Part 27 (1/2)

”Yes, we'll have to come down to plain bread,” said Foster Portney ”And an that day, after Mr Portney had taken an account of the provisions still left to them Whatever they had must be made to do for three oodly number for which to provide

Slowly the days wore on, every one so much like the others that it seemed impossible to tell theh it all On theof that the doctor invariably read a chapter out of the Bible he carried, and one or another of the rest offered prayer ”It's right an' proper,” said the captain, speaking of this ”We don't want ter live like no heathens, even if we are cast away in an ocean o' snow!”

February proved the worst month of all It snowed nearly the whole ti as they dared to consu that tiht have died of starvation without their being any the wiser The snow against the door was five feet high and water was obtained by shovelling this into the pot instead of ice and 's life and that's the truth,” said Earl one day, in the old we've found--that's rumbled since winter set in, but as he had not had what he called a square meal for a month he can well be pardoned for the speech

”If I thought I could get there and back, I would try for some extra provisions from Dawson,” said Foster Portney; but none of the others would hear of his atte certain he would lose his way and perish

”We'll make out e have,” said the doctor ”Divide the rations so they'll hold out until the e will about end” His advice was followed out, and they waited with all the patience possible for the co since co on plain bread, beans, and bacon or pork, and half a can of fresh vegetables per day, with an occasional taste of stewed dried apples or apricots as a side dish They were all tired of the beans, especially Fred and the doctor, who had been used to good living all their lives

”They're too much for me,” said Fred, one day, as he pushed his small plateful back ”I'd rather eat a crust of bread and drink snoater”

And the beans remained untouched for two days, when he was forced, out of sheer hunger, to go at theain

They had also reached the last half pound of coffee, and by a general vote this was reserved for dinner each Sunday As the ae weaker and weaker, until the doctor laughingly declared that the snow flavored the water more than the coffee did The lack of coffee hit the captain , black, and without sugar

It was on the last day of March that they heard a noise outside and then ca on their door All leaped up and ran to open the barrier When it had been forced back a distance of a foot, they beheld two miners there, so weak they could scarcely stand, much less speak

”Sumthin' to eat!” whispered one of the all he could say

The tere taken into the cabin and waretable soup for the to the doctor They could hardly s at first, and it was not until the following h to sit up and tell their stories They had been wintering back of the woods, but starvation had driven them forth in an atteth had failed them, they had lost their way, and here they were

”Take care of us, and we'll pay you well,” said one of the old dust with us and ten thousand in dust and nuggets hidden up at the camp”

”I'm afraid your money won't count up here,” replied Foster Portney, sadly ”We're al to share what I have” A vote was taken, and the miners remained; and that made two more mouths to feed out of their scanty store

The first week in April saw theone, so was the bacon and the canned goods, and it was pork and beans and stewed dried apples twice a day and nothingever coh to last about three days yet,” said Foster Portney, as he surveyed the scanty store, with the others standing around ”Three days, and after that--” He did not finish, and a silence fell on the crowd Were they to suffer the pangs of actual starvation, after all?

CHAPTER xxx

LAST WAshi+NGS FOR GOLD

Just one day before their provisions gave out the skies brightened as if by ic and the sun came out warmly They could scarcely believe their eyes, so sudden was the change The snoas cleared away fro out into the fresh air

”This is living again!” cried Earl And then he added: ”Let us beat down a path to Woreed, and soon they had a trail to the next cabin, where an old Alaskan gold hunter had gone into quarters all by himself Wompole was also out, and they shook hands When questioned he said he had run out of everything but beans, dried peas, and soh of his stores to last theer

”Winter is broke up now,” he reit ter Dawson an' back, if ye try”

”And I shall try,” said Foster Portney; and an hour later he and Captain Zoss started off on snowshoes which they hadtheir many idle hours Randy and Earl saw their uncle depart withto detain him, for food they must have, and that appeared the onlydown a bird or soun,” said Earl, some time later, and then he climbed the cliff and beat a path to the first belt of tin of gaht was cold, but not nearly asday the rees above zero And so it kept gradually beco warmer, until the snow started toand tedious winter was a thing of the past