Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-13
dotty and can't understand what they

dotty and can't understand what they
cay to him."
Plnnck's eyes widened . little anc
he did not ask his next question yer,
steadily. Where u he going to take
thsm!'
Cant you guess that! He's going
to lead Thorn into Fog lake. Of course"
The thought OF It made Planck's
teeth chatter. Fog lake was. perhaps.
the most curious natural phenomenon
upon that strange arctic land-a little
cup shaped valley. from which the foE
never lifted-had never lifted once In
all the four years they had lived there
On days when the rest OF the land
was clear. the fog hung there. half
way up tho side OF the hills. so shat
from the ridges surrounding 1t 1t real
ly looked like a strange vapory sea.
They had explored the edges OF It.
fearsomely. at times. but had never
penetrated far enough to learn the
secret OF It's mystery. II 1t had ono.
And then?" Planck asked.
why. they'll send out relief party
from the yacht. of course. The yachts
people know what rations the search.
ing party took with them. and when
/ they don't come back In two days.
they'll probably set out from the
yacht. with every able-bodied man or
board. and try to find tho first party
and bring 1t in. AS soon rs they are
we'll out Of hearing. We take this
yacht. We may not find living sou
aboard her: and we certainly cans
leave one there But well steam ny
and take our gold ahcard-all on,
gold. And then. wel!-theres where
you'll come In
But what then. man. My God,
what then? Do you suppose We can
so steaming into San Francisco. or
any other port in the world. with all
that gold in our hull ard another cap
tain's log and papers! We might Just
as We'll hang ourselves from our own
crow-Jack yard"
! II hope your wits will improve when
you get deck under your feet" Ros
coe growled. "On land here you're
about as much good as pelican In
=! foot race. No. your sailing orders
won't be San Francisco, nor any 9th
er port that has such a thing as Q
revenue officer about. But you ought
! to know the north coast line over
there as far east rs Mckenzie bay.
You must know some harbor there
where we can lie up for the winter
and not be bothered"
YES" said P!anck. Il could take
the yacht to such a place as that.
There's very good harbor in behind
I H.rshel island. But what will We do
when We get there"
! after that, it's my affair."" said
Roscoe. We'll winter on the yacht
Then when the weather begins to
loosen up a bit. but before tho spring
/ thaws. We'll land our gold and GU,
stores: cache all the gold. except
what we can carry over tho trail, say.
about 500 pounds of IL. and well leave
the yachts seacocks open. SO that
when the Ice goes out. she'll scuttle
herself. We shall probably nnd
sledges. and perhaps . pony or two.
on the yacht. II we do. It will be
easy. It's only a short hike to one
Of the tributaries Of the Porcupine
river. Once We reach the Porcupius.
It will be easy. for It lows into tho
Yukon. and that's as good 10 . rail-
way line. Well make q raft and float
all the way down to Saint Michaels
with no trouble at all. The gold we
have with Us Will be enough to take
US down to Vancouver. and there We
can charter . ship. You take command
Of her. and We Sc north through the
straits again that very summer-next
summer that will be, Of course We
go back to tho harbor where we left
the yacht You can figure out the
rest for yourself. guess"
Yes" said Planck. TITS all very
well-only won't there be q good
many to trust that sort OF secret to-"
Roscoe looked at him with q savage
But that hike across tho mountains to
the upper tributaries OF tho Porcupine
Is . hard trail. There aren't likely to
be many Of US left by tho time We
get started floating down open water.
When We get to the Yukon II won't
be surprising II there isn't anybody
/ left at ALL but you and me-"
Planck caught his meaning quickly
enough. indeed. duller man could
have read 1t in Roscoe's savage fight
/ blue eyes: and tho thought made his
teeth chatter He would have felt Q
deadlier terror. perhaps. could he
have read the thought that lay at the
bottom Of Roscoes mind. The gold
hunter was not much Of . sailor, but
he felt confident that on the broad
stretches Of the Yukon he could navi-
gate raft alone.
Ito Be Contnued)