
Revised ACS
Telegraph Tariffs
Start Jan. 1,1951
(Continued from Page One)
station on the nightletter rates,
but however, there will be a de
crease in the extra word count on
nightletters, day letters, and day
messages. At the same time the
revision will allow the ACS to
continue its policy of providing
communication facilities to a
greater number of the Alaska
population without an overall rate
increase. After the revision of tar
iffs goes into effect a survey will
be kept in view of ironing out any
irregularities which may appear.
Any comments or observations
which you may wish to make as
a result of applying revised tariffs
will be welcomed.
EX-NOMEITE RETURNS TO
NOME TO WED
Richard Welsh, former Nomeite
and his bride-to-fbe, Minerva
Bush, arrived yesterday from Mo
desto. California, to be married
in Nome where they met in 1947.
Mr. Welsh was employed at the
Nome Air Base in 1944, where he
worked until 1946, going into the
painting business for himself at
that time, and is a poet on the
side as a hobby.
Mrs. Bush first came to Nome
in 1947 as a tourist and met Mr.
0
Delch, since then their friendship
has flourished and they decided
that they would like ot be mar
ried in Nome where they first
met.
After their marriage here they
plan to see more of Northwestern
Alaska before returning to make
their home in Modesta.
Mr. Welsh’s son Wesley Welsh,
an electrician for the U. S. Smelt
ing Co., was in Nome to greet
them.
Indict Five For
Congress Contempt
(Continued from Page One)
worked in the radiation labora
tory in connection with the devel
opment of the atomic bomb.
All five indictments were based
on refusal to answer questions by
the House un-American activities
committee.
All five were asked—and re
fused to say—whether they were
or ever had been members of the
communist party. The indictment
against Nelson, however, was the
only one to make this the basis of
a criminal charge.
All three scientists also refused
to answer questions about Dr.
Joseph W. Weinberg, including
whether he was known to them as
a member of the communist party.
The un-American activi ties
committee has accused Wienberg,
a leading scientist at the radia
tion laboratory, of handing atomic
! secrets over to Nelson.
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