Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-12-07
A Race for Gold
A New E~nglander's r~m~~7
Adventures i'm Alaska~ Capt . H.B RoBINsoN}
Copyrighted 1898. by S. S. Mcclure Col

T! welcome. If yer Jest in from q long
tramp l dare say as yer kinder low on
grub"
Without waiting for a reply he seized
the coffee pot and set to work in a way
which showed he was no novice.
The stranger laid aside his pack, and
was soon eating with a relish, which
did justice TO his hosts supposition.
When he could eat no more Bowers
saidi
Got any tobacco?"
Haven't had a smoke for a month";
was the reply.
That's tough! Here's q pipe. Join
US"
His manner was so cordial and frank
that Rider looked at him in wonder.
The stranger eagerly accepted the pipe,
n for a few moments sat in silence,
drawing huge puffs of the fragrant
weed with an enjoyment which fairly
spoke for itself.
Suddenly Riders companion slapped
his thigh as though he had Just
thought of something wonderful, and,
turning to the mate with a look OF
warning, exclaimed:
BY thunder, Scott, you don't sup
pose this is
He stopped in the middle of the SEN
tence n looked ~searchingly at the
stranger, then continued:
IL NOuiu ne luitly, WOulun L IL,
Scott, IL we had met him out here! You
know the letter said he was comm
down this month fer grub"
The stranger looked wonderingly at
the w men n Bowers fastened to
say:
Excuse me, stranger, but might
your name be Tarbox?"
The nan took his pipe from his lips
and stared at the speaker for full a
CnnnTNA hnfnra ran1trif,r fhAN H. .A-1fA1.
1T might be n IL Is. How did you
know me?"
AN yer pardner's name is Taylor?"
This time the man was too astonished
to reply, and Bowers went on:
You're going to Dyea after grub, an
he's back In the hills. Amt that all
straight"
Joe Tarbox rose to his feet and laid
his hand on his weapon, saying in q
quiet tone:
That is correct, but it's my turn to
ask questions now. How did you find
all his out?"
Bowers turned to the mate and said,
promptly:
tom, old man, you tell him our
yarn an let him see the documents.
That'N soon put things straight"
MY name is Scott" said Rider, II
was an officer on the ship where a man
an oIli EANNly dlNh. llC was NOlIl-
ing out here on account OF a letter from
an old chum of his named Dick Taylor.
The old chap fell overheard and l pulled
him aboard after n hard tussle. We
come nigh going to Davy Jones, both of
us and he got over 1t. We buried
him out to sea and he drawed up a
writing to make me his heir. He give
me a letter he'd got from his Taylor,
telling how to get to a gold mine he'd
been working.
"He told me to take what money was
In his belt and l Gid. He said he'd no
family. The letter said for him to bring
some one with him If he needed any
help, and as l didn't know nothing
about horses and shore rigging, /
brought Bowers here along with me.
That's the whole yarn as well as IA
rough sailor man can spin It."
Bowers face showed his approval of
the mates efforts and Tarbox was APP
parently convinced, for he shook hands
warmly with the speaker and ex-
claimed:
ITS a lucky thing l met you. Dick
told me he had written to both the
Averys. They were old friends of his.
He told me to look out for them in
Dyea. Have you got the papers with
your"
That's what | have. Here they are,
ali SlllISlldpt anu dDONG DOuIu, re-
piled Rider as he proceeded to extract
them from his belt.
That's Dick Taylor's fist the world
over" asserted Tarbox as he examined
the letter. II remember the day he
wrote that in our tent. We had Just
found the first big mug
He coughed to hide his confusion and
then added:
IT'S all right, of course, but n man
has TO be careful. Once let the mob
know where we are and what we've
found and we'd be overrun in no time"
AS luck would have It Hank Bowers
chose this instant, when Tarbox was
examining the papers, to throw q look
of ferocious triumph on the mate. Al
though neither OF them noticed the
fact, Joe TarboX raised his eyes lust
then, and TO n man of his training
nothing more was needed to put him on
his guard.
He cast a keen look It Bowers, and
as If his scrutiny had been satisfactory.
he dropped his eyes again, but there
was q little hardening OF the muscles
about his jaw, and with a careless
twist Of his body he brought his weapon
nearer his hand.
He was too old a hand, however, to
any outward sign OF alarm, and
said, coolly:
IT'S q pity you didn't pick up the
other Avery at Dyea. He ought to be
there by this time
And how can we find your p~ardner?"
asked Bowers.
DO just as the letter says" replied
Build a fire and he'll see the
smoke and come. The route is too
to describe"
How long afore you'll be back with
the grub? We've got a good lot here,
but you can't hev too much"
It'll take me three days to get in
and two or three more to get what l
If 1 can't find horses l shall
have to go to Skaguay. / shan't be
back under a fortnight or three weeks
at the best"
After finishing his pipe, TarboX
pleaded fatigue, and rolled himself up
IN his blanket. But there was no sleep
for him that night. The sinister look
Bowers face had given him the clew
wanted, and as he waited patiently
for daylight he muttered to himself:
THAT was a close shave! There is
something wrong about that sailor, IL
MS company is anything to go by. If
his isn't the man I saw driv-
IN out Of Joe Ladue's station for steal
ng, then I'm mistaken. Dick will be
right. They may make all the fires
want to, and that's all the good
do them. I'll just bring back two
,r three men of the right sort with me.
no other way"
AT the first sign of daylight he was
A hasty meal was soon eaten,
md, shaking hands cordially with both
men, he said:
Tell Dick I'll be back as soon as 1
an. You can't miss the trail.'
Then he struck out manfully on the
track to Dyea, leaving the plot
ers standing In front Of their tent, ex-
llting.
CHAPTER TX.
JOINING FORCES.
Tom and his party camped the first
light about thirty miles from Dyea.
'ha next morning thav mara O nrIr