Part 2 (2/2)

”What anted to ask you about was the Yakutat trail fro that way and ant to get all the information we can about the trails and the country itself”

Tad gave his co his questioning The miner's hands dropped from the rail

”I reckon you would better ask so about the trail,” replied Darwood, turning on his heel and striding away

”There, you've done it now,” complained Butler ruefully ”Of course you had to break in and spoil it all Noe shan't get another opportunity

Mr Darwood is suspicious of us, and he won't talk with us again It's too bad”

”Well, you wanted to know What's the use in beating about the bush when you want to know a thing I believe in asking for what you want,”

protested Ned

”So do I, but it isn't always best to go at it bald-headed However, never mind, Ned I a Mr Darwood questions in any circuin to talk Alaska with that ht be trapped into an ad to pump him for some other reason Youthey ht obtain information that he is supposed to possess”

”They are a queer lot,”about this gold pass, or whatever you call it?”

”Taku Pass? Yes That is, he said few persons knew of it, but you may be sure that the purpose of theseto beat those four into the land of golden pro their suspicions of everyone about them I wish I could convince them that we aren't that sort of people I like that fellow I'd like to help him, too,” mused Tad

”I shouldn't However, I'm sorry I put my foot in it,” nodded Ned

”You needn't be See! We are running out of the swell now”

The stea into Fitzhugh Sound, where dangerous shoalswaters Captain Petersen was now occupying the little bridge just forward of the pilot house His face was grier present--it was now theto his duties

The sound is a slender ay, extending directly northward fully thirty , it seemed to the boys, than any other water over which they had sailed The Pony Rider Boys were having a glorious passage into the far north where they were going in search of new adventure They were bound for the wildest and most remote section of Uncle Sam's domain, where they hoped to spend the summer months

Now that the waters had becoed hi the gunwale

After getting his head leveled so on the stea faces

”Sick?” questioned Tad

”No; ,” replied the fat boy

”I wouldn't be a landlubber,” jeered Rector

”You would, if you were in h a panora scenes and colors sailed the ”Corsair” In Finlayson Channel, some distance farther on, the forest that lined the shores was a soliddown to the water Here the reflections were so brilliant that the dividing line between shore and water was difficult for the untrained eye toupon an optical illusion Froht, their distant peaks capped with snow glistening in the lacial streams flashed over the open spaces on the mountain sides