Gilpin observer., 1912-02-01
CHAPTER Iv.jcontlnued.

In the meantime there was naught
to show for 1t but hunch. But 1t was
coming. AS he would stake his last
ounce on a good poker hand. SO he
staked his life and effort on the hunch
that the future held in store big
strike on the Upper River. SO he ard
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 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
due arrived at Sixty Mile. and Day
light, strong to obey the hunch 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 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 draws draining in up there. and
somewhere gold just crying to be
found. That's my hunch. 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
a fiutter as he expressed 1t; and lin
gered a few days longer arranging his
meager outfit. He planned to go in
light. carrying a pack Of seventy-five
pounds and 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. 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-inlaw. 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 a 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 loaiing with his
Indians and with never thought of
prospecting? But at eleven that night.
sitting on the edge of his bunk and
unlacing his moccasins. a thought
came to him. He put on his coat and
hat and went back to the Sourdough.
Carmack was still there. flashing his
coarse gold in the eyes Of an unbe-
lieving 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 a long
time. he studied and compared Final.
iy. he pocketed his own gold. returned
Carmacks, and held up his hand for
silence.
Boys, ! want to tell you.all some
thing he said. She's sure come-the
lpriver strike. And | tell you-all,
clear and forcible. this is 1t. There
amt never been gold like that in
blower In this country before. It's
new gold. It's got more silver In It.
You.all can see 1t by the color. Car
mack's sure made a strike. Who-all's
got faith to come along with me?'
No one volunteered.
"Then whoall II take q job from
me, cash wages IN advance. to pole up
a thousand pounds Of grub?"
Curly Parsons and another. Pat
Monahan. accepted. and. with his ous-