Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-01-06
- "a THE RIVER of SKULLS
ef4S --by George Marsh
l erarn wwm
by George Marsh

big rivers remained open until lat
er, but he knew that the water Of
the River of Skulls would be so
cold and carry SO much slush and
young ice from above that it would
block their sluices and make pam
ming most difficult in the early part
of the month. So two short months
were all the prospectors could count
on, in which to wash from the
sands the gold dust and nuggets
they had come so far and toiled so
hard to reach.
Having lived largely on fish COM
ing down the Koksoak they were
now ravenous for red meat. There
fore Noel and Napayo were to start
at once on hunt into the barrens.
For Alan and John there was
much to be done; spruce to be cut
and split into slabs for sluice boxes
through which to wash the river
sand for the fine gold it held; sea
trout Melted and salmon speared
and smoked when the run from the
salt water began; and when the
hunters had sufficient chocolate-and-
white skins Of the pie-bald, faun car
ibou, there were winter parkas,
shirts and leggings, smoke-tanned
moccasins and mittens to be made,
for the men were all in rags from
the hard portages Of the Koksoak.
Then, because they had rightly an
ticipated an absence of large birch
on the big river, the three birch
slabs they had carried all the way
down on the floor Of the Peterboro,
must be thinned, steamed at one
end for the curved bow and dashed
to cross pieces, to make the long
toboggan sled which was to carry
the hundreds Of pounds Of food for
themselves and the dogs, together
with the gold, il they hoped ever
again to reach the cache at the
head of the river.
Until the ice in the river blocked
the sluicing and the sands and grav-
ell began to freeze, there would be
little rest in the camp below the
Moaning Gorge. And all the time
over the heads Of those who toiled
with rifles at their sides would be
the constant menace of the Naskapi
who would now not hesitate to cross
the dead line of the Nipiw to reach
the canoe that had passed down the
Koksoak-all the time, the knowl-
edge that Jim Mcqueen, II he were
still alive, was waiting for their re-
turn over the river ice.
Industrious prospecting Of some
Of the bars in the river by John
and Alan with the miners pan and
the help of the shovel, fitted with q
long birch handle, proved the truth
Of Aleck Drummond's story.
Look at that color, boyi" shout
ed McCord, one morning, when,
standing with breaches rolled above
his knees beside a hole they had
dug on a gravel bar, he had rotated
pan full Of river sand and gravel
until the two men stared at the
sediment Of black sand and dull,
yellow flakes remaining.
boy, we're rich!" he yelled in
his excitement. Look at the coarse
gold there! And look at that mug
get-big as a peal"
Alan stared in cpen-mouthed won
der at the dull yellow grains of
coarse gold in the pan. So this was
the stuff that men for centuries had
fought and killed and died for; gold.
that would buy what the heart de-
sired. He ran it curiously through
his fingers.
We've got over two months be-
fore the ice to pan these barsl We
may not have to use sluices il it
runs this way, nor that pint Of mer-
curry l carried, either! Shake, part
ner!" The giant danced a Jig on
the gravel, holding the pan high
above his head. This is bonanza,
boy! It was the River Of Skulls or
bustl" he cried. well, we're therei
Boy, we're -therei" -.
ITO RE CAATlNIIEni