White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-09-11
CONTINUED from Last Week.
CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VII
On either side of us the bank
neared; we were in the river ITSELF
Like thin, clear white syrup 1t ran;
cold as the icy springs and glaciers
at it's source. It was not a large
stream, and at this stage its fall was
gradual, although in the mountains
near its headwaters, it was undoubt-
eddy torrent. Still, 1t was quite
deep in mid-channel, despite innumer-
able sand-bars that had been created
during the freshet period. Its banks
were treeless tundra, covered with
rocks and moss, and dotted here and
there with cairn-like heaps Of stone
a glacial MORAN. Where the river
had cut into shale beneath the cover
ing of earth and moss, there were
greenish and red stains of decom-
posed minerals.
Mulvane sat in the stern with the
girl beside him, while I considerably
perched in the bow. He was emphatic
about keeping a sharp lookout for any
sign of human habitation. OF where
Gregorovitch had gone, once he reach
ed shore, much could be speculated,
for the country was expansive-a No
Mans Land, because it seemed that
no man in his right mind would have
the whole of 1t as gift 1t was harsh,
forbidding; encouragement to life
except in the most tenacious and rug
ged forms.
Noon came, yet we did not pause,
but ate cold lunch as we voyaged,
still keeping careful watch ahead.
Mile after mile, it was all the same
noiselessly flowing water, the drear,
bleak landscape, sweeping bends
and we knew before we came to each
turn of the stream just what each
new vista would look like.
We did put ashore for dinner, land
ing in the lee of point which, though
itself exposed, gave us an equally
commanding survey Of the country,
for guessed that Mulyane was guard
ing against an ambush. After the
meal, we fixed bed for Jane in the
boat, while Jimmy and slept on
shore, taking turns at standing watch.
There was no real darkness; only a
period of gloomy twilight for few
hours, then 1t was daylight once more,
for this was summer, and We were
near the Arctic Circle.
A brief rest, and then on again.
After fifteen minutes running, the
sturdy little motor, whose staccato
bark had been echoing between the
river banks like the roll Of a ma
chine-gun, quite cold on us. 1t took
Jimmy an hour to locate the trouble.
That was merely the first delay. No
sooner were we under way once more
than black clouds that we had observ-
ed gathering broke in deluge Of rain
and hail. Coupled with the downpour
was stiff wind, and we we're glad to
put ashore and cover ourselves with
tarpaulins.
For the better part Of the day it
stormed, off and on, and could see
that Mulvane was getting more and
more fdgety.
1--WE always felt it was childinsh to
rail at the weather, but could put a
musty Egyptian curse on this!" he ex-
claimed once. Knew everything was
going too smoothly. 1t will be sew
en-days' wonder If our plans don't go
smash"
But just before twilight, the sun
smiled briefly, and we made haste to
go on, for there was plenty of light
to navigate by. Jimmy resolutely
drove the cutter ahead, and spelled
him at the tiller, while Jane curled
up forward, and slept.
Dawn, and a long sand-bar, thrust
almost at right angles from shore, ap-
peared. Jimmy veered off to clear the
point Of 1t, and we swept by within
thirty feet of the spit. OF sudden
Jane, who was seated in her accus-
toned place with Mulvane in the
stern, caught his arm excitedly.
aren't those tracks?"
He slowed the motor and headed
the boat In. Tracks they were, sure
enough-not of some proving animal,
but man! Moreover, they had been
made by boots. That meant white
man, for no native that lived in this
desolate land could be likely to boast
aught but skin muk-luks.
The impressions made by the heels
and heavy hob-nails showed plainly
Likewise, every few feet holes had
been dug in the gravel, and piles Of
wet earth were all about. Certainly
white man had been there since the
storm of the previous day-indeed,
there was every reason to believe that
the tracks were less than an hour
old, for the tops OF the sand-piles
were nearly as wet as when they had
been dug.
"a prospector!" declared the girl.
III have heard my brother describe
how it is done. They put gravel in a
nan and roc kit until the poId satt1os