Part 20 (1/2)

”Well, I'et to work,” declared Randy ”Just think of the gold lying around ready to be picked up!”

His uncle smiled Poor Randy! Little did he dream of the many backaches and privations in store for hi chain of hills and ht were sreat rowths of vines and flowers The tundra was everywhere, and over all circled flocks and flocks of wild birds, a fewthey had not yet seen--horseflies The horseflies were black and green in color, and a bite frohty yell of pain ”It was like the stab of a dagger!” he declared afterwards, and so angry did the bite become, and so painful, that the doctor was called upon to treat it with a soothing lotion

It was after seven o'clock, but still daylight, when Dr Barwaithe raised his hand for the others to become silent ”Listen!” he said ”I think I heard a steaht A boat is on the river!”

A few ain Then Earl pointed ahead excitedly ”There's the boat, and she is tied up to the river bank There are half a dozen buildings and fifty tents or er it's Dawson!”

With hearts which beat quickly they sailed forward, using the oars to make the _Wild Goose_town could be seen quite plainly Ten minutes later they ran up just behind the stea trip was at an end

The new diggings, with all their golden hopes, lay before them

CHAPTER XXI

A DAY IN DAWSON CITY

At the time of which I write, Dawson City was little better than a rude , as has been previously s and fifty tents, strung along as known as the principal ”street” Back in the tiinning to get out lumber at the moderate price of one hundred and twenty-five dollars per thousand feet!

A year before Dawson City had been unknown, but the rich finds of gold on Bonanza and Gold Bottom creeks had caused the miners to leave Circle City and Forty Mile Post and boorew as if by ic From the wild rush to stake claims many rows resulted, but the cooler heads speedily took matters in hand, and eachand extending the width of the creek or gulch in which it was located

These claims were not located upon the Klondike River, which joins the Yukon at Dawson City, as has been often supposed, but upon the little watercourses running into the Klondike These gold-bearing diggings are, or were, variously called Bonanza, Gold Bottom, and Bear creeks, which flow into the Klondike direct, and Hunker, Last Chance, El Dorado, Adaulches which are tributaries to the creeks first naed to suit the miners' tastes

To Randy and Earl, the ca ”just er brother termed it On every side were miners'

outfits stacked in little piles, while their owners were either at hand erecting tents, or off prospecting or buying supplies There was but one store, a rude board building not over twenty by thirty feet, in which everything on hand was offered at ant prices Flour sold for sixty dollars per barrel, beans fifty cents per pound, bacon and canned oods in proportion There were no fresh ht in by the little flat-bottomed steamboat from Circle City, and which were rapidly disposed of at two dollars to five dollars per pound

A crate of eggs were at hand, to be purchased at one dollar per dozen, but as s were stale, the contents of the crate went begging Of ht ten dollars to fifteen dollars, while washi+ng pans were not to be found, and had to beapparel was also scarce, and Earl saenty dollars given for a flannel shi+rt, and five dollars for a pair of socks, both articles being paid for in gold dust

As it was evening, iven up work and come into the camp to talk, trade, and learn the latest news Every one was in a quiver of exciteood find had been ht to o, too!” cried Randy, and Earl joined in; but the men talked it over and decided to remain in Dawson City until they learned more about the ”lay of the land” They pitched their tent as close to where their boat lay as possible, but it is doubtful if any of the party slept through that short night, which had hardly anything of darkness

All told, there were not over six hundred white men in camp, and, in addition, there were perhaps a hundred Indians, with their squaws, children, and dogs; for no Alaskan Indian family is complete without from one to a half-dozen canines attached The Indians were there to sell fish and ga They took but little interest in the gold strikes, and it was but rarely that they could be found , and then never for themselves

One of the first lessons to be learned by the boys and the others, was that of keeping their outfits intact Hardly were they up in thearound offering the to sell, they could have disposed of all they possessed by noon, but, cautioned by Foster Portney, they were fire hands but a sh syrup which the doctor sold for an ounce of gold, worth sixteen dollars, to a poor fellow suffering with a slight attack of pneuiving it, saying he would pay a thousand dollars if the physician would ain

After many careful inquiries, it was decided that the party should first try its luck on Gold Bottom Creek, at some spot near to where the watercourse was joined by Hunker and Last Chance creeks They had learned that while Bonanza and El Dorado creeks were paying well, all the best claims in those localities were already staked out

Two days later found them encamped at the entrance to a tiny watercourse, which flowed into Gold Bottom Creek They had come in from the Klondike with their outfits on their backs and half a dozen Indians to aid theh lowlands of berry bushes and tundra,--a wearisome hich to Randy, at least, seemed to have no end Often they sank up to their knees in the ot ”stuck” and had to be hauled forth by th andspot was reached by nightfall, the Indians were paid and sent off, and they set abouttheht elect