LAST WASHINGS FOR GOLD.
Just one day before their provisions gave out the skies brightened as if
by magic and the sun came out warmly. They could scarcely believe their
eyes, so sudden was the change. The snow was cleared away from the door,
and every one lost no time in rushing out into the fresh air.
"This is living again!" cried Earl. And then he added: "Let us beat down
a path to Wompole's cottage and see how he is faring."
The others agreed, 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 some smoked salmon, and he
agreed to let them have enough of his stores to last them three days
longer.
"Winter is broke up now," he remarked. "An' I reckon thar ain't no doubt
but wot ye kin git 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 had made during their many
idle hours. Randy and Earl saw their uncle depart with much anxiety, but
did nothing to detain him, for food they must have, and that appeared
the only manner in which to obtain it.
"If we could only bring down a bird or something with the gun," said
Earl, some time later, and then he climbed the cliff and beat a path to
the first belt of timber. But though he thrashed around three hours, not
a sign of game was to be discovered anywhere.
The night was cold, but not nearly as much so as other nights had been,
and on the following day the mercury when held in the sun actually
crawled up to ten degrees above zero. And so it kept gradually becoming
warmer, until the snow started to melt and they knew for a certainty
that the long and tedious winter was a thing of the past.
It took Foster Portney and Captain Zoss five full days to find their way
to Dawson City and back again. The return for the larger portion of the
way was made on dog sledges driven by Indians. They had found provisions
very scarce and high in price in Dawson City, but had brought back
enough to last a month. One of the Indians had also brought provisions
for the two miners, this commission having been executed through Mr.
Portney, and the next day the miners set off for their own cabin with
many sincere thanks for the assistance which had been rendered them.
On the day the provisions came in, they celebrated by having what Dr.
Barwaithe called "a round, square meal." To be sure there was nothing
but the plainest kind of food, but there was enough, and that was of
prime importance.
After this they watched eagerly for the day to come when they might get
to work again. A bargain had been struck all around, whereby the doctor
and the captain were to work the single sluice box on the upper claim
and have four-fifths of the findings, the other fifth going to Foster
Portney for keeping them--the contract to hold good so long as the pair
were content to remain in the present camp.
"The water is running in the gulch!" was the welcome announcement made
by Earl one day, and all went down to see the thin stream, which soon
became stronger. The snow was almost gone now, and the sand, gravel, and
dirt which was exposed to the sun was quite free from frost. The picks,
shovels, and other tools were brought out and cleaned up, and two days
later found them at work as during the previous summer. It was
marvellous how the seasons changed when once there was a start.
Before the end of the month Mr. Portney made another trip to Dawson
City, and this time he took with him both Randy and Earl. They had
settled that they should remain in the gulch until the first of August,
and now they took back, by Indian carriers, enough provisions to last
the camp until that time.
The stop in Dawson lasted two days, and the boys had a chance to walk
about the town and see how it had improved. There were now at least
two-score of buildings, and several of them were quite pretentious. At
the dock were two steamboats, both nearly free of the ice which had held
them fast all winter.
In the town there was much news to be heard of the many wonderful
strikes which had been made. Several had taken out over a hundred
thousand dollars in dust and nuggets, and were waiting for navigation to
open on the Yukon, that they might sail for home with their riches. No
one who had accumulated a pile cared to remain in that forsaken country.
Just before they were to start for the gulch, Mr. Portney brought news
of Tom Roland. The man had been captured at Circle City two months
before, and the gold stolen from Cozzins taken from him. He had escaped
from his temporary jail and fled to the mountains, and now his dead body
had been found at the foot of a lofty canyon, down which he had most
likely tumbled during the snowstorm which was then raging. It was a sad
ending to a misspent life, and the boys could not help but shudder as
they heard the story. They wondered what had become of Jasper Guardley,
but nothing further was ever heard of that cowardly rascal.
By the first of June the gulch was as active as it had ever been during
the previous summer, and the mosquitoes and flies were just as numerous
and troublesome. No more finds of nuggets of large size were made, but
the sluice boxes yielded heavy returns of dust, and all were very well
content, and Dr. Barwaithe and Captain Zoss gave up all thoughts of
leaving.
"We know what we have here," said the doctor, "and I am convinced that
too much prospecting does not pay."
"An' besides, it's something ter be in company which is congenial,"
added the captain. "Over to the other claim it was nuthin' but fight the
whole day long with yer neighbors about stake lines."
By the end of July the sand and gravel taken from the bedrock of
Mosquito Hollow gulch had been disposed of, and now a month was given to
a general clearing up of the dirt taken from half a dozen little hollows
which lay on either side. It was terribly hot again, but the workers
took their time over what they did, and often rested during the middle
of the day. Three days before the first of September they were done.
"There, that settles it!" cried Foster Portney, as he flung down his
shovel. "No more work for me until I have paid a visit to the States."
"Hurrah!" shouted Randy, and he gave his pick a whirl which sent it
thirty feet off. "I'm just aching for a sight of civilization."
"And for an old-fashioned meal," added Earl.
Fred's eyes glistened, but he said nothing. He was wondering what sort
of a reception he would receive when he got home. He had sent on two
letters from the gulch, but no answer had come back and there was no
telling if the communications had reached their destination.
The next day was spent in the delightful task of counting up the
proceeds of their venture. Of course it was impossible to calculate
closely, yet they were conservative in their estimates, and in the end,
when their nuggets and dust were turned over to the United States mint
in San Francisco, they were not disappointed as to the check received in
return.
The upper claim during the time it was worked by Dr. Barwaithe and
Captain Zoss in the spring had yielded five thousand dollars. Of this,
as per agreement, two thousand dollars went to the doctor, a like sum to
the captain, and one thousand dollars to Foster Portney. Added to what
they had made previously, the doctor and the captain now held a matter
of nine thousand dollars' worth of gold between them. Not a fortune, but
still a tidy sum, all things considered.
The Portneys, of course, had fared much better. The total yield of gold
to them from start to finish footed up to fifty-two thousand dollars. Of
this amount, as we know, one-half went to Earl and Randy, which gave the
lads exactly thirteen thousand dollars apiece. Twenty-six thousand
dollars was Foster Portney's share, but out of this he had been
compelled to spend three thousand dollars in bringing the party up and
keeping them, and he would have to spend nearly another thousand in
getting them home.
During the early summer of the present year, Earl, Randy, and Foster
Portney had held a private talk concerning the amount to be granted to
Fred, and it had been decided that he should have an even thousand
dollars, one half to come from the two boys' share and the other from
their uncle. Fred's fare was also to be paid clear through to Basco. The
lad, when told of this decision, said he was more than satisfied, as the
amount of work he had been able to do had really been very small on
account of frequent attacks of sickness.
"I can't stand the climate," he said. "And I shan't attempt to come up
here again. If father will let me, I'll go to college and become a
lawyer."
The doctor was going on to Dawson City to give up mining and establish
himself in his profession, having become satisfied that he could do
better at this than he could in working a claim. But the captain decided
to remain where he was.
"I'm bound ter strike it rich some day," he said. "An' I'm goin' ter
rustle till I do."
"I certainly hope you strike it rich," said Randy; for the pair were now
greater friends than ever.
It was a warm, clear day when the party of five left the gulch, with
their faces set toward Dawson City. The Portneys had decided to return
to the States by the way of the Yukon and the Pacific Ocean, and a
voyage of five thousand miles still lay before them. They carried all
their findings with them, and now the question arose,--having found so
much gold, would they be able to get it out of this wild country in
safety?