The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-12-01
CHAPTER iV.-Continued.

CHAPTER iv-Continued.
In h meantime there was naught
TO show for IT but bunch. But it was
coming. AS he would stake his last
ounce on a good poker hand. so he
staked his life and effort on the bunch
that the future held in store a big
strike OF The Upper River. So he and
his three companions. with dogs. and
sIeds, and snowshoes. toiled up the
frozen breast of the Stewart, toiled
OF 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 rifle. 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
II 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 a
third interest in theirs On the klondike.
They IA 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
ing. There's whole slathers of creeks
and draw draining in up there. and
somewhere gold just crying to be
found. That's my bunch. 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
dcyson'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 a crazy man."
Daylight decided to go Indian River
q fiutter, as he expressed it: and lin
gered a few days longer arranging his
sgzr odtht. He pfanhed' o go IN
light. carrying a pack of seventy-ive
pounds making his five dogs pack
as well, indian fashion, loading them
with thirty pounds each. Depending
on the report of Ladue, he intended to
follow Bob Henderson's example and
live practically on straight meat.
When Jack Kearns' scow. laden with
the sawmill from Lake Linderman.
tied up at Sixty Mile. Daylight bun
died his outfit and dogs on board.
turned his town-site application over
to Elijah to be filed, nj the same day
was landed at the mouth Of ndian
River. He continued down bunker
to the Klondike. and or 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-iaw. Skookum Jim. bought
a boat, and. with his dogs on board.
drifted down the Yukon to Forty Mile.
Iaen it was that Carmack. his broth
e,-in-law. Skookum Jim. n Cultus
charlie, another Indian. arrived in a
canoe at Forty Mile. went straight to
che gold commissioner, and recorded
three claims and a discovery claim on
BoranzaC 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 a 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 ano
unlacing his moccasins. a thought
came to him. He put on his coat anc
hat and went back to the Sourdough
Carmack was still there. flashing his
coarse gold in the eyes of an unbe
lseving generation. Daylight ranged
alongside of him and emptied Car
macks sack into a blower. This h'
studied for a long time. Then. r
his own sack. into another blower. h
emptied several ounces of Circle Cit.
and Forty Mile gold. Again. for a lonl
time. he studied and compared. Final
II, he pocketed his own gold. %returne'
silence.
Boys. l want to tell you-all some
thing he said. shes SURE come-th
up-river strike. And l tell you-all
clear and forcible. this Is it. Their
Amt never been gold like that in
blower in this country before. It
new gold. It's got more silver in Il
You-all can see it by the color. Cal
mack's sure made a strike. Who-all'
got faith to come along with me?"
No one volunteered.
Then who-all IL take a job fror
me. cash wages In advance, to pole U
q thousand pounds Of grub?"
Curly Parsons and another. Pa
Monahan. accepted. and. with his Gu.
tomary speed. Daylight paid ther
their wages in advance and arrange
the purchase OF the supplies. though b
emptied his Sack in doing SO. He wa
leaving the Sourdough. when he su,
denly turned back to the bar from th
door.
Go another hunch! was ii
query.
Il sure have. he answere,
-F1our's sure going to bs worth VIII
\ man viii pay for It this winter q
on the Klondike. Who'll lend u
some money!
On he instant = q thesm me
who bad declined @ acoompany hi
On me wild-soose. chase We're CROW!