Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1911-12-07
CHAPTER IV.-contInued.

In the meantime there was naught
to show for 1t but bunch. But 1t was
coming. AS he would stake his last
ounce on a good poker hand. 30 he
staked his life and effort on the bunch
that the future held In store big
strike on the Upper River. So he and
his three companions, with dogs, and
sleds, and snowshoes, toiled up the
frozen breast of the Stewart toiled
on and on through the white wilder
ness where the unending stiffness was
never broken by the voices of men,
the stroke of an ak. or the distant
crack OF a rife. Gold they found on
the bars. but not In paying quantities,
and In the following May they re-
turned to Sixty Mile
Ten days later, Harper and Joe La
due arrived at Sixty Mile, and Day
light. strong to obey the bunch that
had come to him. traded a third in
terest In his Stewart town site for
third interest in theirs on the Klondike
They had faith In the Upper Country.
and Harper left downstream, with a
raft-load of supplies, to start a small
post at the mouth Of the Klondike.
why don't you tackle Indian River,
Daylight" Harper advised. at part
kg. There's whole slathers of creeks
and draws draining In up there, and
somewhere gold Just crying to be
found That's my hunch4 There's a
big strike coming. and Indian River
amt going to be a million miles
away"
And the place Is swarming with
moose" Joe Ladue added Bob Hen
derson's up there somewhere, been
there three years now. swearing
something big is going to happen.
living off'n straight moose and pros
pecting around like crazy man."
Daylight decided to go Indian River
flutter, as he expressed 1t: and lin
gered few days longer arranging mis-
meager outfit. He planned to go IN
light. carrying pack of seventy-f1ve
ROuuuO anu MO hNO NO6O pam
as we'll, Indian fashion. loading them
with thirty pounds each Depending
on the report OF Ladue, he intended TO
follow Bob Hepderson's example and
live practically on straight meat
When Jack Kearns' scow, laden with
the sawmlll from Lake Linderman,
tied up at Sixty Mile. Daylight bun
died his outfit and dogs on board.
turned his TOWNSHIP application over
to Elijah to be filed. and the same day
was landed at the mouth OF Indian
River He continued down Hunker
to the Klondike, and on to the sum-
mer fishing camp of the Indians on
the Yukon
Here for a day he camped with Car
mack, a squaw-man, and his Indian
brother-in-law, Skookum Jim. bought
a boat. and. with his dogs on board,
drifted down the Yukon to Forty Mile
Then 1t was that Carmack, his broth
er-in-law, Skookum Jim, and Cultus
Charlie, another Indian. arrived in a
canoe at Forty Mile. went straight to
the gold commissioner and recorded
three claims and discovery claim on
Bonanza Creek After that In the Sour.
dough Saloon, that night, they exhibit.
ed coarse gold to the skeptical crowd
Daylight. too, was skeptical, and this
despite his faith in the Upper Coun'
try. Had he not. only few days be-
fore, seen Carmack loafing with his
Indians and with never a thought Of
prospecting? But at eleven that night,
sitting on the edge of his bunk and
unlacing his moccasins, thought
hat and went back to the Sourdough
Carmack was still there. flashing his
coarse gold in the eyes of an unbe.
tieving generation Daylight ranged
alongside of him and emptied Car.
macks sack into a blower This he
studied for long time Then, from
his own sack, into another blower, he
emptied several ounces of Circle City
and Forty Mile gold Again, for long
time. he studied and compared Final.
~ hC pONhClOh Wv II SOlu, lClul uCh
Carmacks. and held up his hand for
silence
Boys, want to tell you-all some
thing, he said "Shes sure come-the
up-river strike And | tell you-all
clear and forcible this is it. There
amt never been gold like that in a
blower in this country before It's
new gold It's got more silver in It
You-all can see it by the color Car
mack's sure made strike Who-all's
got faith to come along With me?"
No one volunteered
Then who-all II take a Job from
me, cash wages in advance, to pole VI
a thousand pounds of grub"
Curly Parsons and another. Pal
Monahan. accepted. and. with his Gus