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Show k KM Mil I By JOHN R. MUSICK, Astttsr ol "Mya'srlms Mr. Itaward. -Till t U,lk glrsttfsr," 'CHatHs Altaojala's DsuMs," Lite. Oe;rUat,ir7,brniarKsiiiion. I , AU ruati rwnL i CHAPTER I. Strang Information. From the flowery Olds of California Califor-nia lo tl e barren region of tho Klon-lyhe. Klon-lyhe. from 18(5 to 1S97. la a wlde reach, hut the gulf of time Is bridged oter anil the hopes and feari of , s thousands of hearts follow tho ar gonauts who go to search for the ' golden fleece In the confine of the Arctic Circle, aa they did forty eight year ago the California prospectors The real story of tie dlscotery ol Fold on the Klnnlyke la not generally known, aril la unravel tint mystery M the purpose of thin atory. !Od a re tain night, a'mul three yearn 60 laat !). Ave men were seated boul a ramp fire, built under the south al 'e of a ells', among some pine trrea. rrar t-o barks of the Yukon river, fifteen ml'ra atote Pa son City. Ae fomo of thn party hare become well Known by the development of the Klordyke rold fleldi. It will be I it well to Introduce them to the read- f rr before we prureeJ lt'i our atory. That larct man dressed In moote-skln coat and trouaera, with ft bear akin thrown orer Ida shoulders, wna once well known In the arret northwest at , the moat ttnrlrg hucter, miner and I adventurer In all Alaska. Ito wat ai honorable at ho wat brave, and at f kind hearted aa ho waa aullen. lilt tiamo waa Jack Italtton, but alone tho Yukon ho nit commonly Known at "alum Italtton." llalaton waa onco an American I IIo waa getting nlont In jean, for i hit Imlr wna growing floaty, yet li!a frame wna a till strong and hit heart ! bad not abardoned Its hope. Oeorgo V. Cormack, or "Lucky Ceori.e," at tho mlrert nlcltramed Mm, at on the lo Jutt oppoalte 1 ! Glum Ita'aton. Oeorge waa an He- , ' Jlahman, a brave, nilventuroue fellow, who waa alio an eapert mlnr. I'er hapt It wat hit knowlr Ice of geology and mining that tended to htm tureen. tur-een. Nevertheleit, tho miner attributed at-tributed It to luck. Rid Myeri waa a man of thirty, with pale bltto eyes and randy completion, com-pletion, aid had had considerable experience at a hunter and protpecl-or, protpecl-or, but in tho miner's parlanco had never struck .t rich. " - Porter Allen, or "Ms Port," wat a Slant In alio, icing over ali feet In height, with broad sbouldert rnd tin-i tin-i ewi of tleel. Ito wot forty, hit Imlr and lorg beard qulto crlultd with tlmo ard exposure. ' The fifth was a young nan of l twenty-two or twent three tears of " ' ' ' -ago, with tho freemen of Jilh and Innocerro Kill on hit face. While his ( older companions rero smoking their pipe, tho jounger man of tio party . gated nbttrartedly Into tho iglowlnc flro. Ilia mind went back over tho mountains, rivers and teat j to bis I -quiet llttlo home in FrcsnrJ, wbcro ? "" bo tad left hit widowed raotfeer, dear . to bit heart, and ono still ((oarer. Her rnmo wat I aura Kean. They were lovers and betrothed. While ho rat ratine into the flro and seeing only the well beloved faco -of his betrothed, his companions loaned loan-ed and ato their tuppen and talked of their preient iltuitlon. 'Glum, how lore )o been In Alas-tal" Alas-tal" asked I.ucky Oeorcs. it's now twenty-ono years." "An' covor been back to tho CtatcsT" "No." "Aro you ever goln'r" , "Don't krow,' he arswered, with a a lull. "I I'd be like coin' back to a gravejard now. Moat everybody 1 knew'a dead. If" but be did not finish the tentenco. Hit weather-beaten eye teemed to gleam with tofter light at be Kited Into the flro, ind Old Myers thought ho taw a thade of moltturo Catherine there. "Olum, you olten promised ut you Trould tell your own atory tometlme hi w you rime bere, ind why you dive spent all theto yeirt In Alaska. Why not tell now!" asked Lucky Oeorcs. Olum moved uneasily on the lot; on which he was sitting and, clearing bit throat, raid: "Doya, 'taln't much of a yarn when It'a tpun. I rame to Alttka In '71 In tho tralln' tchooner 'Klranor.' We bad good offlcen and crew, an' the tun never thone on a better man than , our captain. We all loved him and , would havo died for him. ".Well, wo had no luck sealing, and tho rapltln ard tillori went with a '' party of Irdlant who ttld they know where gold rou'd be found. I didn't believe them, and wouldn't bo. Uut - he ntked mo not to leave Alaska till he camo back, and I promised. "At tho ond of elx montha an ox- plnrln' party crnio back with tho cap o' ono o' the tallon which they had , found on the snow several days' Jour ncy away, "Wlrter was on us, and wo ran Into , Eltka, wboro we anchored until sprlne t It wat a hard winter, and I havn 1 l often wondered why wo didn't all die, but all but two pulled through, and when r Ing came on, an' the captain hadn't note lo In tight, the first mate " said ho wat gall g back with the thlp , , They tried to rn'e mo ro, but I'd 1 promised the captain I'd atay until ' ho rame I ark. ")ur ahip sal'ol way, an' I stayed around the town for a whllo, an' then went on a cruise with somo hunters. We I tit . off Into it-i w.xMa I tldr t t I the f y (f tn taptnln n' I II.' Ir,lln chirr Willi t'i Kid I btads for a good many jcars Then I went Into the Interior to try to find blni I got In with antne moose hunters and traveled one whole sum-mer sum-mer and part of a winter and nearly starved an' frost a hundred time, but not a word could I hear of him, eo t suppose I am doomed to make my laat voyage from this port. When I meet my raptaln on that unknown sea to which we are alt ateerln'. I'll tell him I kept my promise." When the e tailor had finished hit story a alienee fell on the croup. No one tpoko for aeveral minutes. The youth, known only by tho sobriquet of "Crack Lash," sat gating abstractedly Into tho fire. He had heard no part of the atory, for hit mind waa still on his faraway home, where dwelt mother and tho fair belrg who had protrttol to be hla wife, for whom he lad braved the dangers of tho wild-rrett. At early morn the llitle ramp on the Yukon was astir Paul waa fie laat to awake, lotith Is healthful ard Irroeeiit. to alrr-p Itrtrers longer aboil its eyelids tl an tioso whose bodies are frel-httit with dltcaae or minds bnrde ed with carta. "Wrcrr- a OcorgeT" aaked Old, as be toasted steals. "L'een gjte these two hours." Dig Port answered "Aloo'7" "Yea." "That's ttrarge." Ureal. faai was disposed of. the dogt fed and ha rr eased ard ue party prepared pre-pared for f-elr Journey up the river to Dawson City, then an Insignificant tillage, and jet lucky Oeorge bad not returned. As tho t'in rote higher tho mud and stow trade travel more urcomfortable. Jet Paul trudged on, uncomplainingly. lie could brar any burden or hardship hard-ship without a murmur when he reflected re-flected lint It wat for I aura Iter "-"erre rave ttrergth to I Is arm 1 keenrcs lo his eje, spurring him on to efforts mrre than superhuman. When they halted at noon they were compelled lo jet to leewnrd of the smoke to protect themselves from the inoe-tiltors Hit little had been tnld of f elr mlss'ng eomnarlor. I neky Oeorge 01 1 followed hla trail through the stow without difficulty, and gate It as his oplrlon laat ho was going straight to Pawton City. Olum Italtton, who had rot ci pressed nn opinion on tho tubject for some time, at latt tald: "Poys, I heard him ray tomelhln' ore day 'bout goln' up tso Klondyko." "What fort" asked Old, "Said a ic.uaw man told him thcro was heaps o' gold alontt that air stream." Olum Irfnrmcd him It was ore of tho tributaries of tvo Youlion which bad been but very lltt 5 otploreil. (.Id remalred with hla head bowed for a few motcnta, nla mind lost In thought. At last l.o raid: "Hoys, Jo's tryln' to rlo us the tllp, I a'm afearJ, or run a cold deck on ut," said Old. "What If ho dotst atked Port "Wo don't loto much." "Wo might If ho ttruck pay dirt' tald aid. "Won't wo be J is t at llKdy to ttrlko pay dirt at Oeorgo! ' "No." "Why?" "llcca'ito Oeorgo It nllert In luck. Kvery tlmo ho dram from tho deck It's a trump. If n feller holds n straight Oeorge hat a flush. I'll rnm-bto rnm-bto my dogt an' packt that ho makes a ten ttrlck right row." There wat a silence, and tho men tat and smoked and steamed, to drlvo away the mosquitoes. At latt Paul broke the sllenro by laying: "If there It gold on the Klondyko let ut co and flrd It ourselves." "Now ycr ahoutln'," cried the prospectors. pros-pectors. "Why not go to tho Klondyko Klon-dyko ourtelvo-J" 'Truth It, boyt," raid Olum, "Pro never had any very esalted opinion o Lucky Ororge'a honesty. If he makca a big strike we can, o' course, come in for a claim, but he'll strike out tho belt an' work on tho othert without with-out ut akrowln' IL" They decided to tct out at onco for the Klordyke. It wat a Journey attended at-tended from beginning to end with great danger and hardship. Olum llalaton was the only member of their party who had been on the itream, and he acted aa guide. Again night came on, and they went Into camp and prepared their sup-pore. sup-pore. Paul was a llttlo disheartened on thta night. Continual disappointment disappoint-ment had made blm heartsick. Ills-leg Ills-leg to relievo hit cramped limbs, be turned hit back low ard tho Are and gated acrott tho wood-covered hill Into tho dnrknets beyond. To hla tur-prlio tur-prlio ho discovered a glow on tho woods fir In tho dlstanco. For a moment he rated upon It In doubt, and then, touching Old 11 j era, who tat near, on tho arm, ho whispered "Look off thcro. Old, In tho dlrec lion I am pointing. Don't you tee anythlrg iiisplclouiT" Old Jlyori did as directed, and tald; "Yes, t liar 'a tometliln' oncatural, Crack I ash." "What Is 111" "Wei., I'd ray It was th' glow from a ramp flro llko our own." "Old, iuppote wo go and rccon-roltre. rccon-roltre. We may make tomo dltcov-ery," dltcov-ery," "Keep your eyet peeled, boys" cau tloned Dig Port. "It may bo a mighty tight more rlsky'n yo think." "Oh, let ut alono for that; we'll let co rod nlgr or o' tho north woodt get the drop on us," Through tho denso wood, across ravines, ra-vines, scowdrlfts and muddy ttrcatcj the two pressed on over hill and dale. i mil after thr' h- r pnlcftl toll, th i tame vpm u h id In I'n- Mieam rated the Klordjk when on passing pass-ing aramid a tpur of the cliff, all of a audden the full glare of torches and Ore light fed upon them It waa a strange and nnetperted sight that met their flew. A great fire waa blaring, to which was added tie light of pine knot torches stuck In the ground Two men were at work with picks, ahovelt itnd pane. late as It wat, dark aa It waa and tired ard hungry at they were, they tolled on and on. "Crack I ash." Old reaped In a hoarse whisper, "It's I.ucky Oeorge and the squaw man, Lattlmer," "Yet. "What aro they doln't" "Digging! Oreat heaven, look at tho silnlng orol See! tho buckets and nana are full of miggeta and dust. Oh. Old) Old! It't a bnrnttal" "lliiah, they will rfr ou" "I am going to make myself known to them " "And he shot?" ' Way should they shoot me when we are friends? If they aro llko rav age dogs over a bote, then we caa shoot Crst." Old contorted to ro to them, nrd advancing to wltMa n hundred pa e they called to the dlr-em At flrsi t ey were a little cot In-r I, I ut 1 ucky (iTorge. who waa a a r-d f-l low, raw It wat Ixtt to ad nit to tho dlarotnry. ' Come down, boy a; come dowp," he cried, cheerfttl'y. "I tell jmi we tint made the greatest strike In I ie worl I I ook at tho work of n fow I nurs ' 'Reorae, are thore more good claims!" "Plerty of them. Let its all act to work, ata'e out tho best nnd get tie tery crtam befnro tho world finds It out. I attlmer here put me outo thlt ho rot It fro-n the Indiana" Thlt wns tl-o discovery of tho great rold fleldi In tho Klondke I ueky Oeorgo gat tho tip from I attlmer, the white man with an Irdlan wife, a ha I det-rmlrcd to work it aloco If he could i'o so, but row Hint lis frlcrdi rn I found him. I e derided to make thn most of It and divide Tho other wero rent for, and claims for all rtaked out. Not morrltg with tl-o dawn of day 101)1 beran to work lilt claim From the first ihoverful of earth, he began lo lake out go'd. lilt plc seemel altrarted to tho largest nug goU, nrd his pan wat nlwaja rich In ore. lie waned out a thousand dol lart' worth of dust and niiggrtt to the pan. IIo forgot breakfast, lunch, or illnrer, but lolled on. The imtilLl moose skin lags were quickly filled.' and It en I e poured the r-newed accumulation accu-mulation Into n water bucket Ills eyes gleamed with tie flro of tho in-tnro, in-tnro, nrd In hit mind ho taw only the fares of tweetheart ird mother and look ro thought of rest, health or tho darger which hit accumula tlon brought Mm. There wat da-rcr hoverlrg over the happy joutli. Hit claim was so-to dlstanco up tho stream from the others, acd ono day, at ho wai tpll-Irg tpll-Irg and heaping up tho golden treat uro, two nalrt of fierce, avaricious yes glared at him irom tho dense foil ago of plres. They watched him a long tlmo as ho toilet), and then excrarged krowlrg looks, winks and smiles, which raid: ' "I ct tho fool toll on. When he has taken his thousands from the rsrth wo will Inro It." After tho first few dayt ho Homed locg enough to eat and aleep a tew i hours at a time, dreaming of borne acd of ma' Ire loved ones there hippy Llitle did he dream that a ttorm cloud wat gathering otcr tho lorsd onca at homo ard another over his own head, tarratcnlnc to ruin bin-aci: bin-aci: acd all moat dear to his heart (To bo continued.) |
