The Ladysmith news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1905, 1905-04-01
The k|0ldyke Gold Mystery.
BY JOHN r. MUSICK,
Author of mysterious MIR. Howard" "The
Dark Stranger" "CharIie AIIendaIe's
Double" Etc.
Copyright, 1897, by ROBERT BoNSER's Sons.
All rights reserved.
CHAPTER |.
Strange Information.

|
Strange Information.
From the f1owery fields of Califor-
MIA to the barren region of the Klon-
dyke, from 1849 to 1897, is wide
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.
On a certain night, about three years
ago last May, five men were seated
about a 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
we'll known by the development OF
the Klondyke gold fields, it will be
as we'll to introduce them to the read
er before we proceed with our story.
That large man dressed in moose-skin
coat and trousers, with a bear skin
thrown over his shoulders, was once
we'll known in the great northwest as
the most daring hunter, miner and
adventurer in all Alaska. He was
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 niclznamed
him, sat on the log just opposite
Glum Ralston. George was an Eng
lishman, a brave, adventurous fellow,
who was also an expert miner. Per-
haps it was his knowledge of geology
and mining that tended to his sue
cess. Nevertheless, the miners at
tributed it to luck.
Gid Myers was man of thirty
with pale blue eyes and sandy com
plexion. Gid had had considerable
experience as q 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 We been in Alas
ka?" asked Lucky George.
''It's now twenty-one years."
An rnuo, hoon fo a
States?"
mo-
"Are you ever goin'?"
Don't know he answered, with a
sigh. fIt'd be like goin' back to a
graveyard now Most everybody
knew's dead. If but he did not
finish the sentence. His weather-beat-
en- eye seemed to CLEAN with softer
light as he gazed into the fire, and
Gid Myers thought he saw a shade
of moisture gathering there.
"Glum, you often promised us you
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 '73 in
the seaIin' 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 | didn't
believe them. and wouldn't go. But
he asked me not to leave Alaska
till he came back, and l promised.
cat 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.
1t was hard winter, and I have
often wondered why we didn't all die,
but all buG two pulled through, and
when spring came on, an the captain