Gilpin observer., 1903-01-08
Copyright, 1897, BY Rosnxr Boxx1R's Sons.
All rights reserved.
CHAPTER I.
Strange Information.

4
reach, but the gulf Of time is bridged
over and the hopes and fears OF
thousands Of hearts follow the ar
gonauts who go to search for the
golden fleece in the confines of the
Arctic Circle, as they did forty-eight
years ago the California prospectors.
The real story of the discovery of
gold on the Klondyke is not generally
known, and to unravel that mystery
is the purpose of this story.
Onsa certain night, about three years
ago last May, five men were seated
about camp fire, built under the
south side of a cliff, among some pine
trees, near the banks of the Yukon
river, fifteen miles above Dawson City.
AS some of this party have become
well known by the development of
the Klondyke gold fields, it will be
rs well to introduce them to the read
er before we proceed with our story.
That large man dressed in moose-skin
coat and trousers, with bear skin
thrown over his shoulders. was once
, well known in the great northwest as
the most daring hunter, miner and
oAN NChIuiCi III Oil khidohd. AlC Wdo
as honorable as he was brave, and as
kind hearted as he was sullen. His
name was Jack Ralston, but along the
Yukon he was commonly known as
!; "Glum Ralston."
| Ralston was once an American
He was getting along in years. for
his hair was growing frosty. yet his
frame was still strong and his heart
had not abandoned its hope.
George w. Cormack, or Lucky
George" as the miners nicknamed
Glum Ralston. George was an Eng
lishman, a brave, adventurous fellow,
who was also an expert miner. Per
haps 1t was his knowledge of geology
and mining that tended to his sue
cess. Nevertheless. the miners at
tributed it to luck.
Gid Myers was a man of thirty,
with pale blue eyes and sandy COM
plexion. Gid had had considerable
experience as hunter and prospect
or, but in the miners parlance had
never struck it rich.
Porter Allen, or big Port" was a
giant in size. being over six feet in
height. with broad shoulders and sin
ews Of steel. He was forty, his hair
and long beard quite grizzled with
time and exposure.
The fifth was young man of
twenty-five or twenty-three years of
age. with the freshness of youth and
innocence still on his face. While his
older companions were smoking their
pipes, the younger man of the party
gazed abstractedly into the glowing
fire. His mind went back over the
mountains. rivers and seas to his
quiet little home in Fresno, where
he had left his widowed mother, dear
to his heart, and one still dearer.
Her name was Laura Kean. They
were lovers and betrothed.
While he sat gazing into the fire
and seeing only the well-beloved face
Of his betrothed, his companions toast
ed and ate their suppers and talked
Of their present situation.
"Glum. how long ye been in Alas
ka?" asked Lucky George.
Its now twenty-one years"
"An' never been back to the
States?"
No"
Are you ever goin'?'
Don't know he answered, with a
sigh. It'd be like goin' back to a
graveyard now. Most everybody l
knew's dead. If" but he did not
finish the sentences His weather-beat-
en- eye seemed to CLEAN with softer
light as he gazed into the fire, and
Gid Myers thought he saw q shade
of moisture gathering there
"Glum, you often promised us you
would tell your own story sometime
how you came here. and why you
have spent all these years in Alaska.
Why not tell now?" asked Lucky
George.
Glum moved uneasily on the log on
which he was sitting and. clearing
his throat. said:
Boys, faint much OF a yarn when
it's spun. came to Alaska in '72 in
the sealin' schooner Eleanor We
had good officers and crew. an the
sun never shone on better man than
our captain. We all loved him and
would have died for him.
well, we had no luck sealing. and
the captain and sailors went with
party Of Indians who said they knew
where gold could be found. I didn't
believe them. and wouldn't go. But
he asked me not to leave Alaska
till he came back. and l promised.
"At the end Of six months an ex.
plorin' party came back with the cap
O. one o. the sailors which they had
found on the snow several days Jour-
ney away.
winter was on us, and we ran into
Sitka, where we anchored until spring.
It was hard winter. and l have