Chapter 218

## The Gold Dust Panners

**The Gold Dust Panners**, or **Gold Diggers** (砂金掘り師たち, *Sakin Horishi-tachi*) is the 218th chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

As Sugimoto’s Group helps Heita up, he thanks them for saving his life. Sugimoto notices a cut on his forehead, asking if he is okay and Heita says it is just a wound he got earlier, while noting how nice Sugimoto is. Heita’s older brother, Taka approaches them, relieved to see that he is alright. Shiraishi asks Heita if he is a gold panner, which Heita confirms while also expressing surprise that Shiraishi would realize it depite not wearing his gears on. Pointing at his imported rubber boots, Shiraishi exclaims that they aren’t the kind of boots that a hunter would wear out in the wilderness.

Sugimoto comments that he has met his share of gold panners and that every one of them were poor, having blown all of their gold on alcohol and gambling. He tells Heita that they are also here to find some gold dust as they had heard they could find them in the Uryu River. Heita reveals that there are still plenty of gold dust to be found in the area. Heita’s relatives are suspicious about Sugimoto’s Group and makes remarks about them but Heita’s father believes that they can be trusted as they saved Heita.

A woman named Noriko comes out to greet Sugimoto’s Group but Taka tells her to get back to the hut, causing her to pout. Sugimoto notices Heita carrying a tool, asking about it and Heita reveals that it is a metal spatula with some pine resin attached to the base of the head that is used in tandem with a glass box in a method called “glass panning”, which allows for gold to be stuck to the pine resin. Heita sees Sugimoto and Shiraishi carrying some boards and informs that the “board panning” method is very difficult for obtaining gold.

They ask Heita if he knows of any good spot to look for gold and Heita points them to a big rock which they immediately gets to work on. Shiraishi is unable to stand the cold of the water and runs out of the river, asking Asirpa to pour him some hot water. Heita’s father tells them the optimal times to pan for gold and that board panning is the least efficient way of finding gold. Shiraishi gets frustrated about how hard gold panning is and Sugimoto begins to doubt the story of the gold panner who earned 50 yen in a single day. Heita reveals that the story is true as the person in it is none other than him, much to Sugimoto and Shiraishi’s shock.

Taka berates Heita for telling them about his find so casually, but Heita says that since they saved his life, he is willing to share the story. He then asks Sugimoto’s Group if they know of something called “haku”, causing Taka to yell his name. Heita’s father tells Taka to calm down, noting that they only have a limited amount of time and that it would be better for them all to work together. Heita informs Sugimoto’s Group about “haku” and how valuable it is, which could lead to a second gold rush, causing Sugimoto and Shiraishi to grab hands in excitement.

Just then, Heita notices a bear in the distance, alarming everyone but they are unable to spot it even with Heita’s guidance. Heita exclaims that it is getting closer and closer everyday, calling it a Wen Kamuy. Sugimoto and Asirpa goes looking for the bear, but are unable to find any tracks so they think it may have ran away by skillfully walking over the bamboo grass. Recalling the white bear that they had killed earlier, Sugimoto believes that the gods of the mountains are angry and Asirpa echoes his thoughts. Elsewhere in the forest, a brown bear is seen eating Heita’s father.

## Character Appearances

* Vasily
* Yoshitake Shiraishi
* Heita
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Asirpa
* Taka
* Young Boy
* Elderly Man
* Noriko *(Debut)*