THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 LIFE IN ALASKA
 
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 The heart of Alaska in winter
 
 THE TRAIL OF A 
 SOURDOUGH 
 
 Life in Alaska 
 
 BY 
 
 MAY KELLOGG SULLIVAN 
 
 Author of "A Woman Who Went to Alaska" 
 
 RICHARD G. BADGER 
 
 THE GORHAM PRESS 
 BOSTON
 
 Copyright 1910 by Richard G. Badger 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
 THE GORHAM PRESS, BOSTON, U -S. A
 
 SOURDOUGH DEFINED 
 
 While the word Sourdough (sour dough) 
 is perfectly familiar to those in Alaska and 
 along the Pacific Coast it may not be amiss 
 to give a brief explanation to our Eastern 
 readers. 
 
 A Sourdough is a miner who has spent 
 one winter in Alaska and "has seen the ice go 
 out." Mrs. Sullivan is a Sourdough herself. 
 In all she has made seven trips to Alaska ex- 
 tending over a period of ten years. 
 
 When miners are beyond the pale of civ- 
 ilization, with a supply of flour but no bak- 
 ing powder, yeast or potatoes, they cut from 
 each batch of bread dough a little piece, to 
 be kept until it turns sour, and then used as 
 leaven for the next baking. 
 
 It is through this custom that the miners 
 themselves came to be called sourdoughs.
 
 I 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 little book is my second 
 Brain-child. The first, entitled 
 "A Woman Who Went to 
 Alaska," has been so cordially 
 received by the reading public 
 that I have been induced to send another in 
 its footsteps. It is with great pleasure and 
 perfect confidence that I do this. 
 
 To my Alaskan readers it is unnecessary 
 to state that these little tales are deduced 
 from every day life, as they are easily recog- 
 nizable. To those not yet favored by a 
 residence in this Northland I would say 
 that I have written each tale with a well de- 
 fined purpose. With truthfulness could 
 each one have been more vividly, yes start- 
 lingly, told; but I have no wish to unduly 
 disturb my readers. It has been my aim, 
 however, to picture not only character, but 
 also the vast and wonderful gold producing 
 region, so plainly that even the young may 
 better know Alaska, and learn somewhat 
 from glimpses of the trials, privations and 
 successes of its early pioneers. 
 5
 
 PREFACE 
 
 To these last Trail-blazers no "Chee- 
 chako" can ever do justice. Their courage, 
 bravery, patience under difficulties, and 
 stoicism under severe trial can never be 
 properly appreciated except by their fellow 
 sufferers. 
 
 My readers will find in the book much of 
 the folklore and a touch of the mysticism so 
 common to all people of the northland. 
 
 Counting myself one of the least among 
 them I have been a witness to their struggles 
 and triumphs, and for this reason I do most 
 heartily dedicate this little book to the mem- 
 ory of each horny-handed pack-laden miner 
 "musher" who has ever lifted a finger to 
 assist, encourage, or strengthen the author 
 of The Trail of a Sourdough. 
 
 The name of these helpers is Legion. 
 That their cabins may be warm and roomy, 
 winter dumps high and numerous, sluice 
 boxes filled with nuggets, and lives long and 
 happy, is the earnest wish of 
 
 MAY KELLOGG SULLIVAN
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 / The Miner's Reasons 1 1 
 
 // Under the Tundra 22 
 
 /// The Hidden Ledge 44 
 
 IV A New Klondyke 81 
 
 V Estella the Eskimo 106 
 
 VI Why Midas Failed 132 
 
 Vll The Old Stone House 172 
 
 Fill A Miner's Own Story 192 
 
 IX Ey lien's Water Witch 214 
 
 7
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Page. 
 The Heart of Alaska in Winter, .frontispiece 
 
 A Huskie 21 
 
 Dressed in his fresh miner's rig 25 
 
 A welcome shelter 43 
 
 The scene on shore was a repetition of 
 that on the neighboring beach at 
 
 Skagway 51 
 
 A Messenger of cheer 80 
 
 Panning out 105 
 
 Upon his mother's back, beneath her 
 
 parkie 115 
 
 The little one clinging tightly to her hand 
 
 she approached the door 121 
 
 The pretty woman was a full-blooded 
 
 Eskimo to face page 138 
 
 Poling up the river 171
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Page. 
 
 When Old Tillie was Young 181 
 
 She scanned the horizon, .to face page 216 
 "Holy Mother Mary! I believe it's gold" 223 
 
 Father Peter 229 
 
 The Lord of the Northland 258 
 
 The cover design is a picture of Cape 
 Nome, Alaska. 
 
 10
 
 The 
 Trail of a Sourdough 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 THE MINER'S REASONS 
 
 A FURIOUS blizzard was raging. 
 Six or eight miners of various 
 ages were huddled around the 
 stove in a little road-house 
 where they were likely to remain 
 storm-bound for several days. 
 
 "Chuck some more wood into that bloom- 
 in' fire and fill up my pipe if you fellers want 
 a yarn from me," said one, when they had be- 
 sieged him for a story with which to pass the 
 time. 
 
 "You wanted to know yesterday when I 
 staked that claim for the woman, who and 
 where she is, also my reasons for stakin' it; 
 and I promised to tell you when I got the 
 chance. One or two of you grumbled consid- 
 erable at my stakin' for a person away in the 
 States, and maybe when I have finished my 
 story you won't feel any different ; but I can't 
 
 help it, and it is none of your business. 
 
 II
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 The deed is done, and well done, and Rosa 
 Nell (that ain't her name, as you can see by 
 the initial stake if you want to dig it out from 
 under the snow) is the half owner today of 
 one of the handsomest quartz ledges on the 
 whole Seward Peninsula. Walls of grey slate 
 and trachyte, and the yellow stuff is good and 
 plenty. Zounds, boys ! I wish I had a bump- 
 er," and the speaker threw his furry cap to 
 the ceiling. 
 
 "Never mind the bumper, pard, you know 
 it's the last of March when no live mining 
 camp in this country has a thing but empty 
 bottles to bump with. Behold the size of the 
 glass dump outside yonder if you don't believe 
 me", remarked the keeper of the place in vin- 
 dication of his house ; but with sore regret in 
 his voice. 
 
 "The story, the story! We want the story", 
 sang out one and another by the stove, "the 
 fire is just a whoopin' and 'twill soon be goin' 
 out". 
 
 "Well, then, here goes," said the miner ad- 
 dressed. "It happened two years ago. I sold 
 one of my Nome claims for fifteen hundred 
 dollars with slight prospecting, (like a blasted 
 fool that I was) and after blowin' in a good 
 12
 
 THE MINER'S REASONS 
 
 third or more of the money concluded to buy 
 a thousand dollar outfit and go to Norton 
 Sound. It was late in October; the storms 
 came on, and the upshot of it was that we 
 were ship-wrecked off the coast and were final- 
 ly put in at a small camp nearly a hundred 
 miles from where we wanted to winter. I had 
 taken two men with me named Long and 
 Hartley, and though we saved, by hard fight- 
 in' in one way and another, the most of our 
 supplies, we were without shelter, except a 
 couple of tents, with an Arctic winter our 
 first in this country, upon us. 
 
 "Gee-Whilikins ! Boys, it makes my black 
 hair white to think of it ! What we suffered 
 for two months in those tents was awful; for 
 the camp was full and there was not a vacant 
 cabin anywhere. If there had been, you know 
 we were absolutely without money to buy or 
 build with. How I cursed myself for havin' 
 foolishly spent hundreds of dollars on 'box 
 rustlers' at the Casino, but that is another 
 story, boys, so we'll pass it. 
 
 "In our new camp we had many Eskimos 
 
 and all kinds of people. Among others there 
 
 was a little blue-eyed woman perhaps thirty 
 
 years of age; maybe more maybe less. She 
 
 13
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 was also evidently not where she had intended 
 to be, just like ourselves, but was a teacher, 
 left over from some stranded expedition, 
 probably. Anyhow, there she was, and there 
 we were. We a-livin' in the tents, and the 
 thermometer forty degrees below zero. The 
 teacher was stayin' with some of the Mission- 
 ary folks only a quarter of a mile away, and 
 she was all right. 
 
 "In December the dogs of the camp began 
 to go mad. Every few days one or two had 
 to be killed. Some men, you know, don't 
 water their dogs once in six weeks, if at all, 
 and as everything is froze hard in winter, the 
 poor brutes go mad, exactly as in summer in 
 the States, from heat. 
 
 "One night, Long and I smoked in the little 
 road-house close by, but Hartley went to his 
 bunk in the tent and turned in. He had not 
 slept, but lay with closed eyes, he said, tryin' 
 hard to get warm under his fur robe; when 
 the tent flap was brushed aside, and in rushed 
 a mad dog, snapping and foaming. At the 
 first movement Hartley supposed we had re- 
 turned to go to bed, but was instantly unde- 
 ceived as the crazy brute made directly for 
 him. 
 
 14
 
 THE MINER'S REASONS 
 
 "Hartley threw out his hands and leaped 
 from his bunk, seizing an axe that lay upon 
 the floor. With that he made for the dog, 
 and finally drove him from the tent; but only 
 after he had been badly bitten in several 
 places. 
 
 "The first we knew he rushed in, half 
 dressed, where we were. He was pale with 
 fright, covered with blood, and his eyes 
 seemed starting from their sockets. 
 
 " 'Whiskey, for God's sake!' he pleaded, 
 panting for breath. 'Hydrophobia, and so 
 far from home. This is hard lines, ain't it, 
 boys?' between gulps, the blood dripping 
 from the hand that tremblingly held the glass. 
 
 "With that he broke down utterly and 
 cried like a baby. We washed and dressed his 
 wounds as best we could, and put him to bed 
 in the road-house as it was then past midnight, 
 while three of the boys rigged themselves in 
 their furs and hunted the blasted brute that 
 had done the mischief. They found him 
 gnashing his teeth alongside an outhouse, and 
 a good dose of cold pills settled him forever. 
 
 "Next mornin' we sent a man to the little 
 teacher to ask for medicine for Hartley, and 
 immediately she and another woman came 
 15
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 over. They brought lint bandages, car- 
 bolic acid, and other things and bathed the 
 wounds; but, best of all, they cheered up 
 the poor fellow by telling him that he need 
 have no fear of hydrophobia, as the bite of 
 the Eskimo dogs in winter does not have the 
 same effect that the bite of other dogs has in 
 hot weather. By the repeated visits and 
 ministrations of the women, poor Hartley, 
 in a few weeks, recovered. 
 
 "However, the little teacher was not sat- 
 isfied. She knew we must suffer terribly in 
 our tents, and wanted us to make other ar- 
 rangements. At last she thought of a plan 
 for us: An old log school-house, long since 
 deserted for the new one built near by, was 
 unused except as a store-room. This build- 
 ing had been originally made warm and 
 tight by moss chinking, a heavy door, and 
 closely caulked windows. Some of the lat- 
 ter were now broken, and the snow sifted in 
 upon the dirt floor, but these things could be 
 remedied. 
 
 "The little woman had planned it all be- 
 fore we knew it. She had asked and gained 
 consent of the owners before she opened 
 her story up to us. The baggage then in the 
 16
 
 THE MINER'S REASONS 
 
 cabin was to be piled in one corner, the win- 
 dows were to be mended as well as possible 
 along with the chimney in the middle of the 
 roof; and for a trifling consideration each 
 month we were to have the use of the build- 
 ing. It was a god-send to three men only 
 partly sheltered by canvas in January, lati- 
 tude sixty-five; and if you don't believe me, 
 boys, just try tents yourselves next winter, 
 and find out. 
 
 "Did we spend the remainder of the win- 
 ter in that old school-house? You bet we 
 did. After puttin' considerable time on the 
 old chimney, makin' some new stove-pipe 
 and a patent damper of our own from coal- 
 oil cans, and usin' the sides of some of the 
 same in place of glass in the windows, we did 
 get fixed some sort of comfortable. Any- 
 how, we had a house over our heads that 
 could not blow down in a blizzard, and a 
 solid door which kept out mad dogs at night. 
 To be sure, when the spring rains came, the 
 roof of turf, upon which the grass began to 
 grow, leaked in several places; but we spread 
 our canvas tent over it, weighted it down 
 with stones at the corners, and got along 
 finely.
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "The gist of my story is still to come. One 
 day along in February the little woman sent 
 for me. She wanted to see me very particu- 
 lar, the messenger said. When I saw her a 
 few minutes later her eyes were shinin' like 
 stars in the night time. She wanted me to 
 go with another man to stake a creek about 
 fifteen miles to the north of us. She had 
 heard from some source that the creek was 
 good. 
 
 "Would I go the next day if she furnished 
 the outfit? Of course I said, yes, and our 
 plans were hastily laid for the next day. We 
 had some trouble to get good dogs for the 
 trip, and before our preparations were com- 
 pleted the whole camp was onto our racket 
 and wanted to go along. 
 
 "Now, you know on such occasions, above 
 all others, one does not want the whole coun- 
 try at one's heels, so we tried our best to 
 shake them. We postponed our trip until 
 the second day; the women in the mean-time 
 gettin' our grub cooked. We then took the 
 bells off our dog collars and packed our sleds 
 behind closed doors; but it was no go. In 
 spite of all our precautions three dog-teams 
 followed our trail as we slipped stealthily 
 18
 
 THE MINER'S REASONS 
 
 out of camp at mid-night. The moon shone 
 brightly and the snow was not too deep. 
 The boys kept at a respectful distance be- 
 hind us, and we mushed along between low 
 hills mostly up the streams on the ice. 
 
 "To make my story shorter, we staked 
 what we wanted of the creek, and let the 
 other fellows in on what was left. After 
 that, without sleeping, but with a hasty meal, 
 we put back home again as fast as our dogs 
 would travel. 
 
 'Three months later, when the snow was 
 about gone, and we thought the time ripe for 
 prospectin', I took my two men and an out- 
 fit and gave that blamed old creek a fair 
 trial. We hustled and rustled to beat the 
 band. We shovelled, panned, built dams, 
 and worked like beavers in water above our 
 knees. We moved our tents further up on 
 the bank at midnight at the risin' of the 
 creek durin' a hard rain but, egad! after 
 two weeks of that sort of thing, no gold 
 could we find. Not a color! We cursed 
 and tore around something fierce among the 
 Queen's English, but it did not help matters 
 a particle. 
 
 "There was no gold there. 
 19
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "When we reported to the little woman 
 she would not believe a word of it. She did 
 not think we had tried to find it. Perhaps 
 we had not gone deep enough. We should 
 have waited until midsummer when we could 
 have done better work; and a lot of other 
 things of like description. When I insisted 
 that we had done the very best we possibly 
 could, and that there was positively no gold 
 there, she still persisted in sayin' she wanted 
 that bunch of claims recorded. In vain I 
 told her it was no use; the creek was no 
 good, and to record the claims was a waste 
 of money. 
 
 "While I talked, the little woman stood 
 lookin' in an absent-minded way before her. 
 When I had finished she turned toward me 
 with considerable spirit, and almost with an- 
 ger said, the tears comin' into her eyes mean- 
 while, 'I will never again ask you to stake a 
 claim for me, so there !' and she ran into the 
 next room and shut the door. 
 
 "The claims were never recorded. 
 
 "Well, boys, she kept her word, and I wish 
 
 she hadn't. I would be willin' to let her pick 
 
 out creeks for me forever, for, say, let me tell 
 
 you, fellows," dropping his voice and taking 
 
 20
 
 THE MINER'S REASONS 
 
 the pipe from between his teeth he knocked its 
 ashes out upon the cold hearth, "that creek 
 bed was solid stream tin; pure cassiterite, the 
 best on the Seward Peninsula, and a whole 
 fortune for anyone; but we did not know it. 
 
 "Next time a woman like that one tells me 
 to do any recordin' of claims I'll do it, you 
 bet; for somehow, I can't explain it, but there 
 are others besides Eugene Field's kids who 
 are good at 'seein' things at night,' and a 
 woman can sometimes feel things that we fel- 
 lows can't see in broad daylight. 
 
 "Now you have my reasons for stakin' for 
 her yesterday. If any of you fellows want to 
 kick at what I have done, you can just take it 
 out in kickin' yourselves. Our new ledge is 
 a jim-dandy; and seein' as I cheated the 
 woman out of her cassiterite, I'm bound to 
 make it good in yellow gold. 
 
 "But I'm goin' to turn in now, boys, and 
 I'll listen to you to-morrow. Good night."
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 IN a little three-room cabin in Nome, a 
 middle-aged woman, wearing glasses, 
 knitted a gray woollen sock for her 
 boy, as she called him. 
 
 "Yes", she said musingly, "my hus- 
 band and I came here during the rush of 
 1900. My son, Leroy, had come the year 
 before to pave the way for us, as he called it, 
 and this he tried his best to do. He staked 
 some gold claims and a town lot, and put up 
 a one-room cabin, building on to the latter 
 after we arrived. His idea was to get his 
 father and me away from the farm (which he 
 hated) and start us in mining in Alaska, he 
 being exceedingly enthusiastic on this subject 
 and positive that we would enjoy it as well as 
 he did." 
 
 At the conclusion of this introduction to the 
 story the woman laid down her knitting and 
 pushed her glasses up to the top of her head. 
 Then with an amused expression about the 
 corners of her mouth, she said: 
 
 "The story of all the actual mining that Pa 
 
 22
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 Morrison and I ever did is not a long one, 
 but it is one he would much rather I did not 
 often relate. However, as you wish to hear 
 it, and he is too busy at his book-keeping in 
 the next room to know what is going on, I 
 will tell you how we began mining in Alaska. 
 
 "We had landed safely upon the beach with 
 all our necessary belongings, as well as 
 feather-beds and pillows, also fruit-cake and 
 other good things for Christmas. My son 
 had met us with open arms and shown us with 
 much pleasure to his tiny cabin on a nearby 
 street. To this place all our boxes were in 
 due time hauled by dog-team, and a big tent 
 set up temporarily alongside the cabin. 
 
 "While unpacking articles to be immedi- 
 ately used we had not forgotten our mining 
 tools, gold pan, picks and shovels, as well as 
 rubber boots, and all were spread out in fine 
 array in the sunshine beside the tent. 
 
 "Much of our clothing had been especially 
 selected with a view to our new occupation, 
 and there were dozens of new blue and brown 
 denim jumpers and overalls, bandana hand- 
 kerchiefs, woollen socks and shirts for Pa, as 
 well as short, warm dresses and stout aprons 
 for me. 
 
 23
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "To enumerate all would take too long. 
 Enough to say that in our anxiety to get to 
 work at the real object of our coming, we 
 rushed the adjustment of affairs in our camp 
 through with all speed, and two days after 
 landing at Nome, Pa and I started out to do 
 some mining on our own hook upon our first 
 gold claim." 
 
 Here the woman paused to take breath, and 
 picking up her knitting to inspect it for a mo- 
 ment, seemed somewhat reluctant to proceed. 
 
 "Was the claim far from town?" some one 
 asked, in order to bring her back to her narra- 
 tive, and at the same time not to appear too 
 anxious. 
 
 "Oh, no," she said, brightening consider- 
 ably. "Leroy is always such a good and 
 thoughtful fellow, and he had selected this 
 cabin for us near the west end of town, close 
 to the cemetery, on the tundra. It was only 
 a short walk for us, he said, and the ground 
 must, undoubtedly, be rich, as much gold had 
 been taken out of the beach-diggings next the 
 tundra where our claim was located. 
 
 "It was reported that the beach contained 
 from one to three pay streaks before a depth 
 of three feet was reached; that nuggets worth 
 24
 
 'Dressed in his fresh miner's rig"
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 as much as twenty dollars were found in the 
 beach-diggings, and the tundra was good pay 
 dirt from the 'grass roots down'. 
 
 "Well, my husband and I started for the 
 claim, as I said we started Snake River 
 bridge, Pa paying his ten cents toll, while I 
 went across free as was the custom that sum- 
 mer, and we trudged down the road on the 
 sandspit to the cemetery. Dressed in his 
 fresh miner's rig, (that was an accidental 
 pun) taken so lately from our big packing 
 boxes, Pa marched with all the dignity a man 
 of his height and thinness can assume, with 
 a gold pan under one arm, and a shiny pick 
 and shovel upon his shoulder. I followed 
 close behind." 
 
 At this stage of the story Mrs. Morri- 
 son cast a quick glance at the door of the ad- 
 joining room where her husband was writ- 
 ing. Then opening a table drawer close at 
 hand, she took out two kodak views and 
 handed them to her listeners. 
 
 "He must not know where I keep these 
 pictures or he would burn them as sure as 
 fate; I have dubbed them 'before and af- 
 ter'." 
 
 They examined the views she handed 
 27
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 them. A stout, resolute looking woman with 
 a pleased expectant countenance, short dress, 
 huge basket on right arm. The man beside 
 her holding his broad brimmed miner's hat 
 in his hands, his unused gold pan, pick and 
 shovel, at his feet. For a background a 
 tent, a bit of the river, and bridge. 
 
 In the "After" picture the scene was 
 changed. Dejection was depicted on both 
 faces. Their clothing was soiled and their 
 implements had seen usage, but were now 
 flung upon the ground in disorder. 
 
 "A friend took these snap-shots of us," she 
 explained, returning the photos to their 
 places, "and Leroy likes to preserve them 
 'just for fun' he says. 
 
 "To go back to my story, we made our 
 way along as best we could by inquiring (for 
 Leroy had been obliged to go to the creeks 
 to attend to some work in progress ; so could 
 not go with us; in fact, he did not know of 
 our intention of sallying out upon the tun- 
 dra), and finally arrived at the cemetery. 
 We spent little time in looking at the few 
 rude head-boards and scattered mounds of 
 those quiet sleepers by the sea, but bestowed 
 more attention upon the beach-miners on 
 28
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 our left. Here, at the edge of the water, 
 and even standing in the surf, were many 
 men at work, beach-mining with Long-Toms' 
 or other contrivances, and all wore high- 
 topped rubber boots. 
 
 "Looking about for the claim in which 
 we were so much interested, we finally found 
 the corner stakes, and the St. Charles 
 cream can in which the location notice had 
 been placed by Leroy a few months before. 
 
 "Then Pa wanted me to read the paper to 
 him, which I did, after seating myself on a 
 big hummock of tundra and properly adjust- 
 ing my spectacles. 
 
 "The paper ran thus: 'We, the under- 
 signed citizens of the United States, have dis- 
 covered placer gold in the ground herein- 
 after described, and hereby claim for placer- 
 mining purposes twenty acres on the tundra 
 west of Nome and 100 feet north of theceme- 
 tery.' Then followed the distance between 
 stakes, the name of the witness, our own 
 names, and that of Leroy as our agent, the 
 date of the location, etc. 
 
 "By this time Mr. Morrison was hungry. 
 So after replacing the location notice on the 
 initial stake under the old cream can, just 
 29
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 as we found it, we lunched heartily on ham 
 sandwiches, doughnuts, pie and cheese. A 
 quart bottle of coffee had added much to the 
 weight of the basket on the way. 
 
 "We now turned our attention to the tun- 
 dra. Of what was it composed? How deep 
 was it? Was it easily handled? Would it 
 burn? Was it wet? And how large an ex- 
 tent of country, or rather territory, did it 
 cover. These were only a few of the ques- 
 tions that Pa Morrison now flung at me in 
 quick succession, leaning as he did mean- 
 while on the handle of the shovel. 
 
 "I grew impatient. 
 
 ' 'I really cannot answer your questions, 
 Pa Morrison, and you know it; but as to 
 the extent of the tundra I think I can safely 
 say that it covers the whole of this gold 
 claim and a good deal more besides, for I can 
 see as far as the hills yonder without my 
 glasses that it all looks alike,' and I tugged 
 with might and main at some small trailing 
 vines imbedded in the deep mosses. 
 
 ' 'As to the depth of this tundra you have 
 the shovel in your hands and can soon in- 
 vestigate if you see fit to do so', I continued 
 as Pa still stood looking dubiously about him 
 30
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 without so much as making a jab with his 
 shovel. 
 
 " 'Then there is the composition of this 
 tundra to be studied. If I understood the 
 flora of Alaska I would give you the de- 
 sired information quick, but I don't, and I 
 am too old to begin to study it now. I be- 
 lieve, however, that I can tell a gold nugget 
 when I see it, and if you will bestir yourself 
 and turn up a few, I will agree to analyze 
 them to your heart's content,' giving him 
 what was meant to be a conciliatory smile 
 which was entirely lost because he never 
 looked my way. 
 
 "With that he set to work. Down into 
 the deep moss and tangled vines of the tun- 
 dra he plunged that new and shining shovel 
 with force enough to jar the teeth out of his 
 head. This was kept up for fully ten min- 
 utes, while I rummaged around among the 
 hummocks for the lovely many colored 
 mosses, and mentally tried to count the dif- 
 ferent kinds of tiny plants, numbers of which 
 were blossoming in artistic colors and pro- 
 fusion under our feet. 
 
 " 'Mary.' 
 
 " Tes, Pa.' 
 
 31
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 " 'Do you think a hole four feet square 
 instead of six would be big enough ?' 
 
 " 'O, yes, certainly. Anything, if it is only 
 one foot square,' said I, sarcastically, for I 
 had a consuming anxiety to get down to those 
 nuggets which lay 'just at the grass roots' and 
 Pa was so awfully slow. 
 
 "We had talked this matter over the day 
 before, and had decided upon a hole six feet 
 square. 
 
 " 'If I were in your place, Mary, I wouldn't 
 be too smart,' said he testily, and then rested 
 again upon the shovel handle. His face was 
 flushed and heated. He breathed hard. Dead 
 silence for a long minute. 
 
 ' 'I wish I'd brought the axe,' said he. 
 
 " 'What for?' 
 
 'To cut these beastly vines and roots 
 with.' 
 
 " 'Dear me ! Shall I go home and fetch it?' 
 
 " 'No, you needn't', crossly. 'By the time 
 you got here with it you would have to go 
 right back to get supper. It is half past one 
 o'clock now, and I have been at work an hour.' 
 ' 'But you were going to work all day, 
 weren't you?' He had scarcely made an im- 
 pression on that tundra, and not a single nug- 
 32
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 get had we seen. 
 
 "With that he planted a few more good, 
 hard jabs into the thicket of moss, vines and 
 leaves, trying to get the hole four feet square 
 anyway, after my rather uncalled for taunt 
 about its size. 
 
 "In the meanwhile I was not wasting my 
 time. I was using the pick upon a cluster of 
 bunch grass hummocks, wishing to fill the gold 
 pan with dirt from underneath that I might 
 wash it out and see if it contained 'colors'. 
 
 "Somehow I felt more subdued like, per- 
 haps because I was growing tired; but Pa 
 seemed to be affected differently. I could hear 
 him grumbling to himself, and that was a bad 
 sign. By and by his shovel struck something 
 hard. He uttered an oath. 
 
 " 'Pa Morrison !' I exclaimed, 'Ain't you 
 ashamed of yourself? To think of your 
 swearing like that. It's awful ! Give me that 
 shovel instantly.' 
 
 '"I won't!' 
 
 " 'Give me that shovel, I say,' for we 
 were both church members and had been for 
 many years, and I was inexpressibly shocked 
 at his profanity, and wished to remove the 
 cause. 
 
 33 
 
 J J ..*
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 " 'Shut your head, Mary Morrison ! Whose 
 doing this mining, will you tell me?' 
 
 " 'O, of course you are, but then I wanted 
 to help you if I could,' trying to speak quietly 
 and coming close enough to take the instru- 
 ment of dispute from his hand if he would let 
 me. 
 
 "No reply. 
 
 " 'What did you strike, Pa, that made the 
 shovel ring just now ?' 
 
 "'Shovel! ring! It was ice! bloomin', 
 blasted, infernal ice, I tell you,' he shouted 
 in a rage, standing in black muck almost to his 
 knees, with the same material bespattered 
 over him from head to foot. Indeed his red 
 and perspiring face showed a couple of great, 
 black smirches with which he had unknowing- 
 ly beautified himself. 
 
 "He was fairly sizzling with wrath. "Git 
 down here yourself, and go to work, and see 
 how you like it,' he shouted excitedly, for- 
 getting his English and everything but that 
 we" had encountered an astonishingly hard 
 proposition, and it had gotten the best of us. 
 Like an old clock he was wound up and could 
 not stop. 
 
 ' 'No gold, no nuggets, no grass roots 
 34
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 even; nothing but muck and ice !' and another 
 mouthful of big, strong words gurgled from 
 that man's lips like water from an uncorked 
 jug. 
 
 " 'Don't, Mr. Morrison, don't do that,' 
 said I, in a voice cold as the ice in that four 
 foot hole, 'you may be heard by some one 
 who will report you to the church trustees, 
 and then you will be expelled. At your age 
 it would be a positive disgrace.' 
 
 " 'Shut your mouth, I tell you,' he yelled, 
 'I ain't no baby ! I know what I'm doing, and 
 I know what I want to do, but it ain't mining 
 on this confounded tundra !' 
 
 "At this I clapped my hands over my ears 
 to shut out such language, but he kept on just 
 the same. 
 
 ' 'Did we lease our farm for a whole year 
 with all the machinery and stock, pack up our 
 household furniture and come three thousand 
 miles over this water like the blooming old 
 idiots we are, to dig in a muckhole full of ice ? 
 Did we tell our banker that he should have 
 the very first gold we took out of the ground 
 to pay the two hundred dollar mortgage on 
 our town lots? Does this look much like lift- 
 ing mortgages from anything?' 
 
 35
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "As I made no reply he insisted, 'Does it, 
 I say?' 
 
 " 'No, Pa Morrison, it doesn't,' I admit- 
 ted, 'but wait a minute and let me talk.' 
 
 " 'Well, ain't you talking now?' he re- 
 joined irritably. 
 
 "Without noticing his exasperating words 
 or tone I said calmly: 
 
 ' 'I remember hearing Leroy say when we 
 first arrived that the tundra is a hard and 
 peculiar proposition. Many have failed at 
 mining it, but to those who go to work at it in 
 the right way, at the proper time it will prove 
 a bonanza. Now, probably you and I have 
 not gone at it properly.' 
 
 "A surly silence ensued, during which Pa 
 worked slowly, with anything but a good 
 grace. Leroy was right. The tundra was a 
 hard and peculiar proposition. Nothing like 
 it had we ever seen before. For miles on 
 three sides of us it spread itself like a carpet 
 of green, dotted often with tiny pools of clear 
 water, shining like glass in the June sunshine. 
 Miles away to the northward rolled the 
 smooth-topped hills, only one of them bearing 
 a small, rocky crest; while further away, and 
 forming a background to these, lay the snow- 
 36
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 tipped Sawtooth. 
 
 To the south of us and close at hand spread 
 the wonderful waters upon whose broad and 
 beautiful bosom we had so lately sailed, and 
 whose gently sweeping surf was today making 
 sweet music among the sands and pebbles on 
 the beach. 
 
 "Many ships lay at anchor beyond. How- 
 ever, it was neither the scenery, nor the water, 
 nor the ships that we were now called upon to 
 consider; but a layer of ice, the depth of 
 which we did not know, lying between us and 
 the much desired golden nuggets. The ground 
 lay level and open to the sun, with nothing to 
 prevent its thawing except this peculiar blan- 
 ket of tundra mosses, vines, and plants, which 
 formed an insulator as perfect as if made to 
 order. It was now the middle of June. There 
 was no doubt but that the ice would remain 
 as it was all summer. 
 
 "Giant powder might possibly be used, but 
 it was dangerous and expensive. I would 
 never allow Father to handle the stuff. Better 
 let it all go forever. Probably Pa was right 
 about our being foolish to come here. We 
 could go home again as many people were 
 doing. There lay the steamers making prepa- 
 37
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 rations to sail; but how our friends at home 
 would laugh at us ! 
 
 "On the other hand was it not too soon 
 to pronounce on this tundra, and really no 
 fair trial of the ground or mining? Then, 
 too, our son probably had his own plans for 
 us which must be more intelligent ones, for 
 had he not had some experience and a year's 
 residence in this place? 
 
 "There were the creek claims, besides. 
 They must surely be very different and easier 
 to work. 
 
 "Reasoning thus I had wandered away a 
 short distance by myself in order to let Pa's 
 temper cool, and had forgotten the planning 
 I had started out to do. 
 
 "I now returned. Taking up the gold 
 pan I filled it with dirt and muck from the 
 four foot hole taken directly above the ob- 
 jectionable ice, and though I found its 
 weight almost more than I could carry, and 
 Pa did not offer to help me in the least, I 
 carried it to a small pool of water at no 
 great distance and began to pan it. 
 
 "How heavy it was to be sure. There 
 might be gold in it yet. I would see pres- 
 ently. I had watched men panning on the 
 38
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 beach that morning and I believed I could 
 do it as it appeared very easy. 
 
 "Immersing the pan in the water, after 
 pinning my skirts carefully higher, I began 
 the rotary motion so necessary to separate 
 the gold from the sand and dirt. A moment 
 of this employment and I was breathing 
 heavily and felt very warm. I put the pan 
 down and flung off my sun-bonnet, pulling my 
 sleeves a notch higher before continuing. 
 Again the rotary movement with various 
 dips of the edge of the big pan to let the 
 waste material pass away. Small pebbles 
 showed themselves and had to be picked out, 
 the heavier material sinking in the natural 
 order of things, to the bottom. 
 
 "I was watching the outcome with great 
 interest, though panting for breath and cov- 
 ered with perspiration. Suddenly the soft 
 earth under my right foot gave way, and I 
 found myself, gold pan and all, in the mud 
 and water up to my knees. 
 
 "I thought of Pa and his recent profanity, 
 but I shut my teeth resolutely together, 
 wringing out the edges of my petticoats and 
 pulling my rubber boot tops still higher. 
 
 "Fishing for the gold pan I brought it to 
 39
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 light. Of course its contents were lost, my 
 hands and clothes were muddied and my ef- 
 forts wasted; but I would not give it up yet. 
 
 "Another pan of the same material was 
 brought and a second trial was made, with 
 success this time as the pan was not filled so 
 full. 
 
 "Finally, after shaking, twisting, dipping, 
 picking out pebbles, washing off sand, and 
 resting a moment at intervals, it was finished. 
 
 "There was gold in the pan. 
 
 "A few small 'colors', bright and shining 
 as if made so by much scouring of beach 
 sand, appeared in the bottom of the gold pan 
 to gladden my longing eyes, and I hastened 
 to show them to Pa Morrison, whose head 
 and shoulders were still visible in that four 
 foot hole. 
 
 " 'Humph!' said he, in much disgust, as I 
 exhibited the result of my labors. 'Is that 
 all?' 
 
 " 'Why, yes.' 
 
 " 'And no nuggets?' 
 
 " 'No nuggets.' 
 
 "At that he flung the pick he had been us- 
 ing in the ice upon the ground. 
 
 " 'I'm going home', he said shortly. 
 40
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 "Now I hardly knew whether he intended 
 to say he was going to the United States, or 
 to the little cabin and tent on Front Street, 
 but rather than run the risk of exploding an- 
 other bomb of wrath like the last one by ask- 
 ing a question, I kept quiet and made prepar- 
 ations to go back to our tent. 
 
 "On the beach we washed our hands and 
 smoothed our clothing as best we could; but 
 the frown which had lodged on Pa's fore- 
 head remained. 
 
 "That evening when Leroy had returned 
 from his work and we had eaten our eight 
 o'clock supper with the sun still shining very 
 brightly upon the tent, the boy lighted his 
 pipe and asked for the story of the day's 
 doings. 
 
 "I then gave it from the beginning. When 
 I reached Pa's discovery of the ice in the 
 prospect hole on the tundra, Leroy laughed 
 heartily. Then seeing the aggrieved look on 
 his father's face, and, I suppose, a bothered 
 one on my own, he became more serious, and 
 drawing closer, took my hand in both of his. 
 
 " 'I never intended you to begin mining 
 in that way, Mother,' he said, simply, in a 
 low voice. 'I want you here to help me keep 
 41
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 house, to mend my clothes, to bake bread 
 and fry griddle cakes, and do the many lit- 
 tle things for Father and me that only you 
 can do. In this way I can keep my health 
 and give all my time to my mining.' 
 
 " 'I want you, Father,' he continued, lay- 
 ing his hand affectionately on his pa's knee, 
 'to do my book-keeping, reckoning the time 
 and wages of my men at work on the claims. 
 Accounts of assessment work on twenty 
 claims, besides new prospecting in different 
 localities, will give you something to do after 
 cutting the kindling for Mother; and neither 
 of you need feel that you are useless nor 
 idle. Part of these gold claims are yours, 
 and in your own names, and you can both 
 make short 'mushing' trips of inspection 
 over the country when you like; though the 
 new railroad up Anvil will be finished in a 
 few weeks, and then you can ride. Under 
 no consideration must either of you think for 
 one moment of buying steamer tickets back 
 to the States inside of a year. At the end 
 of that time we will be taking out so much 
 gold that you will not wish to leave, I as- 
 sure you. I am almost thirty years old now, 
 Mother, and you and Father are all I have,' 
 42
 
 UNDER THE TUNDRA 
 
 he said softly, pressing my hand. 
 
 "Then I kissed his forehead and promised 
 to stay, and I have never been sorry. Father 
 said he would try it a year, and then see about 
 staying longer, and here we are still in Nome 
 after four years without once going 'outside'. 
 
 "And you like it here?" they asked. 
 
 "Very much indeed, because our ground is 
 turning out finely, and Leroy is so good to us. 
 
 "About that tundra claim, however, noth- 
 ing was ever done. Pa could never be induced 
 to step his foot upon it again, and being so de- 
 termined in the matter, we just let it drop. 
 
 "There it is yet, St. Charles cream can, 
 stakes, and all; but the four foot hole, with its 
 icy foundations, is nowhere to be seen, having 
 been long ago levelled by wind and weather." 
 
 43
 
 1 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 summer of 1897 was a memor- 
 able one in the great Northwest. 
 It was then that the first authen- 
 tic news of the immense richness 
 of the Klondyke region became 
 public. Less than a dozen persons had win- 
 tered on Bonanza and Eldorado, the famous 
 gold creeks discovered by Carmack in Septem- 
 ber, 1896, and these reported the marvelously 
 rich "strikes." Certain weighty moosehide 
 sacks they carried, confirmed their stories. 
 
 Two weeks later the docks of the principal 
 cities on the sunset coast presented a changed 
 appearance. All was hurry and flurry. Ships 
 being loaded to the deck rails were moored 
 by their great hawsers alongside docks groan- 
 ing under immense freight deposited upon 
 them. The rush and clatter of drays and 
 wagons united in one deep, deafening roar. 
 These huge masses of freight and baggage 
 presented the same general appearance. 
 Everything with which to begin mining life in 
 44
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 a new and barren country was there. Dog 
 sleds and fur robes, heavy army sacks cram- 
 med to their drawstrings with Mackinaw and 
 rubber clothing, boots and shoes, boats, tents, 
 dogs and horses, piles of lumber for boat 
 building, coils of rope, dog harness and bales 
 of hay, while fat yellow coated hams bulged 
 in heaps both gay and greasy in the summer 
 sun as though further frying were unneces- 
 sary. 
 
 There were mining tools heaped in corners 
 or against the walls of warehouses, being 
 stacked too high to safely keep their places if 
 jostled ever so lightly. New and clean gold 
 pans, one inside another, towered roofward 
 among outfits of aspiring tradespeople of the 
 prospective camps in the Klondyke; these 
 same rich men in embryo being also the pro- 
 prietors of the closely piled sacks of flour, 
 meal and beans, along with hundreds of cases 
 of butter, eggs and cream, ad infinitum. 
 
 Among the hurrying, excited men prepar- 
 ing for departure an undesirably large num- 
 ber were those anxiously caring for bottle- 
 filled cases and black barrels, cumbrous and 
 heavy enough to have been already crammed 
 with Klondyke gold; but in reality being full 
 
 45
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 to the brim of that which (their owners prog- 
 nosticated) would relieve them of using pick 
 and shovel, and bring them without effort 
 after their arrival in the new diggings all the 
 shining gold they could want to handle. It 
 concerned them little that they would give in 
 exchange for all this wealth only that which 
 would deplete the pockets, befuddle the brains 
 and steal the wits of the deluded purchasers, 
 making them in every case less able to cope 
 with adverse conditions so desperate in this 
 new, untried, and remote region. 
 
 These men walked, well dressed and pomp- 
 ous, among their goods and chattels on the 
 great and busy wharves in the hot sunshine, 
 mopping their perspiring brows and fat 
 cheeks, which latter, like those of well kept 
 porkers, adorned their rubicund faces. Across 
 their broad waistcoats dangled glittering 
 ropes and "charms" of tawdry composition, 
 well suited to the ankles of a chaingang, so 
 heavy were they; and from spotless white shirt 
 fronts there shone jewels (?) of enormous 
 size and cheapness. 
 
 Above the din was heard at short intervals 
 on the steamer's deck the rattle of machinery, 
 dropping huge, freight-laden nets or baskets 
 46
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 into the hold. Upon the wharves hustled 
 blackened stevedores, flushed and panting, 
 reeking with perspiration and tobacco juice, 
 but straining, tugging, lifting until one could 
 almost imagine he heard their muscles snap; 
 resolutely and steadily laboring hour after 
 hour, until at last, wearied beyond further en- 
 durance, they gave way to others who sprang 
 energetically into their places. 
 
 It was little past midsummer. A large ship 
 of the collier class, lately fitted in the roughest 
 possible manner for carrying passengers to 
 Alaska, lay alongside the dock in the great 
 town of S. Hundreds of people waited on 
 shore to catch the latest glimpse of friends 
 about to leave them, while a round thousand 
 of those eager to "strike it rich" in the new 
 Klondyke swarmed over the vessel. 
 
 Of these, many, no doubt, would never re- 
 turn. It was a sad day, and brightened only 
 by that hope without which the world would 
 be undone. 
 
 Upon their arrival in the quiet little sea of 
 Lynn three days later all hands were cheered 
 because this indicated the end of their uncom- 
 fortable voyage; and even if new discomforts 
 awaited them, they would, at least, be those 
 47
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 occurring on shore and under broad heavens, 
 in pure, cool air, where the fetid atmosphere 
 of ship's steerage quarters was unknown. 
 
 But alas ! When the dense fog lifted, and 
 the sun with diffidence peeped through its 
 grey and watery veil, the sight that met the 
 eyes of the expectant argonauts was grand but 
 not reassuring. Mountains rose to wondrous 
 heights above and on all sides of them, while 
 those directly in front, and barring them from 
 their desired route and destination in sheer 
 contrariety loomed heaven-high, as though 
 they would rend the azure sky with their jag- 
 ged and snowy peaks. Steep and precipitous 
 rose the sides of those giant hills directly from 
 the water's edge except where, at the foot of 
 the Grand Canyon, trending northward, a 
 small tract of wet and boggy land dejectedly 
 spread itself. Between this and the anchored 
 vessel upon the decks of which stood the thou- 
 sand would-be miners the waters of old Lynn 
 rose and fell with an ocean's pulsing, at the 
 same time quietly moving in their accustomed 
 way among the beach sands and shingle. No 
 soothing lap of the waters against the sides 
 of the vessel consoled these unromantic men. 
 There were no docks or wharves at Skagway. 
 48
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 The immense ship's cargo must be unloaded 
 into small boats or hastily built scows to be 
 towed ashore over the shallow waters. It was 
 the beginning of a gigantic undertaking, and 
 many, hearing of a more desirable landing- 
 spot and a quicker, easier mountain pass 
 further on, kept with the ship to Dyea. But 
 the same low and lazily lapping waters sur- 
 rounded them as at Skagway. Tides rose and 
 fell, and, at their own will, fogs settled and 
 lifted. 
 
 By turns rain came, winds blew, and the 
 sun shone, the latter in a subdued and ap- 
 parently reluctant manner, as in winter on 
 the shores of old Puget. 
 
 At this stage of affairs there was no fur- 
 ther postponement of an evil day possible, 
 and the remaining voyagers with their 
 freight were hustled on shore with as much 
 expedition as was permissible with a few 
 barges, flat-bottomed fishing boats, and In- 
 dian canoes. 
 
 With their faraway homes behind them, 
 and the top of lowering mountains often 
 hidden by storm-clouds before them, these 
 hundreds of daring argonauts faced the 
 hardships of a trail, and life in an Alaskan 
 
 49
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 mountain wilderness; their own backs and 
 those of a few pack animals being the only 
 means of transporting many tons of neces- 
 sary supplies into the vast interior to which 
 they journeyed. 
 
 To say that the courage of no man failed 
 at the prospect would be untrue; but none 
 liked to appear to his fellows to weaken, and 
 notwithstanding the disheartening outlook, 
 all set to work with a will until the hold of 
 the great ship was entirely empty and her 
 waterline had risen many feet above the rip- 
 ples of Lynn. 
 
 The scene on shore was a repetition of 
 that on the neighboring beach at Skagway, sep- 
 arated from it, however, by glittering peaks, 
 the snows of which were melted daily by the 
 sun and warm wind and found their way in 
 streams down ravines and canyons, across 
 glaciers and around boulders, dropping low- 
 er and still lower to the moraines near salt 
 water. 
 
 Busy indeed was the scene now presented. 
 Colonies of canvas tents were grouped upon 
 the beaches close above the high water mark 
 where the outfits of the travelers had been 
 hastily dumped. Camp fires crackled and 
 50
 
 The scene on shore was a repetition of 
 
 that on the neighboring beach 
 
 at Skagwan
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 Indian fishermen traded fresh salmon for 
 tobacco; but the tired and already mud-be-' 
 draggled prospectors slept heavily upon the 
 damp, cold ground when too much exhaust- 
 ed to proceed further with their "packing." 
 
 The race was now on. With many it was 
 a race to their death. On sight of the strug- 
 gle at closer range, men formed themselves 
 into groups or partnerships, thinking thus 
 to simplify and make easier the crossing with 
 their heavy outfits these tremendous moun- 
 tains. In some instances this was a wise pre- 
 caution, but in many more cases it was fol- 
 lowed by failure to work harmoniously to- 
 gether, and profanity, bad feeling, and 
 quarreling ensued. 
 
 Like fish in their native element, or vam- 
 pires living off others, so the fat and rubi- 
 cund-visaged owners of the bulky, black bar- 
 rels before mentioned, flourished on the 
 needs, discouragements and extremity of 
 their brothers. Booths and shacks were ex- 
 peditiously erected above their barrels 
 dumped out upon the sands, counters and 
 rude seats were provided, while flaring, star- 
 ing cloth signs were flung out informing all 
 that this was "The Shelter", "Tommy's 
 53
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 Place", or "Your Own Fireside", in order to 
 allure the cold, weary and disheartened travel- 
 ers into the saloons. Here, in exchange for 
 their money, they were given poisonous and 
 adulterated liquors, imbibing which, with 
 empty stomachs and discouraged hearts, 
 they became ill-natured and selfish, as well 
 as in a chronic state of internal drought. 
 
 At Skagway the army of "stampeders" 
 swarmed up into the mountains. Following 
 the Skagway River northward up the Grand 
 Canyon, their difficult trail crossed and re- 
 crossed the bed of the stream many times. 
 With small trees "corduroy" bridges were 
 hastily thrown down in spots made impassa- 
 ble by bogs and the continued tread of hun- 
 dreds of hurrying feet. With quick, impa- 
 tient axe strokes men struck at overhanging 
 and obstructing trees and vines. On all sides 
 hung huge boulders and cliffs like pouting, 
 protruding lips, as if the mountains had been 
 shaken into shape by some subterrane force 
 and resented even yet their rough treatment. 
 Mosses hung from tree trunks, and vines 
 thickly blanketed the rocks and ledges be- 
 tween which dashed sparkling waterfalls in 
 haste to join the Skagway below. It mat- 
 54
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 tered not if the hot noonday sun at times en- 
 tered these fastnesses; it served only to 
 cheer the hearts of little birds and animals, 
 and bring to pestiferous life millions of mos- 
 quitoes and flies to torment both day and 
 night the unfortunate toilers on the White 
 Pass Trail. 
 
 These toilers worked in desperation. 
 Their mad haste was infectious. Men liter- 
 ally tumbled over each other on the trail in 
 their eagerness to put the Passes behind 
 them. Every man carried strapped upon his 
 back as much of a load as it was possible for 
 him to carry, and often times more, with the 
 not infrequent result that they dropped be- 
 neath their packs on the trail. In like man- 
 ner they loaded the animals they drove be- 
 fore them, and here was exhibited man's aw- 
 ful inhumanity to the dumb brutes. Pack 
 horses, mules and dogs, loaded to top-heavi- 
 ness and cinched until one could almost hear 
 their bones crack, climbed, straining, strug- 
 gling, panting, wild eyed and steaming from 
 over-exertion under the lash of angry and 
 profane drivers, until they sank to their 
 haunches, helpless and exhausted, in some 
 quagmire. Such common misfortune neces- 
 55
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 sitated the unloading of the poor beast at the 
 loss of time and patience, not only of his 
 own driver, but those following, as any ob- 
 struction to this narrow trail was greeted 
 with extreme disfavor. 
 
 Language both bad and bitter was hourly 
 exchanged between men on this strenuous 
 stampede to the Klondyke in the fall of '97. 
 Animosities were born which die only when 
 hearts in men's bosoms are forever stilled. 
 Feuds were here originated, which if not set- 
 tled with firearms were ended in ways as 
 deadly afterwards. 
 
 Conditions on the Chilkoot were identical. 
 "Tenderfeet" were there as tender, and the 
 way as rough, even if a trifle shorter than 
 that over the White Pass. Nor were the 
 tempers of the Chilkoot argonauts better 
 than those of their neighbors. 
 
 One root of the matter was not far to 
 seek. Had they been content to leave li- 
 quors untouched, nerves would have been 
 less often jarred, patience would not have 
 become so soon exhausted, while brains 
 would have been clearer to plan, foresee, and 
 execute. Not every man drank liquors. 
 There were numbers whose strongest stimu- 
 56
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 lant was the fragrant coffee, or water from 
 the mountain springs; and these were among 
 the quiet, helpful ones who plodded pati- 
 ently and industriously; lending a kindly 
 hand to some unfortunate fallen comrade or 
 animal along the rock-bound trail. They, too, 
 were the ones who soonest reached the first 
 objective point of their journey the end of 
 mountaineering at Bennett, from which place 
 their boats would carry them into the Klon- 
 dyke. 
 
 Among hundreds of others two travelers 
 one day trudged with heavy packs upon their 
 backs, each following his loaded mule, which, 
 once placed in the long line of men and ani- 
 mals, wending their way toward the moun- 
 tains, would not, in self-defense choose to de- 
 viate from that course. 
 
 Both men were strong, of middle age, and 
 with money and supplies enough to take them 
 into the gold fields. After landing at Skag- 
 way they decided to go into partnership, chief- 
 ly for the purpose of receiving assistance. 
 
 Little thought was given by either to the 
 help he was to render his partner; and al- 
 though they had now been but a few days to- 
 gether, each had already reminded the other 
 57
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 of some fancied duty to himself; which act, 
 often repeated, will sometimes stir up un- 
 pleasantly the muddy waters of men's souls. 
 After having gotten a late start from Skag- 
 way, they had gone only about two miles up 
 the Canyon when both men and mules seemed 
 too much fagged to proceed further without 
 rest, and as night was close upon them they 
 decided to make camp. 
 
 Turning to the west side of the Canyon 
 they moved laboriously among fallen logs, 
 boulders and driftwood, and through the 
 tangle of vines, ferns, and foliage which also 
 barred their way. 
 
 When they were well out of sight of their 
 trail companions they found themselves close 
 under a huge wall of rock in the steep moun- 
 tain side which made a quiet spot for camp- 
 ing. 
 
 Selecting an open space between trees, the 
 packs of all were deposited upon the ground. 
 Men and mules now breathed deeply, and 
 rested strained muscles, so chafed beneath the 
 heavy and unaccustomed packs. 
 
 "Give the mules enough rope, but fasten 
 'em tight, Smithson," said one, "we don't 
 want 'em wanderin' away and we havin' to 
 58 '
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 hunt 'em up. Time is too precious on this 
 trail, and there are too many fellows around 
 wishin' fur just such mules. We'd have a 
 dandy time hiking it over the Pass with our 
 four tons of grub all on our backs, wouldn't 
 we?" 
 
 "It would take us a year, sure," was the re- 
 ply, "and may as it is. I know one thing. 
 I'm goin' to take a drink before continuing 
 these proceedings, and I advise you to do the 
 same," pulling a flat bottle from his "jumper" 
 pocket and putting it to his lips. 
 
 For answer his companion dropped the 
 sticks he had been gathering for a fire, and 
 produced a duplicate bottle which he quickly 
 appropriated in like manner. 
 
 To an old miner, inured to such life, the 
 work of pitching camp here would have been 
 slight, but to these men it was a new experi- 
 ence. Cooking upon a camp fire, sleeping 
 upon a bed of boughs, cut from the thicket 
 when exhausted after new and hard labor was 
 bad enough; but when to this was added the 
 almost unendurable stinging and singing of 
 the ever present mosquitoes it was a thousand 
 fold worse. A good fire and smoke must be 
 kept going all night, and by lying close beside 
 59
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 it they hoped to get some rest from the in- 
 sects. 
 
 Before sleeping the two men planned their 
 next day's work. They would leave every- 
 thing and ride back to Skagway for another 
 load of supplies, getting all here under the 
 rock before proceeding further up the trail. 
 
 In the meantime the bothersome winged in- 
 sects buzzed and flirted. They crept into the 
 ears of men and mules in spite of the long 
 journey the latter necessitated; the poor brutes 
 learned after a time either to keep up a con- 
 tinual flopping of these head ornaments, or 
 to assume a low, drooping position, thus keep- 
 ing their ear chambers closed to visitors; while 
 their caudal appendages were not allowed a 
 moment's respite from duty. The men re- 
 lieved themselves of bitter and revengeful 
 sentiments toward their unwelcome visitants 
 by deep and hearty curses, until a little later, 
 worn and weary, in the camp-fire "smudge" 
 they slept despite their discomforts. It is not 
 really known, but it is supposed, that the two 
 long eared animals might have done good 
 work that night had they been wise enough to 
 also raise their voices in protest; the mosqui- 
 toes of these mountain fastnesses being as yet 
 60
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 unused to such foreign and reverberating 
 sounds. 
 
 However, the men slept fitfully, though 
 they arose in testy humor the following morn- 
 ing and took immediate recourse to their whis- 
 key bottles upon awaking. 
 
 The mules were still fastened to a tree near- 
 by. They had crossed in front of the wall of 
 rock which was moss covered to such an ex- 
 tent that its face was considerably hidden, 
 and then climbed higher in an attempt to se- 
 cure the best herbage, and were still brows- 
 ing. 
 
 "Smithson, you're the youngest, you fetch 
 the mules while I make the fire for breakfast," 
 said Roberts to his companion, yawning and 
 rubbing his mosquito bitten hands and face. 
 
 "Do it yourself ! I'm only two years young- 
 er than you. If I'm going to hear that gag 
 every time there is anything extra hard to do 
 on this trip I'll quit now and hunt a boy to 
 work with," was the disgruntled answer. 
 
 "Do it then ! I don't care; though I don't 
 think it's harder to get the mules than to bring 
 water, cut wood, and get breakfast, do you? 
 I'll swap jobs if you want to, but getting the 
 mules includes watering them at the creek, of 
 61
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 course." 
 
 "Oh, yes, of course," echoed Smithson in 
 a surly voice. 
 
 "You better get a move on or I'll have 
 breakfast cooked and eaten before you get 
 'round to anything. You needn't suppose 
 I'm going to do your work and mine, too," 
 was the impatient rejoinder of Roberts as he 
 swung his axe hard into a stick of wet wood 
 he was cutting. 
 
 Smithson shuffled off up the bluff in search 
 of the animals, which, when found, were 
 treated in no very kindly manner by the sour 
 faced, mosquito-bitten and generally disgust- 
 ed tenderfoot, whose introduction into this 
 new world was, apparently, taking all good- 
 nature out of him. 
 
 The mules made no resistance and were 
 soon poking their noses into the creek wa- 
 ters where Smithson had led them. When 
 he returned to camp expecting to find a 
 smoking breakfast awaiting him, he was dis- 
 appointed. Looking about for Roberts he 
 saw him against the face of the cliff nearly 
 half way to its top. 
 
 "Smithson, come here quick," called Rob- 
 erts in a voice trembling with excitement. 
 62
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 "I won't do it! I want my breakfast. 
 What are you doing? Picking wild flowers, 
 I suppose. How're we goin' to get along 
 without grub, I'd like to know. Come down, 
 I say!" 
 
 Roberts appeared to be working indus- 
 triously. Finally he rose from his stooping 
 position, and motioning to his partner, called 
 out in a low tone : 
 
 "Come quick, man, or you'll be sorry! 
 Never mind breakfast; you can eat that any 
 day; but you don't see this sight often." 
 
 With that Smithson ambled over to the 
 foot of the cliff. 
 
 "What is it?" he inquired crossly. 
 
 "Catch this bit of rock and look at it," 
 said Roberts in a low, excited voice, drop- 
 ping a small white fragment at the feet of 
 the other. 
 
 "By Jove! Roberts, it carries gold!" 
 
 "Shut your mouth ! Don't tell the men on 
 the trail! These hills have ears and plenty 
 of 'em. Come up here quick, but first bring 
 a pick and hammer from the packs." 
 
 With that the dilatory fellow forgot his 
 hunger, his mosquito-bitten hands and face, 
 and in less than two minutes was climbing up 
 63
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 the cliff with the tools. 
 
 He found his partner looking well pleased 
 but perspiring. As Smithson joined him he 
 sat down on the rock and mopped his face 
 with his red bandana. 
 
 "What made you come up here?" asked 
 Smithson, "I thought you were gettin' the 
 grub." 
 
 "So I was, but I had no dry wood, and 
 saw some near the foot of the cliff. Coming 
 to get it I saw that the ropes of the mules 
 had crossed this rock and as they climbed 
 higher their ropes pulled tighter and had 
 worn off the moss which fell to the ground 
 below. Among this moss there were several 
 bits of whitish rock which seemed to be 
 quartz. Then I saw a spot high above my 
 head that looked like the small piece below, 
 and climbed to see, when you came back and 
 found me." 
 
 "What do you think of it?" asked Smith- 
 son. 
 
 "Think of it? Why, man, we have struck 
 a quartz ledge with gold in it! See that 
 shiny yellow stuff, scattered through this 
 rock! Can't you tell gold when you see it?" 
 
 "Yes, but perhaps that's all there is of it 
 64
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 what then?" 
 
 "A likely story! No, sir, there's more 
 where that comes from. Give me that pick ! 
 You scrape off the moss and break up some 
 of the rock as I get it out, and we'll see what 
 it looks like; but above all things we must 
 not forget to speak low, for by Jiminy 
 crickets ! we don't want to see anyone around 
 here but you and me." 
 
 "What about goin' to Skagway for the 
 freight?" 
 
 "We won't go to-day. We've got enough 
 grub to last till to-morrow. We'll work 
 right here." 
 
 They did so. Even the mosquitoes were 
 forgotten. At noon they wondered what 
 made them feel so faint. The bottles in 
 their "jumper" pockets were empty they 
 had eaten nothing since the night before. 
 Both at last decided to quit work and pre- 
 pare their meal before prospecting further. 
 
 In their eager efforts to get at the width 
 of the ledge the men afterwards scraped off 
 the moss and vines, by this means exposing 
 what appeared to be a four foot vein. On 
 each side of this vein ran a wall of hard, 
 dark rock they did not recognize, but the 
 65
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 quartz was quartz and carried free gold; 
 and that at present was enough for them. In 
 their ignorance they knew nothing of which 
 way the vein "dipped", of what the "gangue" 
 was composed, nor how often and where 
 "faults" occurred. The question in hand 
 was the presence of gold and the length, 
 width, and depth of the quartz lode. The 
 gold was really there in pretty yellow streaks 
 and spots, shining brightly in whichever way 
 it was turned. 
 
 Of course Roberts claimed the discovery. 
 This angered his partner. 
 
 "The mules are the real discoverers," de- 
 clared Smithson with spirit, "and one of 
 them is mine. You knew very well that the 
 quartz was there when you sent me after the 
 animals so you could prospect the place." 
 
 "You're a liar, and you know it!" retort- 
 ed Roberts, hotly. "There is none so sus- 
 picious of others as a rogue. If you under- 
 stood mining laws you would know that by 
 being my partner one half of all I find is 
 yours without your raising a finger, and you 
 could quit this howl before beginning. A 
 man may be an idiot in the States if he 
 chooses, but here he needs all the sense he was 
 66
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 born with besides what he can cultivate." 
 With this thrust Roberts picked up his tools 
 to resume his prospecting. 
 
 "I like that first rate. It reminds me of 
 home and Hannah. I presume you want 
 me to put these things in a grub box and wash 
 the dishes while you go out to prospect your 
 quartz ledge, don't you?" sneered Smith- 
 son, in whose temper there was little im- 
 provement since he had eaten because his 
 stock of whiskey and tobacco was exhausted. 
 
 "It is almost as easy as swinging a heavy 
 iron pick, I reckon," replied Roberts sar- 
 castically. 
 
 With this the men parted. A fresh dis- 
 pute soon arose, however, as to whether the 
 ledge should be immediately staked or not. 
 
 "We would surely be fools to go and 
 leave it for others, especially as it is uncov- 
 ered and in plain sight," objected Smithson. 
 
 "We will cover it so that none can find it. 
 If we stake the ledge it must be recorded in 
 Skagway, and the moment we do that our 
 secret is out. By simply planting stakes or 
 monuments, we cannot hold the ground from 
 others^ but it must be on record. Now if we 
 stop here long all these fellows on the trail
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 will get into Dawson ahead of us and gobble 
 up the claims. We started out for placer 
 gold creek gold not quartz gold which 
 takes machinery for development. By go- 
 ing to Dawson first we may find enough to 
 allow of our opening up this ledge in a year 
 or two." 
 
 "Well, I've always heard that 'a bird in 
 the hand is worth two in the bush', and if 
 this is true I think we'd better stay right 
 here." 
 
 "If you knew more you would kick less. 
 It takes a lot more money to open up quartz 
 mines than we've got or ever may have. But 
 I see what you're after. You want to stay 
 near Skagway and its well warmed bar- 
 rooms, don't you?" laughed Roberts. 
 
 "You go to blazes !" 
 
 "No, no, I'm going to Dawson. But first 
 I think we'd better drop this business and 
 pack our supplies from Skagway, don't 
 you?" asked the more sensible man of the 
 two. 
 
 "Yes, yes," said Smithson, who was think- 
 ing of his whiskey and tobacco in that place, 
 and of his chronic thirst which water from the 
 mountain could not allay. 
 68
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 Before leaving, the new prospect hole was 
 hidden from the view of stragglers. A few 
 tall saplings were felled, which, with foliage 
 still upon them, were pushed over the edge 
 of the cliff with stems downward in order 
 that their leafy tops might rest against the 
 prospected rock and temporarily hide the 
 new discovery. In case anyone happened 
 that way it would appear to them that the 
 saplings had been felled and dropped over 
 the cliff for firewood. 
 
 By this time the White Pass trail had 
 grown to be a veritable horror. Men were 
 ill and suffering from hard work and expo- 
 sure. Animals lay dead at the foot of cliffs, 
 over the edges of which they had slipped or 
 been crowded with packs still strapped upon 
 their sore and bleeding backs. Others lay, 
 stripped of all accoutrements, in the hot sun- 
 shine among the buzzing flies, after a broken 
 leg had necessitated a bullet in the head, thus 
 causing stenches to fill the nostrils of the al- 
 ready suffering and oppressed passersby. No 
 one had time to bury animals. If a man fell 
 it was, of course, obligatory to halt from 
 their "packing" long enough to dig a shallow 
 bed among the rocks; but this done, and a 
 69
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 handful of granite fragments heaped above 
 his head, the procession moved on as before. 
 No time could be spared for headstone 
 marking; and long after these strugglers of 
 the argonauts on the White Pass Trail were 
 forgotten by all but the participants (who 
 will never to their dying day forget them) 
 these lonely mounds of the fallen men could 
 at intervals have been seen flanked by bleach- 
 ing bones of defunct animals. 
 
 Lonely indeed were these dreary resting 
 places. The scream of the eagle as he easily 
 swung on powerful pinions from cliff to cliff 
 on family errands or to drink at the foot of 
 some rushing cascade was the only dirge that 
 was sung. Ferns swayed gently in shaded 
 nooks, and wild flowers nodded familiarly to 
 each other. Filmy winged bees flitted with 
 bustling movement head foremost into the 
 cups of bluebells beneath skies as azure as 
 they, and in atmosphere as pure as God could 
 make it. 
 
 In winter all this was changed. Snow cov- 
 ered the little mounds as well as the whole 
 surrounding region; and intermittently the 
 falling flakes whirled and drifted into ravines 
 and canyons, making them level with the steep 
 70
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 mountain-sides; presently melting under the 
 sunshine and beginning a race to the sea. 
 
 However, the argonauts hurried on. They 
 were not here to moralize they had some- 
 thing else to do. 
 
 As the two men proceeded, making numer- 
 ous trips with the freight laden mules between 
 camps, they found, much to their disappoint- 
 ment, that, without assistance, they would not 
 be able to reach Lake Bennett in time to build 
 a boat and make their way into the Klondyke 
 before being overtaken by winter. 
 
 In order to proceed faster it would be 
 necessary to hire Indian packers to help them 
 over the summit of the Pass, else the sun of 
 another summer would see them still wearily 
 toiling on that terrible trail. 
 
 Indians were then hired. The great moun- 
 tain tops, bald of everything save boulders 
 and a few saucer-shaped lakelets reflecting in 
 their cold depths the floating clouds above, 
 seemed now for the first time to encourage 
 the harassed and footsore travelers. 
 
 Soon they were cheered by entering a for- 
 est. Here was fuel in abundance, and shelter, 
 at least partial, from frosts and rain. Below, 
 the green and level "meadows" beckoned to 
 71
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 them, and still farther the shining waters of 
 Bennett. But trail troubles would soon for 
 them be over, and with lighter hearts, though 
 with weary feet and backs, they stumbled on in 
 their eagerness to reach the long waterway 
 which was to guide them into the promised 
 land. 
 
 Beautiful Bennett! How pure its waters, 
 and how clean its sands ! With what maiden- 
 ly modesty it nestles in the rugged arms of its 
 lovers, the sky-piercing mountains ! 
 
 Tents were everywhere. Cabins rose in a 
 night. In surrounding thickets were the axes 
 of men heard, felling trees for boat-building. 
 Night and day this continued, and turns were 
 taken at sleeping in order that the work might 
 not be stopped; indeed, some men seemed 
 never to sleep, so intent were they on making 
 an early entrance into the gold fields ahead. 
 
 Not so, Smithson. He slept more than ever. 
 His bottle made him drowsy. It did not in- 
 crease the sweetness of his naturally selfish 
 disposition, which under the delays, hardships, 
 and extra expense of their journey had rather 
 increased his laziness and stubbornness. 
 
 Nothing Roberts did pleased him. They 
 often came to words, but never to blows in an 
 72
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 argument, for sooner than do this Roberts 
 would turn on his heel and leave his partner 
 to fall asleep and thus escape his burden of 
 the work. 
 
 "Come now," said Roberts one morning, 
 "our boat is nearly finished and we ought to 
 be off and away in about two days. You can 
 surely do the caulking of seams, after which 
 I'll paint her." 
 
 "I never caulked a boat in my life, and I 
 think it a poor time to begin," said Smithson. 
 "If it isn't done right all hands may go to 
 the bottom. You better get someone else to 
 do it." 
 
 "There is nobody but me to do it unless we 
 pay ten dollars a day, and we can't afford that. 
 I've done most of the work so far, and I think 
 you might take hold now like a man if you 
 never do again," argued Roberts. 
 
 The words "like a man" nettled Smithson. 
 He resented the inference that he was not 
 manly. Seizing his hat he shambled off toward 
 the beach where the boat was in process of 
 construction. 
 
 His heart was filled with anger. He began 
 fairly to hate Roberts. He had no right to 
 order him around, and he hated to leave that 
 73
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 quartz ledge. If Roberts were only out of his 
 way the hidden ledge would all be his own. 
 He had pondered this many times when his 
 working partner supposed him sleeping. Only 
 for Roberts he could sell the boat and supplies 
 for double their cost, return to Skagway, and 
 build a cabin near the quartz ledge, thus es- 
 caping the long and dangerous trip down the 
 lakes and rivers as well as the awful Arctic 
 winter which he more and more dreaded in 
 the Klondyke. On the south side of the moun- 
 tains the weather would be more mild; he 
 would have no difficulty in finding another 
 partner, if not of his own sex, then the other 
 why not? he asked himself. The owner of 
 a ledge like that one might afford luxuries 
 beyond those of the common people. In this 
 way he ruminated, standing with his hands in 
 pockets alongside the boat he was expected to 
 finish by caulking. 
 
 Smithson hated work. Why should he 
 work? There was enough gold in the big 
 ledge on the other side of the summit to keep 
 him as long as he lived if he could have the 
 whole and manage it to suit himself. Could 
 a boat be caulked lightly in spots, he won- 
 dered, so that such weak places might be plug- 
 74
 
 ged at the proper moment afterwards, making 
 it fill with water and sink with its freight? 
 
 It might be done, but that would be bad 
 policy, for freight landed even this far had 
 cost large sums of money; farther on it would 
 be worth more and could be sold for many 
 times what they had paid for it at starting; 
 but men were far too plenty. One man would 
 not be missed. It might be managed, per- 
 haps, and he decided to do the caulking as re- 
 quested by Roberts. 
 
 An hour later a fair beginning had been 
 made. A fire was built over which the smoke 
 of melting pitch ascended, while oakum was 
 filling the seams of the boat's sides under the 
 hands of the new ship-builder. 
 
 Smithson could work if he liked. When 
 his partner, after taking a much needed rest 
 and nap, came out to see how the business was 
 progressing he was well pleased. The work 
 appeared satisfactory. 
 
 "I'm afraid you'll be sick, old fellow, after 
 such exertion as this," laughed he with a 
 twinkle in his eye, "for you're breaking your 
 record, sure; but keep right on; I'll get paint 
 and brushes in readiness to start my job the 
 moment you've done. The sun will soon dry 
 75
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 all thoroughly," and he hastened back to their 
 tent. 
 
 For reply the new workman only lighted 
 his pipe. His mind was busy and he needed 
 a nerve-quieter. The train of thought in which 
 he had just indulged was strange, and rather 
 disquieting altogether he needed the smoke. 
 
 The common industry at Bennett was now 
 the launching of boats. Hundreds of frail 
 and faulty craft were started upon their long 
 voyage to the Klondyke laden with freight 
 to the water's edge. Men who had never 
 before used a saw, axe, or plane, here built 
 boats and sailed courageously away. 
 
 Smithson and Roberts had done the same. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon. The storm 
 clouds were rapidly gathering overhead. 
 The men had raised a sail and were scud- 
 ding northward before the wind towards 
 Caribou. If they could make the crossing 
 that night, Roberts said, they would be in 
 luck. To sleep on shore and sail again next 
 morning was his plan. 
 
 Night came on. No other craft was near. 
 The wind flapped their small sail and the 
 yardarm wobbled badly. Roberts sat in the 
 stern. 
 
 76
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 "Mind the sail, there, Smithson, and pull 
 that tarpaulin over the grub pile, for by Jin- 
 go ! we're goin' to catch it now!" as the cold 
 rain dashed full against their faces, and they 
 both crouched lower in the boat. 
 
 "Haul in the sail!" shouted Roberts, an 
 instant later at the top of his voice, and 
 Smithson arose presumedly to obey. 
 
 "Haul in the sail!" repeated Roberts 
 while tending the rudder, as the other hesi- 
 tated. 
 
 With that the man addressed moved, but 
 not in the way expected. He grasped the 
 yardarm and swung it suddenly and heavily 
 around against Roberts. 
 
 Instantly the side of the little craft dipped 
 low, shipping water, but the roar of the gale 
 drowned the noise of a sudden splash. A 
 cry of horror, the flash of two hands in the 
 water, and the boat sped madly away on her 
 course. 
 
 Ten minutes later the white capped wa- 
 ters tossed a boat upon the beach near Cari- 
 bou. Its one occupant looked wildly around 
 in the darkness but presently managed to 
 make a fire by which to warm and dry him- 
 self. 
 
 77
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 He muttered incoherently meanwhile. 
 
 "I didn't do it 'twas the wind dark and 
 wild couldn't stop the boat terrible storm 
 two hands in the water Jove! where's 
 that whiskey?" and he fumbled among the 
 supplies under the tarpaulin. When he had 
 found it and drunk deeply he felt stronger 
 and replenished the fire. 
 
 "The ledge! The hidden ledge ! It's all 
 mine now, yes, mine, mine!" and he hugged 
 himself in his greedy, guilty joy. 
 
 "To-morrow I'll sell the grub and back- 
 track to the coast to guard it." 
 
 The storm died away and the cold, bright 
 moon shone searchingly. The man lay down 
 in the boat to rest, pulling his furs and tar- 
 paulin over him. 
 
 Sleep did not immediately come at his 
 bidding. He saw and heard affrighting 
 things. The rush and roar of the elements 
 two hands flashing out of the ink-black wa- 
 terthe cry of horror but he wanted to 
 
 forget, and at last, in spite of all, he slept. 
 
 ******** 
 
 An Indian guide trudged heavily up the 
 long trail toward the summit. He was 
 closely followed by a white man and both 
 78
 
 THE HIDDEN LEDGE 
 
 were headed southward. The guide carried 
 a heavy pack on his back, but the white man 
 was "traveling light." 
 
 When night came they camped and 
 rested; amusing themselves for a while with 
 a poker game. Black bottles kept them com- 
 pany. At last trouble arose over the cards. 
 Smithson had indiscreetly allowed his guide 
 a glimpse of his money belt, and though the 
 white man was well armed, in a moment of 
 forgetfulness he allowed the native to pass 
 behind him; when a sudden shot and thud 
 upon the ground quickly settled forever all 
 scores between them. 
 
 An Indian seldom smiles. 
 
 This one smiled gloomily now; muttering 
 as he wiped the revolver in his hand: 
 
 "Him bad white man yesterday, good 
 man now, heap long time sleep." 
 
 Half an hour later the sure-footed Indian 
 cautiously made his way along the trail. 
 Stars twinkled overhead. A well filled money 
 belt, a revolver, and blankets ornamented his 
 person, though only the latter were visible. 
 
 The "Hidden Ledge" was close at hand, 
 but unknowingly he passed it by; its secret 
 having been, for the present, buried with the 
 79
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 two partners who were numbered among the 
 strenuous stampeders on the White Pass 
 Trail. 
 
 80
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 1 
 
 "*t WO miners sat smoking in a small 
 log cabin in Dawson. They were 
 hardy young fellows, and used 
 the accent of born Canadians. 
 They were brothers, and the eld- 
 er was speaking. 
 
 "What's the use of our hanging 'round 
 here all winter doing nothing? The best 
 creeks are all staked, and there isn't the ghost 
 of a show for us to get any first class ground 
 hereabouts. Let's light out, blaze a new trail 
 for ourselves, and prospect in the likeliest 
 places during the winter instead of idling 
 away our time here, eating up high-priced 
 grub and hating ourselves. I'm sick of this 
 camp. What do you say?" 
 "Which way shall we go?" 
 "Any old way. No, it would be better to 
 have some definite idea of the point we wish 
 to reach, of course. We might make for the 
 headwaters of the Klondyke and then east 
 into the unknown country where only a few 
 poor Indians live." 
 
 81
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "They might prove ugly. What then?" 
 
 "We could manage them. We would take 
 plenty of grub and ammunition, and a couple 
 of white men, at least, with us." 
 
 "What makes you think there's gold there? 
 It wouldn't pay us to risk our lives for noth- 
 ing in such a wilderness. I would be willing 
 to go if I thought our time and efforts might 
 turn up something good." 
 
 "I have been watching the Indians who 
 come here for supplies from that direction, 
 and they are far from penniless. They carry 
 good-sized pokes of nuggets and dust which 
 they use in trading. They must get these from 
 some of the creeks over east," said the elder 
 of the two men. 
 
 "They are mum as oysters; one can't get 
 any information from them." 
 
 "What'll you bet I can't?" 
 
 "A box of cigars," laughed the younger, 
 whose name seemed appropriately bestowed, 
 for it was Thomas, and he often doubted. 
 
 With that George MacDougall drew on 
 his fur coat and mittens and quitted the cabin. 
 He would find a certain long haired Indian he 
 had seen that day, and prove to his brother 
 that he was not simply a boaster. 
 82
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 It was early in the evening; but for the 
 matter of that, the hour made little difference, 
 
 for time slipped by unreckoned in the Klon- 
 dyke in winter. Night was more often than 
 not turned into day by the restless denizens 
 of the mining camp, and belated breakfast 
 sometime the following afternoon was the 
 sequel. 
 
 Just now the moon shown brightly above 
 the camp, the deep frozen river and the high 
 hills. George MacDougall could plainly hear 
 the loud talking and shouts of those bent on 
 dissipation while crossing the ice by dog-team 
 to West Dawson. Glancing in that direction 
 he saw the brilliantly lighted dance-house and 
 saloon, whose blare of brassy instruments 
 reached his unwilling ears at that distance; 
 the still, cold air of an Arctic night being a 
 perfect conductor of sound. Under the shel- 
 tering, furry fringe of his cap his forehead 
 gathered itself into a scowl. 
 
 ' "What fools!" he muttered. "If one must 
 carouse why come here? That sort of thing 
 can be done on the 'outside', but in here where 
 grub is worth its weight in gold, and none ex- 
 pect comforts, why waste time? We came 
 here for that we cannot obtain in the States 
 83
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 at least I did for gold, gold, and I'll 
 have it, too, by Gad !" Then pricking up his 
 ears again at the end of his soliloquy, he lis- 
 tened and laughed aloud. 
 
 "Hear those malamute cusses ! How 
 they do whoop it up, to be sure," as a fam- 
 iliar canine chorus surged clearcut through 
 the frosty air. "I'd rather listen any time to 
 the brutes zig-zagging up and down their 
 scales than to the giggling 'box rustlers' 
 from the Monte Carlo crossing yonder to 
 the dance-house; but where's that blooming 
 Indian, I wonder? I must find him," and 
 the stalwart Canadian moved on more 
 quickly up the main street. 
 
 An hour later he again smoked in his 
 cabin with his brother. Opposite them sat an 
 Indian with long, black hair. The latter 
 held in his hand a whiskey glass, now almost 
 drained, the contents of which had no doubt 
 called up the good-humored expression at 
 the corners of the native's habitually un- 
 smiling mouth. 
 
 The Canadians smoked; their chair-backs 
 
 tilted against the wall. There was no hurry. 
 
 The elder MacDougall re-filled the Indian's 
 
 glass with liquor, and leisurely and carefully 
 
 84
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 knocking the ashes from his pipe, placed it 
 upon a shelf. He then took from an inside 
 pocket a half dozen cigars of reputable 
 brand and placed one between his lips, by 
 chance, probably, glancing toward his visi- 
 tor, whose fingers now twitched at sight of 
 the much relished tobacco stick. 
 
 "Plenty gold where you come from?" 
 carelessly interrogated MacDougall, his 
 eyes on the lighted end of his cigar, and 
 flirting away the match he had been using. 
 
 "Yes," grunted the Indian in answer. 
 
 "Can we find it, too, Pete?" queried the 
 white man, at the same moment holding one 
 of the cigars toward his visitor, who eagerly 
 seized it. 
 
 "I tink." 
 
 "Will you show us a gold creek, Pete?" 
 continued the patiently questioning Cana- 
 dian. 
 
 "How much you give?" 
 
 "I'll give you a gallon of whiskey and a 
 box of good cigars if you will take me with 
 my brother here to your gold creek, or any 
 gold creek that is not taken up by white men 
 already. Understand, Pete?" 
 
 The Indian nodded. He loved liquor bet- 
 85
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 ter than gold, but Yukon authorities had pro- 
 hibited the sale of the stuff to Indians, and 
 strictly enforced the law, so, though he had 
 attempted in various ways to purchase it in 
 Dawson he had not been successful. Here 
 was the offer of a whole gallon in exchange 
 for gold so far away that the white man 
 would probably die before he reached it, 
 even if he attempted to cover the distance; 
 and the Indian acquiesced in the bargain. 
 
 Thomas MacDougall wanted to be shown 
 some of Pete's gold, and so remarked; where- 
 upon the latter thrust his hand into his trou- 
 ser's pockets, well hidden by the fur parkie 
 he wore, took out a poke and threw it upon 
 the table. When Thomas had untied the 
 string and held the moose-hide sack by its 
 two lower corners bottom upwards there 
 clattered out upon the boards enough of 
 good-sized golden nuggets to cause the eyes 
 of the doubter to sparkle with interest. 
 
 "Are you sure you did not steal these 
 from some white man's cabin on Bonanza or 
 Eldorado, Pete?" queried the skeptic 
 Thomas. 
 
 "No steal 'um, catch 'um big crik, 
 plent' gold, heap. You sabee?" 
 86
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 Thomas understood, but only partly be- 
 lieved. His brother argued that it was a 
 case of "nothing venture, nothing have" and 
 he would take the risk and follow Pete into 
 the wintry wilderness. 
 
 If indecision is a sign of weak minds then 
 there are but few feeble-minded men in an 
 Alaskan gold camp. Here men decide mat- 
 ters quickly. It is touch and go with them. 
 This trip might mean the end of all things 
 earthly to the two MacDougalls, but they 
 determined to make the venture. They 
 might fail of finding gold in quantities, but 
 that was their fate if they remained in Daw- 
 son. They could die but once. Having 
 risked so much, and come so far already, it 
 was small effort to stake still more of time, 
 effort and money, and they decided to follow 
 Pete. 
 
 A week later the two brothers, (their 
 company augmented by two white men and 
 as many Indians, besides long-haired Pete, 
 the guide) might have been seen slowly but 
 carefully making their way through the 
 snowy hill region of the headwaters of the 
 Klondyke River. Mapped carelessly, as it 
 often is, this appears a small and unpretend- 
 87
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 ing stream; but to the Indian or prospector 
 who has tracked its length from a small 
 creeklet at starting to a wide and rushing 
 mouth emptying its pure waters into the 
 muddy Yukon, it has a good length of sev- 
 eral hundred miles, and must not be lightly 
 mentioned. On its "left limit" were Bon- 
 anza and Eldorado Creeks where men 
 with underground fires burning both night 
 and day tried with puny strength to check- 
 mate the stubborn ice king in order to add to 
 the dumps to be hopefully washed out in the 
 springtime. Though they burned their eyes 
 from their sockets in these pestilential smoke 
 holes, and though from badly cooked and 
 scanty meals their blackened limbs made 
 declaration that the dreaded scurvy was 
 upon them; still there were always men eager 
 to fill the places of those who succumbed, 
 and the work went on. 
 
 There were creeks called Bear, Rock, 
 Benson, Wolf, Gnat and Fox, which with 
 Nello, Arizona, and many more, went to 
 make up the far-famed Klondyke River. 
 
 Now all were fast frozen. Snow lay deep 
 upon the ice. No babbling of hurrying wa- 
 ters over pebbly creek beds was heard, but
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 instead, the axe of the solitary miner at 
 wood chopping on the banks of silent 
 streams. 
 
 As the short days passed, and the small 
 caravan forged on, the smoke of white men's 
 cabins was more seldom seen; until finally 
 the last one was pointed out by Indian Pete, 
 and it was soon left far behind. 
 
 Shorter grew the daylight hours. Pro- 
 ceeding they were forced to break trails, al- 
 though their guide appeared familiar with 
 the region and was heading toward the best 
 and easiest pass in the Rockies. This tedious 
 snow waste once crossed, their way to the 
 great lakes was comparatively clear. 
 
 They soon learned to travel as well in the 
 dusky snow-light as by daylight, and en- 
 joyed it better, for there was no glare of 
 the sun on the white mantled earth. Their 
 dog-teams were good ones, and a source of 
 comfort to the travelers whose experience 
 with this mode of migration was limited. 
 While the weary men slept in their little 
 tents by night the malamutes howled and 
 rested at intervals. If one happened to be 
 startled by a bad dream he immediately 
 communicated the fact to his neighbors, of 
 89
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 whom there were more than thirty, and they, 
 either from sympathetic interest in a brother, 
 or because they resented being waked thus 
 unceremoniously in the midst of enjoyable 
 naps, began echoing their sentiments in the 
 most lugubrious manner. To all sorts of 
 notes in the musical scale the voices of these 
 dogs ranged, they seeming to spare no pains 
 to give varied entertainment. How these 
 creatures work so hard, eat and sleep so lit- 
 tle, howl so much, and keep in good condi- 
 tion, is ever an unsolvable riddle; but they 
 are usually docile, pleasant of disposition, 
 and ready for any task. 
 
 The MacDougall party treated their ani- 
 mals kindly. Men must reasonably do this 
 in self defense. That a brow-beaten dog 
 gives up and drops from the race through 
 sheer discouragement often happens; but 
 well fed and with considerate treatment a 
 malamute will bravely work to the last mo- 
 ment. 
 
 A few hundred miles farther east and 
 these dogs would be exchanged for "Hud- 
 son Bay huskies", or sent back over the 
 trail to Dawson to be sold. In case the 
 MacDougalls "struck it rich" in the Indian 
 90
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 country it was imperative that they be pro- 
 vided with huskies, but for the present the 
 "malamute made much music", as Tom Mac- 
 Dougall laughingly remarked. 
 
 One day the party came upon the fresh 
 tracks of a caribou. Made by good-sized 
 hoofs, the animal had gone toward the 
 south apparently in great haste. In a mo- 
 ment Pete was off with his rifle to the near- 
 est hill-top, steathily but rapidly treading the 
 soft, deep snow. The elder MacDougall 
 shouldered his gun and followed the trail of 
 the animal whose flesh he coveted as a feast- 
 ing dish after living so long upon dried fish 
 and bacon. 
 
 For more than an hour the Canadian 
 tracked his game. Pete, from the hill-top, 
 had sighted a tiny thread of blue smoke ris- 
 ing from the valley on the other side, and 
 knew that Indians, probably Peel River men, 
 were also upon the track of the animal, when 
 instantly his enthusiasm in the chase cooled. 
 
 He decided to follow MacDougall. If 
 these were the Peel River Indians they were 
 far from their own hunting grounds, and 
 must have driven big game into this vicinity 
 which they were loath to abandon. In case 
 91
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 that MacDougall should bring down the car- 
 ibou he might get into trouble, and Pete 
 hastened on. 
 
 The cold, crisp air was intensely still. As 
 he proceeded, with alert ears, he heard a 
 shot, angry voices in altercation, and a sec- 
 ond shot, when the now thoroughly awak- 
 ened Indian hurried on in the footprints of 
 the Canadian. 
 
 One of the hunters would probably hunt 
 no more; but which one was it? 
 
 He was not long in doubt. Coming sud- 
 denly upon them he discovered that his fears 
 were realized. 
 
 MacDougall stood sternly regarding a 
 fur-dressed Indian lying dead upon the snow. 
 He and Pete exchanged glances. 
 
 "What's the matter?" asked Pete. 
 
 "He jumped upon me and declared the 
 caribou was his. I told him it was mine, 
 when he pulled his gun and I shot him 
 that's all," said MacDougall. 
 
 "That's plent'," tersely from Pete. Then 
 casting his eye over the sky he said: "Snow 
 cum quick, hide um. We cut caribou," 
 whereupon he whipped out a big hunting 
 knife, after placing his rifle in the crotch of 
 92
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 a tree, and began slashing the still warm 
 body of the big caribou. 
 
 MacDougall followed suit. It was not 
 long before the two had selected and cut 
 away the choice parts of the carcass, and 
 with as much of the meat as they could han- 
 dle, made their way back to camp. Pete and 
 his Indians, with dog-teams, were dispatched 
 to the scene of the double tragedy for the 
 remainder. 
 
 The dead Indian was left as he fell, and 
 falling snow soon covered him. 
 
 That night the Canadians pushed on 
 without resting, laden with as much meat as 
 they could carry. It was thought safest not 
 tD remain long in the vicinity, as some of 
 tne Peel River Indians might track the mur- 
 derer of their brother. 
 
 The dogs had feasted on caribou as well 
 as the men, and all could return to the long 
 trail with redoubled energy. More large 
 game was seen, and from this on there was 
 no lack of venison. 
 
 Ptarmigan, too, made a variety of eating. 
 The snow-white beauties were never tired 
 of, but furnished food equally as good as 
 the caribou. The miners were given a pleas- 
 
 93
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 ant surprise one evening when George Mac- 
 Dougall cleaned the birds for his breakfast. 
 Three or four peculiar looking pebbles 
 rolled out of the craw of the bird he was 
 handling and fell upon the ground. Stoop- 
 ing, he picked them up. 
 
 "'Gad! What's this?" 
 
 "He then made an examination. 
 
 "Here you, Indian! Get some ice and 
 melt it. I want to wash these stones. If 
 they are stones, I'll eat 'em. I believe 
 they're gold nuggets," he added to his 
 brother, at which the latter crawled out of 
 his fur sleeping bag to investigate. 
 
 They were now in a gold-bearing country. 
 Of this MacDougall felt assured. The nug- 
 gets found in the craw of the ptarmigan, 
 though not large, were of pure gold, and 
 once clean of filth looked good to the eyes of 
 the patient prospectors. They had certainly 
 come from the bars of some stream, which, 
 in an exposed place, had been wind-swept, 
 furnishing the grouse a late feeding ground 
 when tundra berries were covered with snow. 
 To be sure, not much nourishment could 
 have been gotten from the nuggets, but the 
 latter had answered the purpose of pebbles 
 94
 
 in mastication processes. 
 
 After this MacDougall kept more hope- 
 fully on. Each bird shot was examined, 
 and many carried their own savings bank 
 with them . No better indications were 
 wanted of the contents of the creeks of the 
 region. 
 
 The gold was surely there. 
 
 Finally, after six cold and weary weeks, 
 during which time much of hope and fear 
 had constantly alternated in the breasts of 
 the two Canadians and their men, notwith- 
 standing the reiterated affirmative state- 
 ments of the Indians ; Pete grunted with sat- 
 isfaction and pointed to a nearby forest. 
 
 "Indian cabins over there," said he. 
 "Two sleeps cum rich crik." 
 
 "I hope so, Pete," MacDougall had re- 
 plied, being tired and hungry. 
 
 Only twice on their long trip had they 
 come upon small Indian settlements, and 
 then a few hours' rest within the crowded 
 and stifling huts satisfied them to resume 
 their march. The air outside, if cold, was 
 pure, sweet and invigorating, and these 
 hardy, fur clad men were now accustomed 
 to it and enjoyed it. 
 
 95
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 A fresh surprise awaited them at Pete's 
 house. A good, large, log cabin of two 
 rooms, lined from top to bottom with the 
 furs of animals, and ornamented with ant- 
 lers and similar trophies of the chase, made 
 a warm and comfortable home compared to 
 that which the white men had expected to 
 find. A pleasant-faced squaw and several 
 small children retreated to the inner room 
 upon the entrance of the men from the trail. 
 While Pete greeted his family, the visitors 
 made notes and discussed the surprising situ- 
 ation. 
 
 "Gee Whiz! Who'd a thought it?" 
 
 "I thought Pete lived in an ice hut, or a 
 teepee made of skins and sticks," said one. 
 
 "A filthy hole in the ground was what I 
 thought we'd find," declared another. 
 
 "We're right in civilization !" exclaimed a 
 fourth, slapping his knee in delight. 
 
 "A music box, as I live!" eyeing an old 
 accordian in a corner. 
 
 "Well, I snum !" 
 
 The men were all talking at once. 
 
 "I'd like to take a smoke, but don't dare," 
 said Tom MacDougall, demurely, with a 
 wink. 
 
 96
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 "I fancy it might injure the lace curtains," 
 laughed his brother, who looked as well 
 pleased as any of the group, while touching 
 the bit of calico draping at the tiny window. 
 
 But Pete was now going out of doors and 
 they all trooped after him. Surrounding the 
 Indian they plied him with a hundred ques- 
 tions. They wanted to know where he and 
 his squaw had learned to make a home like 
 this, where he got so much of civilization, 
 who had taught his squaw to keep house, 
 who played the accordian, where he got 
 tools to work with, and many other things; 
 above all, where he bought certain acces- 
 sories to his cabin which they had never seen 
 in Dawson. 
 
 Flinging, as they did, all these questions 
 at the poor fellow in a breath, MacDoug- 
 all feared he would be stalled for replies, 
 and finally halted for him to make a begin- 
 ning; but Pete only remarked quietly, twitch- 
 ing his thumb toward the southeast: 
 
 "Fort by big lake. White man, mission, 
 teach um Indian," unconcernedly, as 
 though it was of every day occurrence, and 
 there was no further explanation necessary. 
 
 "Do they talk as we do?" asked Mac- 
 97
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 Dougall. 
 
 "No." 
 
 "What do you call them?" 
 
 "Father Petroff, teach um. Indian sick, 
 fix um. Heap good man," and Pete turn- 
 ed away, thinking this sufficient. 
 
 "Ask him how far it is to the Fort, Mac," 
 said one of the men. 
 
 "Not now. He has had enough quizzing 
 for this time. It is evidently a Russian Mis- 
 sion on one of the big lakes, which mission, 
 and what lake, I don't know. But we must 
 pitch our tents, cook our supper, and feed 
 the dogs. Poor fellows ! They shall have a 
 good long rest soon for they've well earned 
 it," and George MacDougall patted the 
 snow white head of the nearest malamute 
 looking up into his face for sympathy. 
 
 Next day the men had eaten, slept and 
 rested. They had listened the evening be- 
 fore to the old accordian in the hands of 
 Pete's wife; they had trotted the infant of 
 the family on their knees; they had pro- 
 pounded another hundred questions to their 
 uncommunicative host and gotten monsylla- 
 bic answers; but they had heard only that 
 which was good to hear, and that which con- 
 98
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 firmed the leader in his mind that he had 
 made a capital move in coming into this 
 country with the Indians. 
 
 Pete had exhibited nuggets and gold dust 
 of astonishing richness. Kicking a bear skin 
 from the center of the room, he disclosed a 
 box embedded in the earth, the sight of 
 which, when uncovered, caused the white 
 men to feel repaid for coming. There were 
 chunks and hunks of the precious yellow 
 metal larger than the thumbs of the brawny 
 handed miners; besides gold dust in moose- 
 hide sacks tied tightly and placed systematic- 
 ally side by side in rows. 
 
 The surprise of the white men was great. 
 They did not imagine that Pete mined gold 
 to any extent, but thought he had secured 
 enough in a desultory way for his present 
 use. The trusting native had no fear of the 
 men, having unreservedly laid bare his trea- 
 sure house. 
 
 "I no lie. I tell um truf," said Pete, look- 
 ing toward Thomas MacDougall, remem- 
 bering that the doubter had frequently called 
 into question his word. 
 
 "We see your gold, Pete, but you must 
 show us a gold creek, too," was Tom's an- 
 99
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 swer to the Indian. 
 
 "I show you. Come!" 
 
 ******** 
 
 Three years passed. The great lakes 
 south of the headwaters of the Mackenzie 
 River were again frozen. Darkness claimed 
 the land except when the brilliant low-swing- 
 ing moon lighted the heavens and snowy 
 earth below, and the sun for a few brief 
 hours consented to coldly shine upon the 
 denizens of the wilderness at midday. 
 
 A gang of miners worked like beavers in 
 the bed of the stream. With fires they thawed 
 the ground, after having diverted the creek 
 waters the previous summer. 
 
 Their camp was a large one. Fifty men 
 worked in two shifts, one half in the day- 
 time, the others at night. At the beginning 
 of each month they were changed, and night 
 men were placed on the day force ; this alter- 
 nation being found best in all mining camps. 
 Log cabins and bunk houses were numerous, 
 large, and comfortable, for forests of excel- 
 lent timber dotted the Mackenzie landscape, 
 and men, as ever ambitious for comfort, had 
 felled, hewed, and crosscut the trees to their 
 liking. 
 
 100
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 Much that was crude of construction was 
 here in confirmation of the fact that the camp 
 was far removed from civilization, and men 
 had, with great ingenuity, supplied defici- 
 encies whenever practicable. 
 
 As helpers who were ever faithful there 
 were "Hudson Bay huskies" to the number 
 of four score who had become real beasts of 
 burden, and vied with each other as to which 
 should carry the palm for leadership and 
 favor in their masters' eyes. They were 
 mainly used for hauling wood and ice; the 
 latter in lieu of water at this season. 
 
 For carrying gravel and dirt to the dumps 
 the miners had constructed rude tramways 
 with small flat cars, which being successfully 
 operated by gravity in all weather left the 
 dogs free for other service. 
 
 No sluicing of dumps could now be done. 
 When summer came again and the creeks and 
 rivers were full of water, this would be di- 
 rected into ditches conveying it to the well 
 arranged heaps of dirt and gravel, and then 
 these dumps rapidly melted like snow before 
 hot sunshine, leaving in their wake a stream 
 of yellow metal so coveted by these fearless 
 and daring miners. 
 
 101
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 For no small amount of gold had they 
 risked their lives in this far away corner of 
 the earth. Only four of the miners had 
 come on uncertainty, the four guided by 
 Indian Pete three years before, the others 
 had known why they came, how far the dis- 
 tance, how cold it grew, and many other 
 points of which it is well to be advised be- 
 fore venturing; but they had come, and here 
 they were. 
 
 Not a man regretted his coming. Not 
 even old Charlie, after breaking his leg and 
 having to wait for days while two Indians 
 "mushed" southward to the Fort, four hun- 
 dred miles away, for Father Petrof to come 
 and set it right again. 
 
 None heard him complain; though some 
 of the "boys" tried to force him to confess 
 that he wished himself back in Dawson. 
 
 "Not by a jugful ! I don't give in like a 
 baby," said he, stoutly, although the pain in 
 his limb must have been considerable. 
 "There aint no whiskey in me system, either, 
 to keep me leg from healin' when it's once 
 put right (though I'll admit there is some 
 tobac), and I'll be in trim again presently," 
 declared the gritty old miner. 
 102
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 Having nothing better to do while in his 
 bunk he talked on, addressing the camp 
 cook who had a few leisure moments from 
 the kitchen. 
 
 "I've seed many a gold camp in me day, 
 boy, and plenty as good as the Klondyke be- 
 fore I ever struck that Canadian bird; but I 
 never got into ground so rich as this. I tell 
 you, boy, it not only makes me eyes bug out, 
 but it makes me hair stand on end, fur it's a 
 whale of a gold creek! When I lay here 
 studyin' the old tin cans and grub boxes full 
 of gold under these bunks, and get to com- 
 putin' what's in 'em, I feel like hollerin' for 
 joy!" 
 
 "But its all Mac's gold, you know," said 
 the cook regretfully. 
 
 "Yes, but you and me are gettin' the big- 
 gest wages we ever got in our lives, and Mac 
 never squirms at payin' either. Then we 
 have a reasonable hope that Sister Creek is 
 as good as this one, and we boys have got it 
 all staked, that's where we're comin' in at. 
 See?" 
 
 "I hope to. How much do you calculate 
 there is under the bunks in this room, Char- 
 lie? I'd just like to know." 
 103
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "There's about half a million dollars in 
 this cabin and as much in the dumps as they 
 stand now. By cleanin' up time next sum- 
 mer there'll be half a million more at least; 
 judgin' from indications. That aint half 
 bad, eh?" and Charlie's eyes shone as he 
 talked. 
 
 "By George! It's great, and no mistake; 
 but a fellow can't spend any of it here," 
 said the cook ruefully. 
 
 "All the better for us. We've got to save 
 it. We can't do nothin' else. Great box 
 we're in, to be sure," and the man laughed 
 heartily in spite of his infirmity. Continu- 
 ing, he said: 
 
 "It's the best place we could be in, I tell 
 you; especially so for Bill who can't buy a 
 drop of whiskey for a thousand dollars, al- 
 though he would buy it sometimes at that 
 price, I think, if he could." 
 
 "It don't hinder him playing that violin 
 of his'n, does it? Do you mind how he 
 played last night?" 
 
 "You bet your life. I had nothin' else to 
 
 do. He's a crackerjack, and that's no josh, 
 
 either. But here comes Mac. What in 
 
 thunder's that?" The question was put to 
 
 104
 
 A NEW KLONDYKE 
 
 the man entering with a heavy load in his 
 hands. 
 
 MacDougall laughed. 
 
 "Only a nugget that Tom turned up. I 
 brought it in to show you, and the Canadian 
 placed the mammonth chunk of gold on the 
 floor near the bunk. 
 
 "What do you think of it?" 
 
 "Great Scott and little fishes! She's a 
 bird! Why, man, this new Klondyke will 
 make the old one look like thirty cents!" 
 
 105
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 E STELLA was not the name her 
 parents had given her. That 
 was unpronounceable to the 
 white man's tongue and was re- 
 placed by Estella when she mar- 
 ried the trader not many years ago. 
 
 She was a bright and amiable young wo- 
 man, though not actually pretty. Born and 
 raised on the Seward Peninsula, she had 
 learned to hunt, fish and trap, as do all the 
 Eskimo women while still in their teens. 
 Numbers of young men among her people 
 had sought her hand in marriage, but up to 
 the time of the advent of the white men into 
 the country she had never yielded to their 
 entreaties. 
 
 When approached on the subject she 
 glanced demurely down at the toe of her 
 mukluks, tossed back her long hair, and, 
 turning her back on the suitor who did not 
 suit, ran away to play on the beach with the 
 children. 
 
 106
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 Her people did not know her heart. She 
 had ambition, though it was unknown to 
 them. None of the young Eskimos entirely 
 pleased her. Some one with better looks and 
 more supplies than they must offer himself 
 before she decided to take a life-mate, she 
 told herself. 
 
 At her birth some planet must have be- 
 stowed upon her many aspirations above 
 those of the common Eskimo, and though 
 she was ignorant of the cause of her ambi- 
 tion she realized the possession of it. 
 
 Being a sensible young woman she hid 
 these things in her own bosom, for why 
 should she trouble her parents? They would 
 not understand her, but would oppose, say 
 harsh things, perhaps, and, at any rate, feel 
 badly. 
 
 So she ran away to play with the little 
 ones. If this did not answer her purpose 
 she persuaded her young brother to take 
 her in his didarka on the water to some quiet 
 island, where in the pleasant sunshine they 
 sat upon the sandy beach or fished in some 
 gurgling stream. 
 
 In winter there was less freedom. She 
 must keep more to her father's igloo and 
 107
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 help her mother at sewing of furs for the 
 clothing, going out at times with the other 
 women to set their traps in the snow for ani- 
 mals whose skins were in demand by the 
 traders. 
 
 At last, one day in winter, there came to 
 the home of the Eskimo girl, two white men. 
 They were clothed in furs and rode behind 
 dog-teams. They came to buy skins, prin- 
 cipally those of the black fox, mink and 
 white ermine. 
 
 One of the men could speak a good deal 
 of the Eskimo language, and had no diffi- 
 culty in making known their errand. They 
 wished to remain all night in the igloo as it 
 was too late and stormy to proceed farther 
 on the trail. 
 
 The Alaskan Eskimo- is kindly and gen- 
 erous. No one is ever turned from his door. 
 It matters not how low the state of his lar- 
 der, or how few sticks there are before the 
 fire; the stranger is always welcome. 
 
 The two white traders remained. They 
 bought of the Eskimo what furs they wanted 
 and paid as little for them as possible. A 
 little thread, calico, tea, tobacco, and a few 
 glass beads were given in exchange for the 
 108
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 soft and shining skins which in civilized cen- 
 ters would sell for a fabulous sum. 
 
 The storm continued. The traders re- 
 mained for days. When they left the igloo 
 the heart of the Eskimo maiden was no long- 
 er her own; she had given it to another who 
 would presently return and take her to his 
 cabin. 
 
 The girl's ambition was now about to be 
 realized. To be looked upon by her people 
 as the bride of a white man, and that one a 
 rich trader who owned, not only a cabin and 
 many skins, but dogs, sleds and boats, was 
 truly a great honor and not to be lightly con- 
 sidered. She would soon be in a position 
 high above that of any of the Eskimo women 
 of her acquaintance, and she began to feel 
 the importance and desirability of her sta- 
 tion. 
 
 The trader who had succeeded in winning 
 where others had failed was much older than 
 his sweetheart. He was of middle height, 
 with black hair, and swarthy, not unlike in 
 this respect to her own family; but totally 
 different in disposition, a striking contrast to 
 the gentle and yielding character of the Es- 
 kimo, but the girl in crass ignorance was 
 109
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 quite unaware of the difference. To her he 
 was an ardent lover, brave, fearless, strong, 
 and with worldly goods to provide her with 
 all she liked and needed. 
 
 Poor, simple-hearted, little Eskimo girl ! 
 Are your good and kind devas sleeping that 
 they do not better guard you ? Of what can 
 they be thinking? Call them quickly to ad- 
 vise and help you before it is too late, and 
 your happiness is forever blasted ! Will they 
 not wake in time to keep you from making 
 this terrible mis-step? Beware of the white 
 man whose heart is blackness ! 
 
 But her good devas slept on. The return 
 of the trader was expected, and as far as lay 
 in their power the Eskimo had made ready 
 for the great and unusual event soon to be 
 celebrated. The igloo was made tidy, heaps 
 of firewood were piled beside the door, and 
 from the cache not far distant were brought 
 quantities of frozen tomcod, seal meat, and 
 salmon berries. Whale oil for illuminating 
 the interior of the snow-covered igloo was 
 bought in puffed out seal bladders, tied at 
 each end by stoutly knotted sinews. 
 
 A new fur parkie for the bride made of 
 reindeer skin and decorated with black and 
 no
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 white fur squares for a border, was com- 
 pleted by Eskimo women sitting crosslegged 
 in a corner of the igloo. 
 
 At last the white man arrived. He was 
 accompanied by another who was to act as 
 the officiating clergyman; the Eskimo girl 
 wished to have performed the ceremony of 
 his people; but alas! she had not overheard 
 a conversation which had taken place be- 
 tween the two men. 
 
 "Get off some rigmarole of your own, I 
 tell you," laughed the coming bridegroom, 
 speaking to his companion, "It's no matter 
 what it is, only don't make me burst out 
 laughing in the middle of it, for Estella 
 might resent it. She's a bright little one, and 
 that's no josh. Seriously, I don't want a 
 bona fide marriage ceremony performed, 
 you understand. When I make my stake and 
 leave Alaska behind forever I don't care to 
 have a legal wife tagging at my coat-tails. I 
 want to be a free man to go and come as I 
 please. See?" and the speaker puffed a 
 cloud of tobacco smoke from between his 
 lips. 
 
 "What about the children, Buster? Will 
 there be any?" 
 
 in
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "You bet your life! The brats can live 
 as well as those up the country with that 
 other squaw of mine. But you're a terror 
 for questions, pard. If you squeal on me 
 I'll send you to thunder," clapping his hand 
 on his hip pocket where protruded a stout, 
 black handle. 
 
 "No fear of me," laughed the other. "I'm 
 too eager for the rest of them fine furs which 
 we must try to get. Can't you work the girl 
 for them, Buster?" 
 
 "I'll try. In the meantime get the dogs 
 together to-morrow and feed 'em up. 
 They're lookin' thin. I hope to hear from 
 Dan in a day or two as regards that creek 
 and what he's found in it. Then I'm off to 
 the nest of my turtle dove, for the bride- 
 groom is hungry for his bride, eh, pard?" 
 winked the dark-browed fellow, still smok- 
 ing heavily. 
 
 "You're a dandy, sure!" retorted the man 
 designated as "pard" by the trader. "I see 
 your finish if your squaw's people up country 
 find out your doin's here." 
 
 "They never will. The Yukon is many 
 'sleeps' away, and there is no communica- 
 tion between these Eskimos and the In- 
 
 112
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 dians." 
 
 "You're makin' good the sayin' that a 
 sailor has a wife in every port aint you Bus- 
 ter?" continued the man who in the absence 
 of better employment delighted in teasing 
 his partner. 
 
 "Wife be blowed! What's got into you 
 to-night? Go along to bed!" 
 
 "Thank you I'm there," mockingly from 
 the other, while tumbling into his bunk in the 
 cabin corner, and pulling away at his smudgy 
 cob pipe after retiring. 
 
 The two men understood each other. 
 "Buster", as he was nicknamed, was shame- 
 less. He respected neither God nor man. 
 Whatever he willed to do, he did, regardless 
 of results, and was well known in Alaska by 
 the white inhabitants. The other was a 
 trifle weaker though not less wicked. He 
 could stand beside Buster and urge him on, 
 while hesitating to do the same acts of law- 
 lessness. There is small difference in these 
 degrees of sinning. If any, it may be in 
 favor of the Busters, who possibly deserve 
 credit for fearlessness where the others are 
 cowardly. 
 
 The scant mock marriage was soon over.
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 The smiling little bride said good-bye to her 
 people, who wept around her; climbed into 
 the dog-sled of her new master, and rode 
 proudly away southward. 
 
 With the summer her friends might come 
 on a fishing trip to visit her, and renew their 
 acquaintance in her new home. 
 
 She wanted to convince them of the wis- 
 dom of her selection. She felt that she could 
 do so if not now, then by the time of their 
 coming. 
 
 Poor child I She had not yet learned that 
 it is best to feel confident of nothing. 
 
 Two years passed, and a small, black-eyed 
 toddler kept Estella company. He wore a 
 red calico cap upon his head and his stout 
 and chubby limbs grew perceptibly. While 
 young he was tied upon his mother's back 
 beneath her parkie, a stout leather belt con- 
 fining the same around the woman's waist to 
 prevent the baby from falling out. There his 
 black eyes winked and blinked above the lit- 
 tle, round mouth which had only lately 
 learned to smile, and which was beginning 
 to experiment daily among the difficult 
 mazes of his native dialects. For the child 
 was confronted with two languages; Eng- 
 114
 
 "Upon his mother's back 
 beneath her parkie"
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 lish, spoken by his father, the Eskimo 
 spoken by his mother; but he was as yet ig- 
 norant of both. Dearly his mother loved 
 him, and enjoyed his companionship during 
 the long and frequent absences of his father. 
 
 Gold in great quantities had now been dis- 
 covered on the Seward Peninsula. Hun- 
 dreds of people were flocking into the coun- 
 try. Camps were filling with eager fortune- 
 seekers, and the beach was strewn with tents. 
 
 Fur traders had gone into mining. Miners 
 were scattered over the country, carrying 
 supplies by boat up stream to the sections 
 where they looked for gold, and where, in 
 many instances, they found it. 
 
 The attention of all had been drawn to 
 a stream called Anvil, near the sea, whose 
 sentinel rock, perched upon a tall hillcrest 
 near, had long and successfully guarded its 
 wealth of gold and treasure. 
 
 It could be hidden and guarded no longer. 
 Men now labored strenuously with pick and 
 shovel in the bed of the golden stream; nor 
 stopped for sleeping; while accumulating 
 riches filled their vaults to overflowing. 
 
 In a small hut upon the beach lived the 
 Eskimo woman and her boy. Her husband 
 117
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 had sailed with others for the north country, 
 and the two were unprovided for and alone. 
 With industrious fingers Estella made small 
 trifles to sell to the white people in camp, 
 many of whom carried heavy purses and 
 coveted the souvenirs made by the natives. 
 
 It was her only way of earning a poor 
 subsistence for herself and boy. Her father 
 and brothers supplied her with fish in summer 
 and her wants were not numerous. Like 
 worn out footgear which had served its pur- 
 pose, being perhaps well fitting and useful 
 for a time, but after fresh purchases to be 
 cast aside as worthless, was the native wo- 
 man now discarded. 
 
 It was summer time in Alaska. Tundra 
 mosses were at their freshest, and wild flow- 
 ers bloomed and nodded on every side. It 
 was the time for fishing, and Estella's rela- 
 tives came to take her with them on their an- 
 nual excursion, when for a time she was 
 happy trying to forget the white man's neg- 
 lect. It was better than his abuse and curses 
 which she had meekly borne; but which still 
 sorely rankled in her bosom. Her parents 
 did not upbraid her. They appeared to have 
 forgotten the girl's pride on her wedding 
 118
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 day, and had only kind words for their sad- 
 hearted daughter in her trouble. But sym- 
 pathy alone could not put food in her mouth 
 nor that of her boy, and winter was ap- 
 proaching. 
 
 Her parents had many children, and oth- 
 ers depended upon them, and little with 
 which to feed them. The fishing season had 
 been a poor one. Nets and seines had been 
 placed in streams as usual by the Eskimo, but 
 many of these had been destroyed by white 
 men, and where this was not the case the wa- 
 ters of creeks and rivers had been so mud- 
 died by mining operations as to ruin all 
 
 chances of securing fish. 
 ******** 
 
 It was a cold and wintry night. The snow 
 was sifting over the tundra in icy gusts from 
 the westward. Morning would see all snow- 
 hidden, including the huts of the four re- 
 maining natives on the sandspit between 
 the river and the sea. 
 
 Estella's camp fire was dead. There was 
 neither sticks nor coals to feed it. A long- 
 drawn wail from her boy lying huddled in 
 skins upon the ground, reminded her of 
 other deficiencies there was nothing to eat 
 119
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 in the igloo absolutely nothing. Both were 
 cold and hungry. 
 
 Wrapping herself and her little boy as 
 warmly as possible, she took the child's hand 
 and started down the street of the mining 
 camp in the blizzard. There were places 
 open to her. There were the saloons. They 
 were at least filled with warmth and bright- 
 ness, and she would there be safe from freez- 
 ing till morning. There were undoubtedly 
 other dangers, but these she could not now 
 contemplate. She could not let her baby 
 freeze while starving. 
 
 Making her way along with her boy be- 
 tween the winter blasts, the little one cling- 
 ing tightly to her hand, she approached the 
 door. 
 
 Lights were shining brightly through the 
 windows, and she heard voices. Would she 
 meet her husband if she entered? She hoped 
 not, for she must go in. It was death to re- 
 main outside. Timidly she placed her hand 
 upon the door and partly opened it, glanc- 
 ing quickly about the room to note its occu- 
 pants. 
 
 The flaring of the lamps indicated her 
 presence. 
 
 120
 
 clinging tightly 
 to her hand she approached the door"
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 "Shut the door, you beggar!" shouted the 
 bartender. "Don't you know the wind is 
 blowin' and lights will go out? Besides its 
 deuced cold night, and coal costs money, you 
 know, Stella," added the fellow less savagely, 
 as, glancing quietly at him, and leading her 
 boy, she slowly moved toward the big coal 
 stove. 
 
 "Let 'em warm themselves, can't you?" 
 exclaimed one of the men sitting at a table 
 and shuffling cards for a game. 
 
 "Whose hinderin' 'em? I aint! All I'm 
 objectin' to is the length of time she held the 
 door open when she came in." 
 
 "Wai, she's in now, and the door's shut, 
 aint it?" drawled the card player. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Then close your gab!" and lowering his 
 tone to his partner opposite he said shortly, 
 "Play, wont you?" 
 
 In the meantime Estella was warming 
 herself beside the fire. On her knees she 
 held the boy whose head soon drooped 
 drowsily in spite of his hunger. 
 
 It was a long, bare room, newly boarded 
 as to ceiling, flooring and walls. A smooth 
 and shining counter stretched along the west 
 123
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 side of the room, behind which stood rows 
 of well filled bottles, ready to be uncorked. 
 For ornament, upon the opposite wall there 
 hung a great mirror, trying its best to dupli- 
 cate the owner's stock in trade, as though he 
 would be needing such help before the win- 
 ter was over, when his whiskies were gone. 
 For further brightening the room there 
 hung suspended from gilt buttons close be- 
 low the ceiling, certain representations of 
 personages in garments too filmy to assure 
 the observer that they were intended for this 
 Arctic world, because rivalling the costumes 
 of two solitary gardeners in the long ago. 
 
 However that may be, the pictures did not 
 disturb Estella as to the miners they were 
 accustomed to these and many other sights. 
 Something far worse to her troubled the Es- 
 kimo. It was hunger. 
 
 Suddenly one of the loungers, consider- 
 ably younger that the others, said to his 
 neighbors : 
 
 "I'll bet she's hungry." 
 
 "Very likely, Sam, they mostly always 
 are. There's nothin' here to eat if she is, 
 by George." 
 
 "There's plenty of booze!" 
 124
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 "Yes, at two bits a drink." 
 
 "Then straightening himself in his seat 
 the first speaker called out: 
 
 "Stella!" 
 
 "What?" answered the woman in a low 
 voice. 
 
 "Are you hungry?" 
 
 Quick as thought she raised her head and 
 looked appealingly into his face. 
 
 "Yes." Her lips trembled, and tears 
 sprang into the dark eyes. 
 
 "Have you had anything to eat to-day?" 
 
 "No little fish yesterday," she said quiet- 
 ly, holding up one finger to indicate the num- 
 ber. 
 
 "Good God! She's starving! Here, you 
 toddy slinger, there! I say, can't you give 
 this woman something to eat?" to the man 
 behind the bar. 
 
 "Wai, I'm sorry to say it, but there aint 
 no grub here; leastwise that's good for Eski- 
 mo," he added with a wink. 
 
 "I guess most anything would be good for 
 her, and you hand out something real sud- 
 den, too," said the young man, tossing a 
 bright silver dollar toward the counter. 
 
 "Oh, wal', if that's the game, I'm here. 
 125
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 Oyster cocktail and crackers, eh, Stella?" 
 
 The woman's eyes brightened at the last 
 words, which she understood; the first she 
 was a stranger to, but if it was something to 
 fill the awful void beneath she could eat it. 
 She nodded eagerly. 
 
 Beggars could not be choosers. That was 
 never plainer than now. Cocktail and crack- 
 ers soon disappeared, a good share of the 
 latter going underneath the woman's parkie 
 to keep for her boy when he awaked. The 
 cocktail he must not have. 
 
 An hour later a few of the miners played 
 on. Some, whose well filled "pokes" per- 
 mitted had gone to warm and comfortable 
 beds, others to cold and cheerless bunks, as 
 the case happened; but the Eskimo woman, 
 with her sleeping boy on her lap, slept heav- 
 ily. Sitting on the floor in a corner, with her 
 head against a bench, she had for a time for- 
 gotten her sorrows. 
 
 Presently the door was partly opened, and 
 an Eskimo slipped softly inside. The men 
 were still intent on their "black jack", and 
 he was unnoticed. His anxious face per- 
 ceptibly brightened when he saw Estella, and 
 he gave a deep sigh of relief as he seated 
 126
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 himself near the fire. 
 
 There was a lull between games at the 
 green table. 
 
 "Say, boys, what's become of Buster?" 
 asked one of the miners. 
 
 "Gone to the devil, I guess. That's where 
 he was goin' the last time I saw him," re- 
 marked one in no uncertain tone of voice. 
 
 "Oh, no, he's married a white woman," 
 exclaimed the youngest of the party. 
 
 "Ha, ha! That's a good 'un. My lad, 
 I'm older'n you, and I tell you it may be 
 as you say and still not alter the case of his 
 goin' to the old boy. Some women I know 
 of help a man faster that way than t'other," 
 said the old miner. 
 
 "Buster's a chump! Just look at all the 
 money he's made off the natives and see the 
 way he treats 'em!" jerking his thumb over 
 his shoulder toward the two asleep in the 
 corner. 
 
 "And that kid of his'n. He ought to take 
 care of him instead of lettin' him starve to 
 death like this. I swear its a shame!" 
 
 "Yes, he ought to," from another of the 
 group, "but he wont." 
 
 "When I was a kid I was told that a bird 
 127
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 wha.t can sing and wont sing should be made 
 to sing, and that fits Buster now." 
 
 "Oh, well, Alaska's a big place, and 
 there's plenty of natives. It don't matter 
 if a few does die off. There'll be enough 
 left, I reckon," carelessly remarked a man 
 who had not spoken. 
 
 "You go 'way back and set down, Tender- 
 foot; you've allers got a pimple on yer nose! 
 Don't you s'pose that Eskimos feel or sense 
 things? I do. I think that such people as 
 this, 'Stella now, orter be looked after, 
 'specially with that boy of her'n, for he's a 
 likely kid, and might make somethin'. Won- 
 der why the big guns at Washington don't 
 try a hand at helpin'? Seems to me they 
 could if they'd a mind." The man ended his 
 speech in a lower tone of soliloquy. 
 
 "Easy to tell others what ter do, aint it, 
 boss?" queried one. 
 
 "I s'pose that's so; but I was thinkin' of 
 my own woman and kids at home, and how 
 I'd feel to see 'em starving!" Then as 
 though regretting the turn the conversation 
 had taken, he reached for his furs, and while 
 pulling his parkie over his head preparatory 
 to leaving, said more briskly: "I'm goin' 
 128
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 to bed, boys; you better do the same; it's 
 near mornin'," and with that he left the sa- 
 loon. 
 
 Presently the little boy stirred and whim- 
 pered. Instantly the mother roused herself, 
 though with some effort, and the crackers 
 were brought to light. The child was raven- 
 ous, and ate greedily. When he had finish- 
 ed the Eskimo by the fire came toward them, 
 saying a few words softly in his own 
 tongue. With that the boy put out his arms 
 and the man took him, going back to his 
 place by the fire. 
 
 The woman had changed her position, 
 and was soon again asleep. 
 
 When daylight came, the bartender be- 
 gan moving about. He thought the natives 
 had better get into the fresh air, as he want- 
 ed to clean the place, he said. 
 
 With that the two Eskimos plodded out 
 through the snowdrifts; the man carrying 
 the child in his arms. 
 
 The blizzard had died away, and the air 
 was still and cold. When they reached the 
 woman's door they entered, the man first 
 pushing away the snow with his feet, the 
 child still cuddling in his arms. 
 129
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 Beside the camp stove lay piled a heap 
 of small driftwood sticks and a sack of coal. 
 Upon the table a few eatables had been de- 
 posited, evidently some hours before. A fire 
 was soon crackling, and a meal was cooking. 
 To the woman's questions the man had not 
 replied. He might have been a deaf man, 
 for all the notice he had taken. She still 
 questioned, speaking their native dialect. 
 When all was done he came close, took her 
 hand in his own, and, speaking in Eskimo, 
 said feelingly: 
 
 "My little sweetheart, wont you let me 
 love you now? Many long and weary moons 
 have I waited until my heart is very sore. 
 Tell me if you cannot love me? I will be 
 very good and you shall never starve. I will 
 work. I will bring much driftwood. I have 
 salmon and tomcod, and a dog-team of the 
 best. In summer we will sail for Tubuktulik 
 and make a pleasant hunting camp. There 
 we will shoot squirrels and the big bear, and 
 you shall again be happy with freedom." 
 
 At this effort of long speaking the Eskimo 
 seemed abashed, for he was a man of few 
 words usually; but he still clung to the little 
 hand of the woman by his side. 
 130
 
 ESTELLA THE ESKIMO 
 
 "And my boy?" she whispered eagerly, 
 with tears shining in her eyes, which were 
 now looking unreservedly into his own. 
 
 "He shall be mine, and I will ever love 
 him," was the reply, as she glanced proudly 
 toward the baby amusing himself with the 
 sticks. 
 
 "You are gentle to Stella, and she will do 
 all things as you say," murmured the woman 
 softly, with drooping head, and trembling. 
 
 "And will you love me always, little one ?" 
 putting his arms about her and pressing her 
 close to his heart. 
 
 "Yes, always and forever. Then I will 
 not be alone," she smiled brightly through 
 her tears at the prospect, while nestling 
 closer in his strong arms. 
 
 "Never alone again, dear one. I promise, 
 if your heart will only love me," said he, 
 kissing her; and the child at play among the 
 driftwood sticks gravely gave a handful to 
 his mother. 
 
 "He shall call you his papa," said she al- 
 most gaily, "for will it not be true?"
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 IT was in the Fall of the year 19 that 
 a party of miners outfitted in Nome 
 and started for the Arctic. One of 
 them had been in that vicinity be- 
 fore, was familiar with the trails, 
 and had some acquaintance with the natives 
 of that section. 
 
 Like all real "sourdough" miners they 
 knew how to speak a good many words in 
 Eskimo, especially young Gibbs, who had 
 wintered there. 
 
 Not only did it please the natives to have 
 the white men use the Eskimo language be- 
 cause it showed friendliness, but it made bar- 
 gaining easier for all. 
 
 It was not, however, for the purpose of 
 trading that this party of five men were mak- 
 ing a long, cold and tedious trip to the Sela- 
 wik River. 
 
 They were looking for gold. It was late 
 in November when the creeks and rivers 
 were frozen, and the swamps and tundra 
 132
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 could be everywhere crossed; and as the 
 weather was not so severe as it would be 
 later, and the snow was not so deep it was 
 considered the best time of the year for 
 starting the expedition. 
 
 There were three dog-teams and as many 
 heavy sleds, packed tightly with all manner 
 of necessary equipments fur sleeping bags, 
 tents, clothing of skins, and food supplies in 
 the smallest possible compass, besides frozen 
 tomcod for the malamutes. 
 
 To be sure, reindeer would have been 
 more expeditious, and would have hunted 
 their own provender, thus lightening the 
 loads on the sleds, as well as making a de- 
 licious food for the men in case of a short- 
 age of provisions; but there were none of 
 these animals at Nome and the dogs were 
 substituted. 
 
 It was a long journey. The prospect was 
 one of great hardship and even suffering to 
 those not accustomed to a miner's life; but 
 to these hardy men of Alaska, inured as they 
 had been to the cold of this northland, it 
 was a real pleasure trip which was looked 
 forward to with keenest interest. 
 
 The direction they wished to take was due 
 133
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 northeast from Nome to the Selawik River; 
 and at that place their plans would be fur- 
 ther perfected. Their object was to find 
 virgin gold placer gold to discover it in 
 such quantities that all might become rich; 
 and incidentally, after their own wants had 
 been supplied, those of the gentlemen whose 
 money had outfitted them would be consid- 
 eredperhaps. 
 
 They were already on the trail, at any 
 rate, with all they needed upon their sleds 
 and in their pockets; the gentlemen in ques- 
 tion were far away too far to interfere 
 with their movements; in fact, had gone to 
 London for the season and could not return 
 for many months. 
 
 This was their opportunity. They pro- 
 posed to use it for their own advantage un- 
 less prevented by some unforeseen calamity 
 which should end their lives; at least, this 
 was the way two of the miners expressed 
 themselves in the little roadhouse at Kee- 
 walik after many days of hard travel from 
 Nome. 
 
 Drinks and tobacco were passed over the 
 counter. Goodbye greetings were being ex- 
 changed. 
 
 134
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 "Hope you'll strike it rich and let us in on 
 the ground floor, Dunbar," called out one of 
 the loafers to the oldest man of the party 
 about to leave. 
 
 "Thanks, awfully; I'll remember," re- 
 plied the man addressed, laughing, but with- 
 out promising. "So long!" 
 
 "So long," called out the bartender in re- 
 ply. Then to those in the room: "Them 
 fellers are hittin' the trail in good shape with 
 all they need for six weeks, but when that's 
 gone they'll have ter come to us to fill up 
 again. There aint no other place this side 
 of Nome to buy a hunk of terbac that I 
 knows of, eh, Curley?" 
 
 "Nope, nor drinks, nor grub neither, by 
 Jove!" removing the smutty cob pipe from 
 between his teeth in order to smile widely as 
 was habitual with Curley. 
 
 "I wish 'em much joy with that Selawik 
 gang," said the man behind the bar. 
 
 "Well, there's a few whites there, and 
 then there's ole Kuikutuk and his brood, be- 
 sides a dozen other natives. Does the ole 
 shaman's squaw still live in his igloo?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, I guess so. She did the last I 
 heerd," answered the other. 
 135
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "Ole Kuik better look sharp when Gibbs 
 gits there, for I have heerd that the young 
 fool was awful sweet on his pretty woman 
 last year," and wide smiling Curly pulled his 
 parkie hood over his head preparatory to 
 leaving the roadhouse, after delivering him- 
 self of this piece of gossip. 
 
 "Them chaps is swelled up now all right 
 enough, but just wait a bit. They may come 
 back with their feathers picked, for the job 
 they've struck aint a summer picnic, and 
 that's no josh, either." 
 
 In this manner were the departed miners 
 and their actions commented upon; not in 
 the most complimentary way, to be sure, as 
 is the custom with many when those around 
 them seem prosperous. 
 
 In the meantime the prospectors pushed 
 on. Lakes, rivers and mountains were cross- 
 ed. In the latter the lowest passes and the 
 most used trails were selected, but these were 
 always rough and bewildering at best a 
 few blazoned spruces on the hills or hatchet- 
 hacked willows near the creeks, a tin can 
 placed upon a stake or a bit of rag flying 
 from a twig; all these but poorly marked 
 the paths which were seldom pressed by the 
 136
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 foot of a human being. Weeks might elapse, 
 or months even, when no soul passed that 
 way. Perhaps the whir of a partridge's 
 wing as he flew from one feeding ground to 
 another on the tundra was the only sound 
 disturbing the still air for hours; or when a 
 red fox, made sprightly by hunger, left as 
 few foot-prints on the snow as possible, by 
 leaping with great bounds forward to the 
 hills. 
 
 Buckland River and its tributaries were 
 left behind. No gold of any account had 
 as yet been found in their vicinity, and the 
 miners hurried on. Time was precious, for 
 food was disappearing and severe weather 
 was approaching. 
 
 Finally, at the close of a short winter's 
 day in December, the three dog-teams drew 
 their sleds into the camp at Selawik. Fling- 
 ing themselves upon the snow in their har- 
 ness the patient brutes looked appealingly 
 into their masters' faces. Then, as if by in- 
 stinct they understood that here they would 
 stop for some days, tense and tired muscles 
 relaxed, each pointed furry head was laid 
 between two weary little feet, and the mala- 
 mutes rested. They had well earned the rest.
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 Here in the midst of a forest of small 
 firs the boughs of which were still covered 
 with snow as if it had just fallen, rose the 
 chimneys of perhaps a half dozen log cabins 
 and igloos, the latter appearing to be sim- 
 ply burrows from which smoke was slowly 
 issuing; but being in reality the winter homes 
 of the Selawik Indians or Eskimo. 
 
 The latter usually lived in filth and 
 squalor, it being their habit to perform only 
 the most necessary labor, and that, too, with^ 
 the least amount of effort. The women 
 were the workers, performing the major 
 part of every duty. 
 
 In the igloo of the shaman, or medicine 
 man, however, it was different. The old na- 
 tive had lost his first wife and married an- 
 other and younger one, the pretty woman 
 spoken of by wide-mouthed Curley in the 
 Keewalik roadhouse some days before. She 
 was a full blooded Eskimo, as was the 
 shaman, but had enjoyed the advantages of 
 travel, having visited in the Nome country; 
 remaining for a time also in the mission 
 house at Kotzebue. 
 
 Among the Selawiks she was accounted a 
 beauty. Her cheeks were rosy though high- 
 138
 
 " The pretty woman . . . was a full-blooded Eskimo "
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 boned, her skin dark but clear, and her lips, 
 not too full for symmetry, repeated the tint 
 of her cheeks artistically. She was fond of 
 weaving bright bits of color into the two long 
 braids of black hair, and decorating in many 
 different ways her fur parkies and mukluks. 
 She was proud of keeping her house and 
 person as tidy as possible, while her versatil- 
 ity allowed her the use of many English 
 words and sentences. 
 
 It was not long after his arrival in camp 
 the year before, that the young prospector 
 and miner, Gibbs by name, began looking 
 upon the wife of the old shaman, Kuiktuk, in 
 a way that boded trouble for someone. 
 
 The old Eskimo was not slow to perceive 
 it. It was not his custom to talk much, but 
 he was often, though silent, an intensely in- 
 terested observer of the white man who so 
 often came to his igloo. 
 
 The shaman's wife flirted. Then the 
 shaman sorrowed. Like a philosopher he 
 bore his trouble for some months until the 
 spring came, the snow and ice left the Sela- 
 wik, the young white man's supplies were 
 low, and he was finally seen poling his small 
 boat down the river to the Kotzebue, appar- 
 139
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 ently leaving forever. 
 
 Then Kuiktuk took courage, picked up the 
 broken ends of his matrimonial cable, and 
 putting them together as best he could, de- 
 voutly hoped he had seen the last of the 
 youthful lover. 
 
 Now, after a year, he returned. Not only 
 so, but he had brought others with him who 
 might aggravate the situation; and the old 
 Eskimo's heart was sore. Gibbs and his 
 men had made for the shaman's igloo soon 
 after their arrival in the camp. What would 
 happen next? 
 
 He knew their object. They were search- 
 ing for gold, guided by the man he hated 
 but whom his wife loved. She and her 
 former admirer were already renewing their 
 acquaintance of the year before, to the sor- 
 row and mortification of the shaman. 
 
 The men had brought trading tobacco, tea 
 and coffee, with which to gain favor with the 
 Eskimos while they talked of the unknown 
 country about them, its possibilities and 
 probabilities. Did the natives know of gold 
 in this region? Had they seen the shining 
 metal in any of the nearby creeks or rivers 
 during the summer? Had there been re- 
 140
 
 ports from neighboring tribes of any such 
 discoveries? 
 
 These and many like inquiries were made 
 by the men, but were answered in the nega- 
 tive. 
 
 The shaman kept silent. 
 
 This was finally noticed by Gibbs, who 
 immediately imagined that here was the only 
 source from which the desired information 
 could be gained. 
 
 Kuiktuk had intended it so. 
 
 In his corner of the igloo he had rumin- 
 ated long and earnestly. Three days had 
 the miners already spent in the camp of the 
 Eskimos, and unless they were encouraged 
 in their own way that is, unless they were 
 given the explanation they sought, they 
 might remain here a month longer; which 
 stay would doubtless bring greater disgrace 
 to the shaman's household than ever; the 
 sooner they were told where to find the gold 
 the better for all concerned; when they 
 would again take to the trail, and he would 
 be left in the undisputed possession of his 
 Selawik wife whom he loved. 
 
 "Cow-cow" and calico were kept in store 
 for the natives (the white men said) who 
 141
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 would point the way or guide them to a spot 
 rich in the desired mineral; and who needed 
 these things more than he and his family, 
 reasoned Kuiktuk. 
 
 It was really no matter if the gold creeks 
 were omitted altogether; he should by good 
 rights have the cow-cow and calico. There 
 were reindeer skins which had been secured 
 the year before by Gibbs, but which he had 
 forgotten to pay for; and lastly, there were 
 damages which should be settled, for had 
 not the young miner stolen his wife's af- 
 fections and well nigh broken his heart? 
 
 Thus Kuiktuk continued to reason. He 
 was not revengeful by nature ; he could easily 
 have slipped a deadly draught into the drink- 
 ing cup of the man, but he had no wish to 
 kill. He only thought to send Gibbs away 
 about his business in order that his own 
 peace of mind might be left undisturbed. To 
 be sure, he might return to Selawik unless en- 
 tirely put out of the way, but that risk would 
 have to be borne. 
 
 Gold-bearing creeks and rivers were little 
 
 thought of by the Eskimos. Their use for 
 
 gold was small. Given an igloo, a boat, 
 
 fishing and hunting tackle, and they were 
 
 142
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 happy and satisfied; but the white man 
 should be taught to let the wives of the Es- 
 kimos alone, and that, too, right early. 
 
 All this, and a great deal more, passed 
 through the mind of the shaman. 
 
 On the evening of the third day after the 
 arrival of the miners, while all sat smoking 
 before the fire, Kuiktuk decided to act. 
 
 Taking his pipe from his mouth he pulled 
 himself slowly together as if about to speak. 
 
 "Say, Kuiktuk, old man, what is it? Can 
 you tell us where to find the yellow stuff we 
 look for?" keenly inquired Dunbar. 
 
 The Eskimo slowly nodded. 
 
 "Is it far from here?" 
 
 A shake of the head in reply. 
 
 "How far? Where?" eagerly asked the 
 men in a breath. 
 
 He pointed in a southeasterly direction. 
 
 "How many sleeps?" inquired Gibbs, 
 meaning to ask how many days' journey it 
 was. 
 
 Kuiktuk held up the fingers of one hand. 
 
 "He says its a five days' 'mush' from 
 here," interpreted Gibbs. 
 
 "Will you go with us to the place?" from 
 Dunbar. 
 
 143
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "Me want cow-cow ameluktuk," mumbled 
 the medicine man slowly. 
 
 "Yes, yes, you shall have the cow-cow," 
 impatiently cried Dunbar, "but not until you 
 show us the place." 
 
 "Me want cow-cow ameluktuk," again 
 muttered the man, still slowly but more firm- 
 
 ly- 
 
 "Oh, he wants the grub before we leave," 
 said Gibbs. 
 
 "The devil he does !" cried another, who 
 then tried to explain to Kuiktuk that he must 
 produce the gold-bearing creek before he 
 was given the food in payment. 
 
 The native was obstinate. 
 
 "Cow-cow peeluk, gold peeluk," indiffer- 
 ently, from the medicine man, going back to 
 his pipe in the corner as if not caring for fur- 
 ther conversation. 
 
 "He means no grub, no gold or we must 
 give him the supplies first, else we don't get 
 the creek," again interpreted Gibbs. 
 
 "To the dogs with the fellow!" cried one. 
 
 "He wants the whole cheese." 
 
 "Let him keep his creek and be blessed !" 
 
 "Forget it, boys, and come to the Kobuk 
 with me," laughed one. 
 144
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 "Let's give him the calico and beads, but 
 cut out the grub," finally from one of the 
 most generous, while Kuiktuk sat stolidly 
 smoking. 
 
 The latter would not compromise. The 
 men hated to part with the supplies, but 
 dreaded far worse to lose the prospect of 
 that good creek said by the native to contain 
 gold. It might prove another Anvil, who 
 could tell? Possibly it was not so far away 
 as the fellow said, Eskimos were never well 
 up in time and distances, and knew nothing 
 of prospectors' methods. 
 
 This was what Dunbar argued, and he, 
 being the eldest of the party, was finally al- 
 lowed his way, and that was to pay the 
 shrewd trader his price, delivering to him 
 the supplies agreed to on the next day be- 
 fore they started out upon their stampede to 
 the creek. 
 
 "Then in case the old fellow has lied 
 about the gold," said Gibbs, "we'll hang 
 him to the nearest tree." 
 
 A consultation of miners, including Kuik- 
 tuk was held. Plans for the trip were laid, 
 the route selected and all preparations com- 
 pleted. The shaman would lead the men up 
 
 145
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 the Selawik River to its head waters, as the 
 trails on the ice, though poor, were level and 
 much better than across the country, where 
 mountain ranges intercepted. They would 
 then head due south. 
 
 Only this much of his plan did the old Es- 
 kimo reveal. Secretly he wished to lead the 
 men by ways they could not possibly traverse 
 in returning. In doing the latter they would 
 not wish to break a new trail unguided 
 through an unexplored region of such mag- 
 nitude, and by spring the ice would be leav- 
 ing the Selawik. 
 
 As they had no boats it would be impos- 
 sible for them to return as they had come. If 
 they came to Selawik during the summer, 
 he, and his family and friends would be 
 away on their annual fishing excursion and 
 their igloos would be deserted. 
 
 Thus the Shaman planned before the 
 start was made for Midas. 
 
 The weather was not severe and signs 
 were propitious for "mushing". The men 
 were clothed in reindeer skins, with sleeping 
 bags of the same material; their dogs were 
 fresh, and they themselves were well fed 
 and rested. 
 
 146
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 A hundred miles or more were as nothing 
 to them as compared to the trip from Nome. 
 
 At last the head waters of the Selawik 
 were reached under Kuiktuk's guidance. No 
 white man had they seen. A few Eskimo 
 huts were passed; game was more abun- 
 dant, and as they came into heavily wooded 
 country with guns and ammunition they sup- 
 plied themselves with ptarmigan and other 
 winter fowl of various kinds. Then they 
 hoped to kill a caribou or reindeer which 
 would furnish food for the malamutes as 
 well as for themselves. 
 
 By this time three of the party hung back. 
 With the Eskimo guide they numbered six. 
 To penetrate still farther into an unknown 
 wilderness at this season with an insufficient 
 food supply would be foolhardy; it would 
 be better for them to return to Nome by the 
 shortest trail and again secure provisions. 
 
 This course was finally adopted. 
 
 Dunbar and Gibbs, accompanied by their 
 guide, one day longer, were to push on as 
 speedily as possible to the wonderful creek, 
 while the others would return to Nome. 
 Here they were to rest quietly until the two 
 had made fast their stakes on Midas, and 
 147
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 also returned to the city for supplies. In 
 the meantime, the ones to reach the latter 
 place first were to give out the news of the 
 discovery of a magnificent new section, the 
 center of which was a gold-bearing creek 
 of amazing richness. Here was a chance to 
 excite the credulity of the people of Nome, 
 than whom there were none more willing and 
 anxious to learn of new and rich gold dis- 
 coveries; and the possibility occurred to the 
 miners that money with which to prospect 
 the new Midas might be collected from the 
 citizens. 
 
 With this understanding the men parted; 
 Kuiktuk remaining with Dunbar and Gibbs 
 for another day, when, giving them full and 
 explicit directions as to the route to the 
 creek, as well as a complete description of 
 the same, he started back to his own camp. 
 
 Again the two men pushed southward. 
 
 "We're up against it now, Dunbar," 
 laughed Gibbs, "and its a question of who'll 
 win out. If it hadn't been for the old ras- 
 cal's appetite we would have made Kuik- 
 tuk come the entire way to Midas; but he 
 lowered our grub so fast it was no use." 
 
 "No, but be sure you don't lose his rude 
 148
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 map and directions to Midas in your note- 
 book. Without them we would indeed be 
 up against it, as you say," replied the older 
 man, seriously, as they were making their 
 way across the big "Divide" when the na- 
 tive had left them. 
 
 Snow was now beginning to fall in large 
 flakes; a storm signal, and one they liked 
 little. The temperature was falling. It 
 was quite dark at three o'clock in the after- 
 noon, and they were obliged to travel by 
 snow-light. When camp was finally made, 
 after halting for the night in a thicket of 
 pine and spruce trees, the men were cold, 
 tired and hungry. 
 
 Close under the branches of the pine 
 trees they pitched their little tent for shel- 
 ter. A big fire of logs and branches was 
 kindled in front. The weary malamutes 
 and their masters had eaten, and lay 
 stretched upon the ground, the men in sleep- 
 ing bags, thrown upon boughs from the 
 thicket; the dogs upon the snow near the 
 fire. 
 
 The latter was to be replenished during 
 the night from the pile of sticks just gather- 
 ed, and the animals would act as sentinels in 
 149
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 case a wolf or bear happened to stray that 
 way. 
 
 Oh, the loneliness of that winter's night; 
 they were surrounded by a sheeted wilder- 
 ness, how far from human habitation they 
 did not know. No moon or stars gave light 
 to cheer the wanderers, but instead, snow 
 falling heavily and noiselessly over all. No 
 winds stirred among the pines, causing them 
 dead silence. The one solitary sound to be 
 heard at intervals was the snapping in the 
 fire of some pine knot, long since broken and 
 dead upon the ground, or clipped from its 
 parent stem by the axe of the prospector. 
 
 When the storm had cleared and the two 
 miners were able to look about them suf- 
 ficiently, they discovered the creek described 
 by Kuiktuk. 
 
 It lay between high hills, locked in the 
 icy grip of an Arctic winter. On the south- 
 ern exposure of these hills grew fir, pine and 
 spruce trees of no great size, but still invalu- 
 able to prospectors in this otherwise inhos- 
 pitable region. Had it been in summer time 
 one could have seen a narrow and sinuous 
 creek flowing in a northeasterly direction, 
 emptying itself into a much larger and more 
 150
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 sinuous stream which trended easterly and 
 united with the great Koyukuk. 
 
 There were but a few low-lying "benches" 
 to be found. The hills were everywhere. 
 They sprang from the earth like mushrooms 
 in a moist garden. Their summits were 
 rock-ribbed and sides boulder-strewn. 
 
 Worse than all else the rock was granite. 
 No miner of experience in this country hoped 
 to find gold in a granite section; it had never 
 been known to accompany such a formation 
 in Alaska, and these men well knew that they 
 were check-mated. 
 
 There was no gold there. 
 
 They had been duped. When further in- 
 vestigation had confirmed the truth of their 
 first fears the rage of these men knew no 
 bounds. Gibbs, especially, raved like a mad- 
 man, and swore dire vengeance on the na- 
 tive who had been the cause of their disap- 
 pointment. 
 
 It was all clear to his mind now. The old 
 man whom he had thought so docile and in- 
 offensive as he sat in his igloo corner smok- 
 ing his pipe, was in reality not what he ap- 
 peared, but a being like other men, having 
 the same sensibilities and passions. There
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 was no doubt now that he had felt the great- 
 est resentment to the young man's course in 
 regard to his wife, and had quietly plotted 
 against him with this result. 
 
 Dunbar was angered that he, an innocent 
 man, should have been made the scapegoat 
 for the shortcomings of his companion; de- 
 claring that in doing this Kuiktuk had over- 
 reached himself. If he had wanted to pun- 
 ish Gibbs he should not have selected the 
 whole party of five to wreak his vengeance 
 upon in this manner, not knowing when they 
 left Selawik that three of their number would 
 return so soon to Nome. The three latter 
 were in reality as much dupes of the old na- 
 tive as they themselves, for had they not 
 gone on to town to spread the news of the 
 splendid gold discovery? 
 
 From this standpoint the matter was rea- 
 soned upon by the two men sitting before 
 their camp fire, and ended as usual in an ex- 
 plosion of violent wrath on the part of the 
 young miner. 
 
 "Oh, quit your cursing, Gibbs," at last ex- 
 claimed the older man, ill-naturedly, "and 
 let's decide what can be done. I have a plan 
 which I will unfold to you if you can stop 
 152
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 swearing long enough to listen." 
 
 "What is it?" moodily asked Gibbs. 
 
 "Let the boys go on to Nome and tell as 
 many big yarns as they like about this rich 
 old creek. When we get there we'll go them 
 one better and make the eyes of the Nomites 
 stand out in wonderment. We will then col- 
 lect money from as many persons as we can 
 successfully hoodwink into believing our stor- 
 ies and then skip back to the Koyukuk. When 
 the ice has left the rivers we can change our 
 currency into gold dust at some trading post 
 and quietly leave for the 'outside'. After- 
 wards, if we wish, we can carry this scheme a 
 point farther and on the outside sell Midas 
 ground to all who are easily gullible. See?" 
 
 As the man said this he leaned forward 
 to get a closer view of his listener's face. 
 What he saw encouraged him to proceed. 
 
 "What do you say, will you do it?'" 
 
 "It is the only honorable way out of the 
 scrape, eh?" laughed the other. 
 
 "Honor be d d !" exclaimed Dunbar. 
 
 "Will you do this or not?" 
 
 "I will." 
 
 "Shake!" 
 
 The two men then shook hands, sealing a 
 153
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 compact diabolical to the last degree, and 
 without further hesitation started for Nome 
 the next morning. 
 
 There was great excitement in Nome. 
 Five miners had returned from the Koyukuk 
 country and given out information of a gold 
 "strike" of exceeding richness. Three of 
 these men had arrived before the others, but 
 all told the same story. A Selawik Eskimo, 
 they said, had recently guided them to the 
 creek where their own discoveries had con- 
 firmed his statement. Nothing so rich had 
 they ever before seen. The creek gave prom- 
 ise of being one of the most famous placer 
 gold diggings that had ever been found in 
 Alaska ; was in fact a veritable Golconda, 
 and the returned prospectors dilated upon 
 the interesting details of their story with evi- 
 dent enjoyment. They stated that the forma- 
 tion of the country was the very best for gold 
 indications; that the creek was wide and shal- 
 low, the benches were broad, and the hills 
 few in number but long and sweeping like 
 the famous hills of Solomon and Anvil. 
 
 The two miners went further. While ex- 
 patiating to their listeners upon the extent of 
 the possible and probable contents of their 
 154
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 new creek, each man exhibited with much 
 gusto a medium-sized "poke" partly filled 
 with coarse gold and nuggets which they had 
 panned (they affirmed) from the gravel bed 
 of the stream after cutting away the ice suf- 
 ficiently; and with these and other plausible 
 tales were the good people of Nome for 
 weeks entertained. 
 
 To their three companions Dunbar and 
 Gibbs gave no hint regarding their actual ex- 
 periences at Midas. 
 
 The secret was safer with two than five; 
 but five men could arouse greater interest and 
 raise more funds for their schemes. For 
 this reason the two leaders kept their own 
 counsel, but urged the spreading of the false 
 reports. 
 
 Money soon began to flow into their 
 pockets. Everyone wished to have a hand in 
 this wonderful "strike", and all were willing 
 to pay for such interests. Not only did min- 
 ing men go into their bank books, but clerks, 
 stenographers, and small tradespeople pass- 
 ed out their hard-earned money. Women 
 also felt reluctant to be left behind at a time 
 of such wondrous opportunity, and plunged 
 their hands into all sorts of nooks and cran- 
 155
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 nies for their long hoarded but smaller de- 
 nominations. 
 
 ******** 
 
 A few months and the scene was changed. 
 Two miners poled their small boats down 
 the Koyukuk River. Winter was gone, tak- 
 ing ice and snow with it. Instead of these, 
 the waters of the great river, fed by melted 
 snow and tributaries, surged on mightily, 
 now whirling in swift rapids where huge 
 boulders impeded their progress; or to lower 
 levels where green islands caused a division 
 of the floods allowing reunion later. 
 
 The men in the boat talked little.. They 
 managed to drift past the principal mining 
 camps during the night in order not to be 
 much seen. To be sure, there was no dark- 
 ness at this time of the year, but the camps 
 were not stirring much through the night; and 
 in the event of a near approach to a trading 
 post in daylight they rested a few hours 
 among the willows on the river banks or 
 upon some island in mid-stream. When they 
 had slept and eaten before their camp fire 
 their journey was resumed. 
 
 In the bow of the boat lay two sacks of 
 very great weight. They were not large, but 
 156
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 were made of strong, thick material, such as 
 is used for tents. Great care was given these 
 sacks by the two men. At every halt along 
 the river they were carefully lifted out upon 
 the ground above the reach of the water, and 
 covered by some article of clothing or bed- 
 ding. 
 
 The sacks contained gold. 
 
 The men had come from Nome to the Ko- 
 yukuk, where at a small trading post they 
 had changed a large amount of currency into 
 gold dust and nuggets, mined from adjacent 
 creeks. With this they were making their 
 way south to the Yukon River where they in- 
 tended to go quietly on board a steamer head- 
 ing up stream, thus making their way to the 
 Klondyke and later to the States. 
 
 Reaching the Yukon River, a small steam- 
 er was hailed; they boarded her and soon 
 smoked contentedly on deck in the sunshine. 
 
 "Are you going on to 'Frisco' as you first 
 thought of doing, Dunbar?" inquired Gibbs, 
 for these were the two Midas Creek pro- 
 motors. 
 
 "You bet I am, and you go, too, for you 
 are pledged to the scheme to the end, you 
 know. You won't back down now, will you?" 
 157
 
 with some anxiety the question was asked by 
 Dunbar. 
 
 "I couldn't with honor, old man, could I ?" 
 and the young miner laughed, tossing a hand- 
 ful of gold nuggets up in the air and care- 
 lessly catching them as he spoke. 
 
 "There you go again!" said the other, "If 
 I were you I would cut out all the small talk 
 about honor after this. It isn't consistent." 
 
 "Agreed, but one likes to hear oneself 
 mention the word occasionally as a reminder 
 that there is such a thing. Then, too, if one 
 chanced to be overheard it might make a 
 good impression on somebody," winked the 
 fellow slyly. 
 
 "I never thought of that to be sure. You 
 may be young in years but you're not in wick- 
 edness. I believe you'll do. If you're not 
 afraid it will injure that blessed honor of 
 yours, go fetch another bottle of the best 
 champagne from the bar, will you?" 
 
 "You bet I will. I'll get two of them 
 while I'm getting," and Gibbs sauntered 
 away with his hands in his pockets after toss- 
 ing his cigarette over the steamer rail. 
 
 When Gibbs returned he was followed by 
 a waiter who carried a tray with bottles and 
 158
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 glasses. In their wake were others who had 
 quickly responded to the young miner's invi- 
 tation to drink with them, and they were all 
 presently hilarious. 
 
 In this way were the two men scattering 
 the contends of their gold sacks their's by 
 right of possession only; but really belong- 
 ing to the townspeople of Nome. Little 
 cared the two men how quickly the gold sacks 
 were empty for they had the ability to re- 
 plenish them when they liked. They were 
 smooth talkers, told plausible tales, looked 
 one squarely in the eye while speaking, and 
 bore no marks to the casual observer of the 
 rascality underneath. 
 
 If people were so easily taken in it was 
 their own look-out, and served them right 
 this was a much quicker and easier way of 
 mining the creek gold than with pick and 
 shovel nobody need be poor "we will soon 
 have money to burn, and might as well be 
 hung for a sheep as a lamb;" these were 
 some of the arguments and observations 
 made by the two miners as they proceeded up 
 the river on their way to the "outside" and 
 
 the scene of their future operations. 
 ******** 
 
 159
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 A year passed. In the great Koyukuk 
 country the summer had come again and with 
 it new life and activity in the way of pros- 
 pectors and settlers. Craft of all shapes and 
 sizes could be seen trying to force their way 
 against the current of the great river. There 
 were scows, houseboats, and small steamers. 
 Families there were on flat boats which ap- 
 peared to hold the earthly possessions of 
 many. Tents were pitched on scows, and 
 camp stoves with their accompanying smoke 
 stacks peeping through the canvas did full 
 duty. Mining tools formed a large and con- 
 spicuous part of the supplies of the incoming 
 prospectors, for they were to exploit a cer- 
 tain rich section of country still in its virgin- 
 ity, and there were no trading posts near. 
 
 In the multitude there were men, women 
 and children. There were outfits costing 
 hundreds and even thousands of dollars, but 
 all were full of eager expectancy; for 
 were they not coming to one of the richest 
 gold-bearing sections in Alaska? And had 
 not their funds preceeded them for the pur- 
 chase of claims soon now to be opened up 
 by them? 
 
 It was small wonder that they were light 
 1 60
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 hearted and worked early and late to get to 
 the desired place. All carried descriptions 
 of the famous creek and its surroundings, 
 and each day eyes were strained in a west- 
 erly direction in the hope of catching a first 
 glimpse of the promised land. 
 
 They had come from the Nome country, 
 and a dozen different states besides; the Pa- 
 cific coast being largely represented. They 
 were there by scores from farms, from 
 shops, from colleges, and from the great 
 cities, and all were filled with highest antici- 
 pations. 
 
 They were looking for the creek called 
 Midas. 
 
 They found it. 
 
 Dunbar and Gibbs were not there, but the 
 granite mountains were. Many of the first 
 prospectors to ascend the creek left their 
 outfits and poled even farther in small boats. 
 Many miles they toiled between banks so 
 close and around curves so sharp that there 
 was small chance for turning a tiny craft; 
 but on all sides it was the same. 
 
 Winding in and out between great bould- 
 ers of granite which had in some tremendous 
 upheaval of nature been tossed aloft like 
 ill
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 snowballs from the hands of a schoolboy, the 
 waters of this creek struggled, icy and sul- 
 len. 
 
 A tall and distinguished looking gentle- 
 man sat in the stern of a boat while his men 
 laboriously poled. He was from London. 
 He had outfitted a party of men in Nome 
 many months before, and had come to find 
 his gold claims. 
 
 No staking ground had been done. Close 
 under a clump of pines the remains of a white 
 man's camp in the shape of tin food cans, 
 and broken cob pipes were found; while 
 scattered near were the leaves of an old note- 
 book and rudely traced map. 
 
 No further proof was needed. It was the 
 identical creek called Midas by Dunbar and 
 Gibbs. 
 
 It was well for them that they were not 
 there. 
 
 The heart of Alaska in winter! It is 
 more than pen can describe. Its beauty, 
 grandeur, and immensity are feebly told in 
 words. Snow and ice are everywhere, and 
 that everywhere seems as great as the world. 
 Hills and mountains are here innumerable 
 and majestic; while rivers and creeks unlimit- 
 163
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 ed in number and of untold wealth lie safely 
 locked in Nature's storehouse by Nature's 
 hand. The heavens are glorious! the noon- 
 day sun making the whole earth to sparkle 
 with diamonds like the gems on a queen's 
 bosom; followed by hours illumined by a 
 moon so softly and brilliantly beautiful as to 
 appear like the eye of a god. 
 
 Fully as wonderful as in her gentler 
 moods but far more terrible is Alaska when 
 the great blizzard rages. There remains 
 then no signs of serenity. Whirlwind fol- 
 lows whirlwind; gales from the ends of the 
 earth blow horribly and with frenzied swift- 
 ness, bearing upon their breath the icy points 
 of millions of keen needles which bite like 
 the stings of insects. Flying, sifting, drift- 
 ing snow, which before formed jewels of 
 such exquisite beauty is now piled mountain 
 high, or sucks itself with savage fierceness 
 through crannies and into deep gorges be- 
 tween high hills, thus creating a fitting ac- 
 companiment in the dangerous crevasse. 
 
 Into this wilderness, north of the great 
 Circle, and amid conditions like these, one 
 would scarcely hope to find white men pene- 
 trating. Probably not from choice would they 
 163
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 enter; certainly by force of circumstances if 
 at all; and these must have been the most 
 desperate. Be that as it may, a small trail 
 of smoke one day made its way aloft from a 
 log cabin half buried in the snow; while a 
 pack of a dozen malamutes played about the 
 door. A pile of logs and sticks of firewood, 
 an axe, a tin bucket, and dog-sleds near, 
 gave undisputed evidence of the presence 
 here of someone besides natives. 
 
 Entering the door, a visitor would have 
 been welcomed by two occupants. One of 
 them lay stretched upon his bunk in the cor- 
 ner of the room; the other, a younger man, 
 threw some sticks upon the fire. 
 
 They were arguing the question of break- 
 ing camp and pushing further eastward. 
 
 "If we can reach the Crow Mountains by 
 spring, secure a boat at Rampart House and 
 work along to the Mackenzie River we are 
 all right," and the speaker bent over a map 
 of Alaska spread out before him. 
 
 "From there to the coast is an easy mat- 
 ter, and to secure passage on some whaler 
 for Point Barrow will not be difficult; but af- 
 terward " 
 
 "Yes, afterward," interrupted the man 
 164
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 upon the bunk, impatiently. "What about 
 afterwards?" 
 
 "We will find a way into Siberia or China 
 where we can enjoy our hard-earned gold," 
 with a sarcastic emphasis upon the three last 
 words of his sentence, but laughing lightly. 
 
 "There is no reason you should not do 
 this," was the reply, "but with me it is dif- 
 ferent. I am ill, and daily growing weaker. 
 This isolation and enforced inaction takes 
 the life out of me; my head grows dizzy 
 from much thinking, and I see forms, spec- 
 tres, and hobgoblins in all shapes and col- 
 ors," this was said complainingly and in a 
 weakened voice. 
 
 "My dreams are so horrible that I dread 
 the prospect of night." 
 
 "You're a fool to worry. Keep a stiff up- 
 per lip, and all will be well. See, I'm mak- 
 ing a checker-board with which we can kill 
 time when we like." 
 
 "I'd like to kill the whole of it before it 
 kills me," was the response. "If I only had 
 something to read or something to do. I'm 
 sick of this infernal hole!" 
 
 "Ditto here, but what can we do? If we 
 push on eastward now we will probably be 
 165
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 without shelter, and it is a long and tedious 
 job to build a log cabin. With the ther- 
 mometer at sixty degrees below zero as it 
 is we will freeze to death on the trail." 
 
 "Much loss it would be," growled Dun- 
 bar. 
 
 "Then if we went back to the Koyukuk," 
 continued Gibbs, "we would be sure to run 
 into the arms of some of our numerous min- 
 ing partners from Midas, which we are in 
 no hurry to do. We are now about half 
 way between the headwaters of the Koyu- 
 kuk and the Canadian boundary line, and as 
 we are fairly comfortable here, with plen- 
 ty of game and firewood, and as we are not 
 sure of finding a shelter for our heads if we 
 move now, I think it wise to stay right here 
 for two months longer at least. With our 
 hunting, eating, sleeping and checkers, the 
 time will pass if we wait long enough," and 
 the speaker resumed a lighter tone while try- 
 ing to encourage the other. 
 
 "I suppose you are right, boy, but I de- 
 test this kind of a life." 
 
 "It's a heap better than being behind bars 
 for a lifetime or feeding buzzards while 
 dangling from the limb of a tree." Then 
 1 66
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 seeing the horror on his partner's face, he 
 said with a mockingly polite bow, "A thou- 
 sand pardons, old fellow, for such unpleas- 
 ant allusions, but I was only seeking to make 
 you more contented for your own good as 
 well as mine." 
 
 "I'm tired of it all," sighed the older man 
 wearily. 
 
 "Oh, no, we're not tired of this, Dunbar," 
 seizing a gold sack from among a heap of 
 them upon the ground in a corner of the 
 cabin and emptying the shining nuggets upon 
 the checkerboard. "These look as good to 
 me as ever, because I can see in them ease 
 and luxury in some beautiful southern clime, 
 where the birds sing sweetly and the flowers 
 bloom unendingly; where we can find sweet- 
 hearts by the dozen and live like sultans by 
 Jove, I wish I were there now." 
 
 The other groaned aloud. He covered 
 his face with his hands. 
 
 "Take it away, take it out of my sight, I 
 tell you. I hate it! I hate it!" he cried 
 hoarsely and with eyes glaring, as he leaped 
 from his bunk to the ground. 
 
 The younger man knew that he had gone 
 too far and tried to pacify him, putting the 
 167
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 gold hastily away and covering it from sight. 
 Afterwards when the older man had 
 grown calmer, the two went for a hunt, fol- 
 lowed by three of their dogs for company. 
 The remainder of the malamutes kept watch 
 
 by the camp in their absence. 
 ******** 
 
 The sun had long since sunk below the 
 western horizon. Following in its wake 
 great banks of luminous clouds swept by, 
 finally culminating in a heavy sheet of haze. 
 
 From this gradually sprung broad arches 
 of light to the zenith; while rays of bril- 
 liant crimson color ranged themselves per- 
 pendicularly from earth to sky, shooting up 
 and down with great velocity and tremulous- 
 ness. In the zenith these arches slowly 
 widened, their rays multiplying until the 
 whole sky was hidden, and then, deepening 
 in intensity of color, became a veritable sea 
 of blood, flowing steadily westward. Over 
 the vast and snowy Arctic waste this glorious 
 flood of color was pouring until no particle 
 of whiteness remained. 
 
 At the close of the day the hunters and 
 their dogs were returning to their cabin af- 
 ter having shot enough small game for some 
 1 68
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 time. 
 
 A solemn stillness had until now prevailed, 
 when suddenly, without warning, there were 
 heard with startling clearness on the frosty 
 air hissing or whizzing sounds, like the 
 crackling of firebrands in a furnace. 
 
 With the first appearance of the polaris in 
 the heavens Dunbar became greatly excited, 
 clutching the arm of his companion until he 
 cried out with pain. 
 
 "It has come at last! Its the judgment! 
 Its hell, hell ! See the blood ! See it on my 
 hands it covers everything. Hell's every- 
 where!" and the man shrieked, tearing his 
 clothing from him and darting from side to 
 side as if trying to escape some awful fate. 
 
 In vain the younger man tried to quiet 
 him. 
 
 "The devil's coming! He'll get me! Keep 
 him away!" he cried with curses, and he 
 crouched at the feet of Gibbs, a wild-eyed, 
 and screaming maniac. 
 
 At that instant the crackling about their 
 heads became louder, and the older man 
 sprang to his feet in a frenzy of fright. 
 
 Leaping, shouting, cursing, flinging out his 
 arms to imaginary assailants, tearing his 
 169
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 beard and his hair by handfuls, he ran to and 
 fro, a raving madman. Then in an insane 
 frenzy he turned his back on his companion 
 for one instant as if about to flee to the 
 woods, when Gibbs, snatching his revolver 
 from his belt, aimed it at the man's back and 
 fired. 
 
 Dunbar fell dead upon the ground. 
 
 Until that moment the dogs, quite uncon- 
 cerned at what was going on about them, 
 being intent only upon following their trail 
 of the morning back to the cabin, now fled 
 toward home, howling dismally. 
 
 The young miner was now alone; utterly 
 and entirely alone. Above and around him 
 shone the blood-red light from the heavens; 
 at his feet the body of his only friend dead. 
 
 Gibbs fainted. 
 
 ******** 
 
 The magnificent electrical hurricane of 
 the night before had passed over, leaving be- 
 hind one faithful sentinel the moon. Lov- 
 ingly and brightly her beams were shed over 
 the wilderness of snow whose purity was 
 marred by only two dark blots the bodies 
 of two men lying dead upon their faces. The 
 first died by the hand of the other. The sec- 
 170
 
 WHY MIDAS FAILED 
 
 ond by freezing. Both were suddenly called 
 to that judgment so horribly feared by the 
 older man, who saw in the unusual display of 
 the aurora polaris the realization of his 
 worst imaginings. 
 
 So these two men fell; while the influence 
 of their evil deeds continue like the ripples 
 on a lake surrounding a sinking stone; per- 
 haps forever. 
 
 "For I hold it true that thoughts are things 
 Endowed with body, breath and wings, 
 And that we send them forth to fill 
 The world with good results or ill." 
 
 171
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE OLD STONE HOUSE 
 
 HE inhabitants of Rainy Hollow 
 were greatly disturbed. In the 
 face of facts there really was 
 justification for such excitement 
 on the part of the miners, the is- 
 sue at stake being an important boundary 
 line between two great nations. Those loyal 
 to the stars and stripes, and supporting them- 
 selves under the protection of their beloved 
 colors, were surprised to hear hinted the pos- 
 sibility of their being placed, against their 
 will, under the jurisdiction of a foreign 
 power, whose hand might easily prove an ar- 
 bitrary one. Restlessly they agitated the 
 question at their miners' meetings, with a dim 
 hope that some solution of the trouble would 
 present itself, and ultimately they would be 
 left in the happy possession of properties for 
 which they had endured strenuous hardships 
 and from which they would only part when 
 compelled. 
 
 From the channel called Portland on the 
 172
 
 THE OLD STONE HOUSE 
 
 south, along the coast to the pinnacles of St. 
 Elias, ten marine leagues were supposed from 
 time immemorial to be defined; neither the 
 channel, the salt water line, nor the moun- 
 tain's top having been materially changed as 
 to configuration. From Mt. Elias a perpen- 
 dicular line to the Frozen Ocean farther out- 
 lined the boundary between the two nations, 
 this not being included, however, in the de- 
 batable country at this time. 
 
 The question, then, before the miners, re- 
 solved itself into one peculiarly simple. It 
 was this : Had the line of demarcation been 
 successfully deflected in order to include the 
 natural seaports of such increased import- 
 ance since the gold discoveries in the Klon- 
 dyke? and if so, how? The line was far 
 from being imaginary. In the long, long 
 ago in certain places natural landmarks had 
 been made use of by the Russians, but where 
 they were not available monuments of stone 
 had been erected at intervals, and these built 
 in solid masonry had withstood the encroach- 
 ments of the elements for more than fifty 
 years. 
 
 An old stone monument house built by the 
 Russians almost a century before was yet to
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 be discovered by those of the "ten leagues" 
 theory, and it must be searched for, but 
 where, and by whom? If this could be 
 found the authenticity of the old boundary 
 line would be established, and those in au- 
 thority could place their hands without hes- 
 itation upon proof which must be decisive. 
 
 Finally, one beautiful day in summer, a 
 miners' meeting was called, and the Rainy 
 Hollow men assembled to decide what they 
 could do to assist the government to put an 
 end to the matter forever. 
 
 A burly, old-time miner and pioneer called 
 "Dick Dead-eye" by his fellows, was made 
 chairman of the meeting. This name was 
 given him because he was a good marksman, 
 having an eye which seldom failed him in 
 taking aim with a gun. He was seconded by 
 a stranger, who, having a keen, quick glance 
 and well knit figure dressed appropriately in 
 leathern trousers and leggings, sat at the 
 chairman's right and evidently "meant busi- 
 ness", as Billy Blue intimated on the aside 
 to his companions. 
 
 "This meetin' will now come to order," 
 called out the chairman of dead-shot fame, 
 giving two or three good, hard thumps on the
 
 THE OLD STONE HOUSE 
 
 table with his heavy fist. 
 
 As the buzzing in the room ceased and 
 each man gave his attention the speaker con- 
 tinued. 
 
 "You fellers all know why we came here 
 to-day. We have with us one of Uncle Sam's 
 men from Washington, D. C. He has been 
 sent by our government to look up the mat- 
 ter of the boundary line between us and the 
 Yukon territory, and see if we can't git 
 things settled rightly." 
 
 At this a storm of applause greeted the 
 speaker and along with the clapping of hands 
 was heard the thud of the miners' heavy 
 hob-nailed boots upon the floor in emphasis. 
 
 The chairman waited for silence. When 
 it came he said: 
 
 "I have the great honor and pleasure, gen- 
 tlemen, to introduce to you Lieutenant 
 Adams, our friend from Washington. The 
 lieutenant will give us a talk," and with that 
 the chairman took his seat, while wiping 
 away the perspiration incident to the exer- 
 tion of conducting a meeting in the presence 
 of a man from Washington. 
 
 The lieutenant rose quickly, and looking 
 over the little band of miners, briskly ad- 
 175
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 dressed them as one of their number. 
 
 "My friends," said he, "you have all had 
 experience in locating mining claims, but 
 we want you to locate something else in or- 
 der that you may keep possession of the 
 ground you have, and that is the old Russian 
 Boundary Line so long ago established by 
 the first white settlers and traders in Alaska. 
 If we can verify the boundary now held by 
 us as being the one established and held by 
 them, you will be left in the undisturbed right 
 of your property." 
 
 "Hear! Hear!" exclaimed his enthusias- 
 tic listeners, causing the officer to smile. 
 
 "You probably all know that our govern- 
 ment bought Alaska from Russia a few years 
 ago at what seemed at that time an enormous 
 sum for a frozen good-for-nothing country. 
 The transaction was designated 'Seward's 
 Folly', and the country was said to be a fit res- 
 idence only for polar bears and Eskimos. The 
 whale and seal industries were fast reaching 
 extinction when gold was discovered, and 
 this, too, in such vast quantities and widely 
 separated districts as to enormously increase 
 by leaps and bounds the value of the whole 
 of Alaska. For this reason the matter of 
 176
 
 THE OLD STONE HOUSE 
 
 the boundary line has grown to be of im- 
 mense importance, and in justice to our neigh- 
 bors as well as to ourselves, it should now 
 be authoritatively settled once and forever. 
 What I want to know is, how many of those 
 present will assist me in securing evidence of 
 the old boundary marks. It is a big under- 
 taking. We shall need guides and boats. I 
 understand what it means for miners to leave 
 their work in the busy summer season, but 
 this affair is urgent and cannot be delayed. 
 Will you help me?" 
 
 "We will, we will!" cried the men enthusi- 
 astically. 
 
 "I thank you heartily, and hope we shall 
 soon accomplish our mission," and with that 
 the Lieutenant took his seat. 
 
 Great applause followed, and again the 
 cannonading of boots upon the floor was put 
 into action. 
 
 The chairman arose and called for order. 
 After a little time, during which the men 
 gave what information they could, it was ar- 
 ranged that Dick Dead-eye should be the 
 Lieutenant's guide into the mountains. The 
 old pioneer was acquainted with Indians on 
 the Klukwan River who had lived in that vi- 
 177
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 cinity for many years, and as he was convers- 
 ant with the Chilkat language he thought 
 they could get the desired information. The 
 Klukwan River was a tributary of the Chil- 
 kat, rising in the mountains which should be 
 their first objective point. 
 
 In the late twilight of an Alaskan sum- 
 mer's day the keel of a little boat grated 
 upon the pebbles of the beach at Klukwan. 
 Mission and the west arm of Lynn had been 
 left behind. Here two small rivers emptied 
 their mountain waters into the big Canal 
 whose long, wet fingers persistently pointed 
 toward the Passes and the Golden North. In- 
 cidentally, also, they indicated the direction 
 to the disputed Boundary Line, the exact 
 whereabouts of which the pioneer "Dead- 
 eye" and his official companion had come to 
 determine. For years the Lieutenant had 
 been engaged by the United States Govern- 
 ment in making surveys along the southern 
 coast of Alaska where he was no stranger to 
 the Indians. These knew him, and he spoke 
 their language, as did also the old hunter, 
 trapper and pathfinder. 
 
 For two decades had the old hunter 
 forced long trails into the unknown country 
 178
 
 THE OLD STONE HOUSE 
 
 and blazed the way for those who were 
 speedily to follow by thousands. To him Yu- 
 kon and Selkirk were household words. 
 
 So their landing at Klukwan was no new 
 experience. In truth a cabin, substantially 
 built of logs and stocked with edibles and oth- 
 er comforts, awaited the two hardy frontier- 
 men. Had there been no such luxuries they 
 would have felt as much at home sleeping be- 
 side a camp fire in the open. They looked 
 for those who could tell them of the doings 
 of white men who landed on these shores 
 nearly a century before, and for those who 
 could point the way to boundary monuments 
 wherever they were. Of necessity they must 
 look among the aged ones of Chilkats for in- 
 formation. 
 
 On the day following their landing the In- 
 dians were assembled, and inquiry was made 
 by the white men as to the location of the 
 boundary monuments. Had any of the peo- 
 ple present ever seen such, or did they know 
 where they were to be found? 
 
 Two or three then declared that they had 
 seen, many years before, a Russian Bound- 
 ary House and knew how to reach it; but 
 they were too old to walk so far, or climb the 
 179
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 mountains. They said they would direct 
 some younger Indian, and he should guide 
 the white men to the spot. 
 
 Their search, however, proved unavailing, 
 for days they wandered about the mountains 
 and even reached the divide indicated by the 
 old Indians; but nowhere could a Boundary 
 House, or anything of a like description, be 
 found. 
 
 At last they returned to Klukwan for sup- 
 plies and further instructions. There was 
 evidently some mistake. 
 
 A consultation was held. An Indian, who 
 had been upon the identical spot of the 
 Boundary House, must accompany the white 
 men and indicate the place, if possible. 
 
 Some one mentioned the name of Old Til- 
 lie. She was too old to see well, her teeth 
 were long since gone, and she dozed often. 
 No one thought her able to walk any dis- 
 tance; but if she were strong enough she 
 could locate the place, if anyone could. She 
 had been there in her girlhood, seventy years 
 before. When she was asked to guide the 
 white men to the mountains she slowly shook 
 her head but said nothing. 
 
 "Well, Dick," said the Lieutenant, "we 
 180
 
 When Old Tillie 
 was young
 
 THE OLD STONE HOUSE 
 
 may as well go home. It is too late to do 
 anything more to-day. It is supper time." 
 
 Later, when their meal was finished, and 
 tin cups and plates had been put aside, the 
 officer took from its nail an old banjo, and 
 began strumming. Presently he was singing, 
 and his rich, clear voice, admirably suited to 
 the time, place and surroundings, filled the 
 little cabin and floated across to the green 
 where the Indians camped. Song followed 
 song, and the guide continually puffed his 
 pipe near at hand. 
 
 By and by, a form stood in the doorway. 
 It was old Tillie. She had heard the music 
 and had hobbled over to the officer's cabin 
 to listen. 
 
 "Come in and sit down, Tillie," called out 
 the Lieutenant. "Do you like music?" 
 
 She smiled and nodded, accepting his invi- 
 tation. 
 
 "Shall I sing for you, Tillie?" 
 
 A low spoken affirmative came from the 
 old creature, who had seated herself near 
 the entrance. 
 
 "I'll see if I can remember a few lines in 
 Chilkat that I wrote some time ago," said 
 the musician, as he again touched the strings. 
 183
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 It was only a simple song, descriptive of 
 two Indian lovers, and it ran in this fashion: 
 
 In western skies the sun dips low 
 
 Above the purpled hills, 
 While glinting waters and their flow 
 
 The air with music fills. 
 
 Filmy and light as fairies' wings, 
 
 The fading clouds descend, 
 Touching with finger tips the strings 
 
 While leaves on green boughs bend. 
 
 The lone loon's call unto his mate 
 
 The rustle of the quail, 
 Announce the day as growing late, 
 
 And sunshine's pleasures fail. 
 
 Then out upon the quiet lake, 
 
 In tiny birch canoe, 
 Ageeluk and her lover make 
 
 Their vows for weal or woe. 
 
 In Chilkat tongue the lover sings, 
 
 The song all lovers know, 
 To dusky maid with copper rings, 
 
 Where long, lank rushes grow. 
 184
 
 THE OLD STONE HOUSE 
 
 The shadows lengthen, slowly creep 
 
 Across the water dark, 
 While little waves are hiding deep, 
 
 Around the lovers' bark. 
 
 Content, at last, these lovers leap 
 Upon the steep bank's stone. 
 
 The leaves are still, the birds asleep, 
 And they are left alone. 
 
 When he had finished the song he paused. 
 Tillie seemed fast asleep. She had slipped 
 to the floor at the beginning of the song, 
 and sat with her head upon her drawn-up 
 knees, with her hands clasped above 
 them. She made no move. The officer 
 continued his singing, still softly, and in a 
 retrospective mood. He was a born musician. 
 His whole soul craved song, and the great- 
 est deprivation to him in Alaska was the lack 
 of music. For this reason, he kept his own 
 banjo with him, and many an evening's en- 
 tertainment had he furnished in cabin and 
 beside camp fire, when his fine barytone 
 mingled with an ascending cloud from burn- 
 ing spruce knots, and added enjoyment to the 
 hour. 
 
 185
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 At last the old Indian raised her head. 
 Pushing back a few long wisps of hair that 
 had fallen over her face, she asked for wa- 
 ter. Her mouth seemed parched and dry, 
 and her withered lips scarcely moved. She 
 had just seen the old stone house they were 
 looking for, and would tell the white men of 
 it, she said. 
 
 "Is it the same you saw when a child?" 
 asked the officer. 
 
 "Yes, but broken, the walls stand not. 
 Last moon came men from the north while 
 hunting." 
 
 "What did they do?" 
 
 "They broke the house, its walls are 
 down," mumbled the old woman with a 
 scowl. 
 
 "How were they before, Tillie?" 
 
 "Before? Ah, before! In my childhood 
 I saw it, that Boundary House on the sum- 
 mit. How green the spruce and pine trees, 
 and the nuts that dropped before snow-fall ! 
 What fires we made, and the roaring and 
 sweet-smelling! How dear the Indian lovers, 
 and how brave in bear hunting! With teeth 
 of the cinnamon and grizzly we made chains 
 for our necks, and with breasts of water- 
 186
 
 fowl we made aprons. In streams we track- 
 ed beaver and muskrat, besides mink for our 
 coats in the winter." 
 
 "But, Tillie, old woman, what of the white 
 men, the Russians?" 
 
 "Not much white, but dark," she return- 
 ed, correcting him. "Fine dressing, many 
 knives and guns in belt, buttons bright like 
 money, and they sit on animals, big like cari- 
 bou, what you call? Yes, horses. Then in 
 boat they sailed to beautiful island. Lis- 
 ten!" 
 
 The old creature placed her hand behind 
 her ear as if trying to catch some sound or 
 name. Then, brightening up, she exclaimed: 
 "Baranhoff it is! Big house, fine castle. 
 Beautiful laughing ladies in lovely dressing. 
 Gold, gold, I see everywhere on fingers, ears 
 and necks. Money plenty. All make plea- 
 sure, good time, dancing, gambling; drink 
 tea much from big copper dish. Ah, great 
 man many sleeps gone by. This way they 
 dance," then added the old creature, scram- 
 bling to her feet clumsily and catching up her 
 tattered skirt daintly with each hand after 
 the manner of a danseuse. Then, still with 
 closed eyes, she glided gracefully and with 
 187
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 dignified movement over the floor in imita- 
 tion of long dead Russian ladies of high de- 
 gree. 
 
 The Lieutenant strummed a few chords 
 softly upon his banjo, but old Tillie was 
 drowsily crooning her own accompaniment 
 as she swayed backward and forward, and 
 seemed not to notice. 
 
 At last, wearied by her unusual efforts, 
 she sank upon the floor in her accustomed 
 attitude and breathed deeply. 
 
 "But, Tillie, old woman," urged the Lieu- 
 tenant, who had not forgotten his important 
 business with the Indians, "what did the men 
 leave in the old stone house on the mountain 
 to tell us they built it?" 
 
 "I see iron box and many things in it; ket- 
 tles, pipes, spoons and a big knife. I see small 
 gun that shoots, and bullets to put in it. 
 Many things are in box, and for it you must 
 dig below the ground, not far, in a corner by 
 the old chimney there; but first you roll the 
 stones away." 
 
 "But we cannot find the place unless you 
 show us the way, Tillie. Will you go with 
 us?" 
 
 "Yes. Me quick find stone house ; but Til- 
 188
 
 THE OLD STONE HOUSE 
 
 lie is old, very old, and not much can hurry. 
 She cannot climb mountains like young In- 
 dian," and she sighed heavily as she spoke. 
 
 "You shall take your own time, only show 
 us to the Boundary House on the Summit, 
 and I will pay you well," said the Lieuten- 
 ant. 
 
 The following day they started. Every- 
 thing that could be done for the comfort of 
 the Indian woman was done by the two white 
 men. When she was tired she was allowed 
 to rest; and at night a bed of boughs was 
 made for her near the camp fire. Along the 
 banks of the Klahenia she led them, finally 
 leaving the river and following a dry creek 
 bed into the mountains. 
 
 Not since she was a little child had she 
 visited this region except in her vision, when 
 she had plainly seen her route and destina- 
 tion, the ruins of the old stone house on 
 the mountains. 
 
 On the afternoon of the fourth day the 
 party reached the desired spot, exactly as 
 old Tillie had described. The Lieutenant 
 and his man found it. Clearing away the 
 huge stones which had formed the walls of 
 the house, they found, upon digging in the 
 189
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 corner, an old iron chest of ancient Rus- 
 sian manufacture. In it were the proofs (if 
 more were needed) that this was the iden- 
 tical Boundary House for which they had 
 been seeking. A couple of small copper ket- 
 tles, blackened with age and dampness, like 
 the rude knives, clumsy revolver, and bul- 
 lets for the same, as well as a few old pipes, 
 spoons, and a hatchet, lay as they had done 
 for many years, in the bottom of this old 
 chest. Upon the inside of the latter's lid 
 was inscribed the owner's name Petrofsky 
 Russian without a doubt; and a rude draw- 
 ing which clearly traced the much disputed, 
 much sought out Boundary Line between 
 Alaska and the British Possessions. 
 
 On this drawing was shown the very stone 
 house upon the site of which they now stood ; 
 and Lieutenant Adams and his companion, 
 threw up their caps for joy. 
 
 Pressing the old woman's skinny hand in 
 his own, the Lieutenant filled it with gold 
 pieces, saying as he did so: 
 
 "Here is money with which to buy blankets. 
 
 Take it. You are a wonderful woman, and 
 
 you shall never suffer. You shall have a 
 
 warm house and plenty of coal for the win- 
 
 190
 
 THE OLD STONE HOUSE 
 
 ter, and I will see now that you reach your 
 camp safely. You have served us well, and 
 I thank you." 
 
 So saying, the white man covered the iron 
 chest, and even replaced the stones above as 
 they had found them. They then returned 
 to Klukwan and their own cabin. 
 
 Later, the Lieutenant was successful in 
 gathering information from Indians at Ben- 
 nett and Tahku, relative to boundary marks 
 and monuments, which was also of great ser- 
 vice to him in establishing the fact that the 
 line as it then stood was the one of the orig- 
 inal Russian owners, and that no power had 
 authority to change it. 
 
 By arbitration between the two countries 
 the matter was finally adjusted, leaving the 
 miners of Rainy Hollow, as well as those of 
 the Porcupine District and other places, in 
 peaceful possession of their lands as they de- 
 sired; but of those who had given assistance 
 to the United States officials while inquiring 
 into the location of Boundary marks, none 
 had given more satisfactory and timely aid 
 than Tillie, the Chilkat Indian, when she led 
 the white men to the Old Stone House on the 
 Summit. 
 
 191
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 f ^HE woman I loved above all oth- 
 | ers in this world had been my 
 
 I happy wife for a number of years 
 
 -*- when we decided to come to hunt 
 
 for Alaskan gold. 
 
 We lived only for each other. Our attach- 
 ment was very great, a feeling which at the 
 first time of meeting sprang suddenly into 
 existence. My love for my wife was my rul- 
 ing passion, my ambition for Alaskan gold 
 being always secondary, as were all other 
 earthly concerns. 
 
 Her attachment for me was of a like na- 
 ture, warm and sincere. 
 
 My greatest anxiety was her health. Never 
 entirely robust, she had gradually grown less 
 so, even with all my tender care, and as her 
 mind grew and expanded her body became 
 more frail. At last our physician prescribed 
 an entire change of life and scene. As I was 
 not a rich man, and must wherever I went 
 still manage to bring in by business methods 
 enough for our support, it was an important 
 192
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 question with us for some time where we 
 should settle. 
 
 Olga (for that was the name of my little 
 wife) wished to go to Alaska. There she 
 thought we could together search for the 
 precious mineral only recently discovered in 
 various places; and though the journey was 
 a long one she argued that the change would 
 be beneficial to her. 
 
 So we came to the northern gold fields. 
 Fortune favored us for two years. Our 
 claims were turning out so well that we 
 planned to build a good house in town soon 
 which would be a comfortable home until, 
 after the further growth of our bank account, 
 we could leave the country forever. 
 
 Before that time arrived, however, a thun- 
 der bolt had fallen Olga was dead. 
 
 I had gone for two days to my claims on 
 the creeks ten miles away, leaving her alone. 
 At night she was to have the company of u 
 woman friend in order that she might not feel 
 lonely, and the following evening I was to be 
 at home again. 
 
 How I hated to leave her ! Something like 
 an unseen hand upon my arm held me back; 
 but my men were even then awaiting my or- 
 
 193
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 ders and I was obliged to go. To remain at 
 home now meant a loss of thousands of dol- 
 lars as the late rains had so swollen the creeks 
 that sluicing was in full blast after many weeks 
 of waiting on account of scarcity of water. 
 
 Olga was in her usual health and smiled 
 brightly, standing in the doorway when I 
 pressed my lips to her for a goodbye. 
 
 "Don't get lonesome, dear, I'll be back as 
 soon as possible, and bring a good-size poke 
 full of nuggets with me, too," said I hurrying 
 away in the direction of the hills where my 
 claims were situated. 
 
 Looking back from the tundra trail which I 
 had been putting behind me as fast as possi- 
 ble for some time, I saw her standing in the 
 doorway looking after me, but whether she 
 had remained as I left her, or whether she 
 had returned to the door after going inside, 
 I never knew. 
 
 The next time I saw her she was dead. 
 
 I had walked ten miles to my claim and 
 superintended the daily "clean-up" at the 
 sluice boxes, securing as I had said I would a 
 poke full of golden nuggets worth several 
 thousand dollars. 
 
 It was a splendid clean-up, but for some 
 194
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 unexplainable reason I was restless and un- 
 easy. I had seen so much gold it was getting 
 to be an old story; or my meals had not di- 
 gested well; or perhaps I was working too 
 hard I tried in these ways to account for my 
 indifference. My mind wandered from the 
 work in hand. I looked often in the direction 
 of home and Olga, but the hills were between 
 us. I slept fitfully at night, after waking 
 with a start which disturbed me greatly. At 
 last I looked at my watch. It was past mid- 
 night, and I determined to go home. 
 
 Going to the creek where the night gang 
 was at work, shoveling into the sluice boxes, 1 
 told the foreman I was starting for home, as 
 I believed something had happened. 
 
 "You're nervous !" he said. 
 
 "I don't care what you call it; I'm going 
 home to see how things are there," and I 
 hurried away toward town. 
 
 "Don't worry, Mr. A.", called out the 
 man after me, "Your wife's all right," then 
 in a lower tone to himself, "That fellow'll go 
 daffy over his little wife, as he calls her, if 
 he isn't careful. It's a good thing I haven't 
 any, for I couldn't watch her like that if I did 
 have, that's certain." 
 
 195
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 I hurried on over the trail, the night being 
 light and clear, the grass dewy, and the sun 
 about to rise ; for it was midsummer in Alaska. 
 
 Afterwards I remembered these things. 
 
 When half way home I saw a horseman 
 coming toward me. He was riding rapidly, 
 and when he drew near I recognized a neigh- 
 bor. He reined in his horse. 
 
 "Good morning, Mr. A.," said he. 
 
 "What is it, Peter, tell me quick! Has 
 anything happened at home?" I cried impa- 
 tiently. 
 
 "Mr. A., I am sorry to tell you, but 
 you're" 
 
 "Don't say she is dead ! Don't say that !" I 
 begged. 
 
 "Mount my horse, and I'll follow. Go as 
 fast as you can for the animal is fresh," said 
 he ; but I heard nothing, saw nothing. I was 
 simply clinging to the saddle, as the animal 
 galloped back over the trail. 
 
 In a dazed condition I reached home. Our 
 cabin was filled with sympathetic friends, try- 
 ing to assist in some way. As I came in they 
 dispersed, leaving me alone with Olga. 
 
 They had placed her upon a couch where 
 she lay with a sweet smile upon her lips, but 
 196
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 they were cold when I kissed them her heart 
 had ceased to beat, and for the first time in all 
 our lives there was no answering pressure 
 when I took her hands in mine. 
 
 Oh, the agony of that moment ! No tongue 
 can tell, no pen describe, the awful loneliness 
 of that hour. She had been part of my life 
 of me. I could not live without her; I did not 
 want to try. 
 
 Oh, God! How could I bear it? What 
 should I do ? I had given her my love, my life, 
 and now she was dead everything was swept 
 away and there was absolutely nothing to live 
 for. If I could only die ! Dare I take my 
 own life? No, for that would then mean 
 everlasting separation, as she was doubtless 
 now in the happiest state to which mortals 
 could be assigned. I must try to reach her no 
 matter at what cost. For hours I knelt beside 
 her with her hands in mine, and my cheek be- 
 side her cold one. 
 
 I was again talking to Olga, as I fondled 
 her face, her hair, her hands. 
 
 "Speak to me, my darling," I pleaded, "if 
 
 only once more. I cannot live without you. 
 
 Why did you leave me? How could you go 
 
 without telling me? Surely you did not in- 
 
 197
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 tend to do it, did you, darling?" Eagerly I 
 watched her face to see her blue eyes open 
 and her lips once more move. Could I bring 
 her back by calling her? It might be so; and 
 then I tried, repeating her name again and 
 again, tenderly, lovingly, oh, so lovingly ! 
 
 Hours passed thus. The smile on her lips 
 remained. Presently I listened, my arms 
 about her neck and my head upon her breast. 
 
 I was quiet now. The awful storm which 
 had well-nigh uprooted my very soul was 
 gradually subsiding. I must be ready to hear 
 her if she should come back with a message. 
 
 This I believed she would do. Many times 
 we had talked together of these things, and 
 each had faithfully promised the other to re- 
 turn, if possible, with comfort and assistance 
 from the mysterious beyond in the event of a 
 separation by death. 
 
 I could see her now as she looked while 
 speaking, and then I grew calmer immedi- 
 ately. 
 
 I would wait. 
 
 By and by it came only two words. 
 
 "The letter." 
 
 The letter 1 Where was it? I had not seen it 
 I had not thought to look for such a thing 
 198
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 because her departure came so suddenly. A 
 burning building close to our cabin, with wind 
 blowing the flames toward her, had caused the 
 fright and heart failure which deprived me of 
 Olga but a letter! I would search for it. 
 
 Among her writing materials I found it. 
 A sealed packet, directed to me in her own 
 dainty Swedish handwriting. 
 
 I cannot reproduce it here. It was for my 
 eyes only, and written a week previously; but 
 she said she was expecting soon to be called 
 away. She did not wish to worry me with 
 goodbyes, and in truth there was no need of 
 saying them for she would be as constantly 
 with me as ever, even though I could not al- 
 ways see her. She did not want me to forget 
 her and hoped I could conveniently manage to 
 keep the poor little body (in which she had 
 lived for nearly thirty years) quite close to 
 me where I could sometimes look upon her 
 face. 
 
 All this and much more she had written; 
 each letter and word of which comforted me 
 as only Olga knew how to comfort, because 
 she understood my very soul. 
 
 We had been made for each other. We 
 were souls twinned in creation by a higher 
 199
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 power than many know ; but it had been given 
 us to understand in her lifetime, and now that 
 she had been called away for a season I must 
 bear it as patiently as possible for her sake, 
 and I would. God helping me, I would bear 
 it ! And my unreasoning grief should not dis- 
 turb her quietude. 
 
 The day passed. 
 
 In the evening a knock at the door brought 
 me back to my objective senses. I had been 
 oblivious to the outside world all day. 
 
 "We thought you might like some coffee 
 and supper, and I have brought it to you," 
 said a kind miner, who was also a neighbor. 
 
 "Wife and I will come and stay all night 
 here if you will go to our cabin and get some 
 rest." 
 
 I thanked him, declining his last offer, but 
 drank the hot coffee. I then asked him if he 
 would go out and secure the use of the adjoin- 
 ing vacant log cabin for me, so that I could 
 immediately move into it. 
 
 This he did, returning in half an hour, ask- 
 ing what further service he could render. 
 
 I told him I would move all my belongings 
 into the log cabin, leaving Olga here. This 
 was her house, and it was still to be her home. 
 20O
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 By midnight this was done. The man had 
 gone home after making me promise to call 
 him when I wanted help. 
 
 In Olga's cabin of two small rooms there 
 remained only a stove, a couch upon which 
 she still rested, and an easy lounging chair. 
 
 The door at the front I soon padlocked on 
 the outside, and barricaded within, leaving the 
 back door as the only entrance. Next a man 
 was hired to dig a narrow trench about the 
 Avhole cabin to conduct all surface water away 
 from the lot. During the hours following I 
 busied myself with the receptacle which would 
 contain the still beautiful, but now discarded 
 body, of my darling Olga. 
 
 Carefully removing a part of the flooring in 
 the center of the room, I began digging un- 
 derneath. The ground was frozen. A pick 
 and shovel in my hands found their way into 
 the frost-locked earth and gravel; but at a 
 depth of about five feet I stopped. 
 
 Her bed was deep enough; also long and 
 wide enough. Its walls were of ice. 
 
 They had dressed her in a robe of pale blue 
 
 veiling, distinctly suited to her, upon which 
 
 rested the long braids of her yellow hair, 
 
 while her only ornament was her wedding 
 
 201
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 ring upon her finger. 
 
 How perfectly serene and happy she 
 looked ! I fully expected her to open her lips 
 and speak. When this did not happen, the 
 sense of my awful loss surged back into my 
 brain, seeming almost to take my reason; 
 but another quiet hour by ihe side of my 
 darling partially restored me. 
 
 It was midnight. A perfect storm of grief 
 had just spent itself and left me weak and 
 weary. I threw myself, with a heavy sigh, 
 into the depth of the lounging chair. 
 
 Presently I slept. What was that? A bit 
 of beautiful yellow light floated gracefully 
 above Olga's head. With a fast-beating heart 
 I watched it from my resting place. It grew 
 in size, and increased in height, gradually as- 
 suming the form of my darling, a complete 
 counterpart of the one lying before me in the 
 soft blue gown. 
 
 The face, the golden braids, the fingers, 
 and the wedding ring were all there, com- 
 pleted by a smile so heavenly that I gazed as 
 one transfixed. 
 
 Could this, then, be Olga, and not a stray 
 beam of light which had struggled through 
 the curtains? 
 
 202
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 "Olga!" I cried, stretching out my arms 
 toward her in an ecstasy of gladness. 
 
 "Dear Victor! Have no fear. I will come 
 again." The voice seemed like Olga's and as 
 full of love as ever. 
 
 With that the beautiful yellow light began 
 slowly to fade, the form of my beloved melted 
 into a haze which drifted gradually upward 
 and out of sight. Then I awoke. 
 
 Weeks passed, during which the fall rains 
 set in, and I was working as hard as ever; not 
 so much in a feverish desire for the gold I 
 was taking out of the ground, but because the 
 work helped me to forget my sorrow. I did 
 not cease to think hourly of Olga, but I wished 
 to put behind me the shock of her sudden 
 leave-taking, and remember the fact that she 
 was still in memory mine, that she was watch- 
 ing over me and would visit me in my dreams. 
 
 My all-absorbing love for her I could not 
 did not wish to put away from me. I had 
 loved her so devotedly that I envied the pass- 
 ing breeze which played among the loose locks 
 of the hair on her forehead. I had envied the 
 dust of the road as it clung to her feet because 
 it could remain so near to her; and I longed to 
 become the atmosphere she breathed, that I 
 203
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 might live a part of her very physical being 
 This sort of love never dies, because it is 
 part of one's constitution and sub-conscious- 
 ness, and cannot be eradicated. 
 
 I grew more and more silent. I was physi- 
 cally well and strong, but looked forward 
 from morning until night to going home to my 
 cabin and Olga. Each evening when my 
 lonely supper had been eaten I turned the key 
 of the adjoining cabin door, and carefully 
 locked it behind me. From the outer place I 
 entered the room which was now a sacred 
 spot. A solitary candle gave all the light re- 
 quired. Lifting the section of flooring upon 
 which had been placed two strong hinges, a 
 few turns of the mechanical contrivance 
 brought up from below the narrow bed in 
 which the earthly form of Olga rested, se- 
 curely covered by clear and heavy glass. 
 
 In my low, lounging chair I sat for hours 
 beside her, told her of my love which would 
 remain forever the same; I reminded her of 
 her pledges of constancy, reviving instances of 
 our past lives, even bringing to my mind 
 bright bits of pleasantry which had been hab- 
 itual to her while here. 
 
 A,t times I placed my cheek upon the icy 
 204
 
 glass as near hers as possible, whispering 
 words of love always my great love, which 
 like a deep and flowing well refused to be 
 stopped. 
 
 At last one evening I leaned back in my 
 easy chair much wearied, and because of the 
 stillness, soon slept. 
 
 Ah ! She had come again ! In the brightest 
 and purest yellow light she stood there bend- 
 ing toward me with a radiant and happy smile 
 upon her face. 
 
 "Victor," she said, softly, "don't worry so 
 much, dear, you will make yourself ill. Be- 
 lieve me you will soon cease to do this for you 
 will know the better way and find real happi- 
 ness. I know that this trial has been very 
 hard indeed for you to bear, but you must 
 not grieve longer," then I seemed to feel the 
 light pressure of her hand upon my head. 
 
 Oh, the joy of it all once more ! 
 
 "Tell me, Olga, do you still love me as 
 well as before you went away?" 
 
 "Victor, dear Victor, believe me, I love you 
 far better than ever before, because I under- 
 stand. Try to be happy, dear." Then, with 
 a light caress, she vanished. 
 
 For a moment I felt dazed. I looked about 
 205
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 me. The lighted candle was sputtering itself 
 out in its socket, fitfully darting a thin and 
 feeble flame upward into the darkness. My 
 mouth was parched and dry I must have 
 water. 
 
 Carefully I lowered the blue-robed form to 
 its resting place, adjusting the cover, locked 
 the door behind me, and crept back into my 
 own cabin. 
 
 Time passed. With a young lover's regu- 
 larity at the side of his sweetheart I visited 
 my dear one in the little cabin beside my own. 
 Casting about in my mind how to make the 
 place appropriate for the purpose for which 
 it was now used, and at the same time be 
 somewhat more comfortable, I had covered 
 the walls of Olga's cabin both inside and out 
 with a heavy black paper, well calculated to 
 keep out the wind. Upon the ceiling of the 
 front room hung silvered stars which shone 
 brightly, and with a fitfulness not all unnatu- 
 ral in the flickering candlelight. In one corn- 
 er of the outer room there still remained the 
 heap of earth and gravel taken from the 
 spot where Olga's body now rested. The 
 rainy season was far advanced and before 
 many days the snow and ice would be here 
 206
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 for long and weary months. My mining 
 would then be over until another summer. I 
 had been successful beyond my dreaming and 
 could afford to rest, but I dreaded the tedious- 
 ness and loneliness of winter. 
 
 One evening, while dozing in the depths of 
 the easy chair, I saw a form bending above 
 the sand and gravel in the next room. I fan- 
 cied I heard a pleased and gentle laugh like 
 Olga's of old, and I asked timidly, "What is 
 it, friend?" 
 
 "Here is gold. Will you pan out this sand 
 and gravel? You will be repaid." And again 
 I heard the gentle laugh. 
 
 "What," said I in astonishment, "will I 
 there find gold?" 
 
 A gesture of assent was given. 
 
 "Then this cabin and others must stand up- 
 on rich, gold-bearing ground?" 
 
 A second gesture of assent. 
 
 With that I wakened. I immediately pro- 
 cured a gold pan from my cabin, and used it 
 for a few hours to good advantage. 
 
 The ground was truly rich; and Olga's 
 
 form was lying in a bed literally lined with 
 
 gold. There was wheat gold as well as dust 
 
 and small nuggets. In my agony of mind at 
 
 207
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 her sudden death it had never occurred to me 
 while digging that the gravel might contain 
 anything of value; but it was plain to me now. 
 Only for my dream I would surely have shov- 
 elled the sand thoughtlessly outside where 
 someone might have made the discovery to 
 my own loss. 
 
 Not long afterward a strange incident oc- 
 curred. It happened in the following way. 
 It was raining and past midnight, being one 
 of the last rainstorms before the regular 
 freeze-up it was proving to us there was no 
 shortage of water in the clouds which seemed 
 wide open, and it was pouring in torrents. 
 For four hours I had been using the pick and 
 shovel in the frozen gravel under the adjoin- 
 ing cabin, and had finally gone to sleep, lulled 
 by the patter of the regularly falling rain upon 
 the roof. 
 
 Suddenly I was aroused with a fear of I 
 knew not what. I instantly sprang from my 
 bed, striking a match, and getting into my 
 clothing as rapidly as possible, I made my 
 way through the storm into the next cabin. It 
 was then but a moment's work to lift Olga's 
 casket to the floor from its icy bed beneath. 
 As I did so a small stream of water burst its 
 208
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 way through below the flooring and began 
 pouring over the side of the excavation, at the 
 bottom of which only a moment before had 
 rested Olga's casket. 
 
 Like a flash I understood the situation. The 
 small trench around the cabin had filled with 
 water and become obstructed, while the heavy 
 rain had saturated the surface of the ground 
 swelling the little stream beyond the capacity 
 of its bank. I immediately ran out of doors 
 to make a search for the obstruction, which, 
 once removed, allowed the water to pass away 
 as before. A small clump of grass and sticks 
 had found lodgment, having been swept there 
 by the unusual amount of falling rain, and in 
 less time than it takes to write it, the mortal 
 remains of my darling would have been 
 flooded, had it not been for the warning and 
 my prompt response. To clean out the small 
 amount of water which had entered while I 
 hastily worked at the trench was short work 
 and soon completed. 
 
 With these and other incidents was my life 
 henceforth made up. For months I spent sev- 
 eral hours each day with pick or shovel in 
 my hands. I bought the adjoining cabins with 
 the lots upon which they stood, thereby con- 
 209
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 tinuing my work of thoroughly prospecting 
 the ground, even after finishing that upon 
 which Olga's house stood. 
 
 Following my practice of working during 
 the midnight hour when most people were 
 asleep, the indistinct noise of my pick in the 
 frozen gravel below the floors aroused no one ; 
 though I once overheard two belated pedes- 
 trians outside my door wondering from what 
 quarter the noise of the picking and shoveling 
 came. No light was allowed to betray my 
 whereabouts, as a single tallow candle placed 
 low in my prospect hole beneath the floor told 
 no tales; and once hearing the sound of voices 
 in the street my labors instantly ceased. 
 
 After a few weeks it was whispered about 
 the camp that strange noises proceeded from 
 the mysterious black cabin at midnight, and 
 later that the same uncanny sounds seemed 
 further away. Only a few persons had ever 
 heard them, and they assured their friends 
 that the vicinity was a good one to keep away 
 from at night time ; the latter advice pleasing 
 me quite as well as it did them. 
 
 For this reason I was never disturbed; and 
 if more and more left to myself by my neigh- 
 bors I was not displeased, as it suited my 
 210
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 frame of mind best to be alone with my own 
 thoughts and Olga. 
 
 Many months now passed. My life was a 
 very quiet one, the most enjoyable hours to 
 me being the ones spent in dreaming of Olga. 
 Gradually the fact dawned upon me that my 
 life was now a most selfish one. I was feed- 
 ing upon memories of dear, by-gone days, but 
 allowing the present to slip unimproved away. 
 If I could arouse myself to some good purpose 
 in life, and take a hand at scattering bright 
 bits of happiness to console some lonely hearts 
 who had less of comfort than myself, might it 
 not be better? With the wealth which I had 
 rapidly accumulated in Alaska, I could assist 
 in much good work for the poor and needy if 
 I were so inclined. 
 
 Perhaps I would find more happiness and 
 contentment in living henceforth unselfishly, 
 with more thought for others and less for 
 myself. 
 
 Many times during the long winter even- 
 ings I had felt twinges of conscience concern- 
 ing my selfish mode of life, well knowing that 
 Olga would enjoy spending our wealth for 
 the good and happiness of others before ac- 
 cepting luxuries for herself. Now I had come 
 
 211
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 to feel in the same way, and no longer craved 
 riches or that which they would bring. My 
 own wants were simple, and would continue 
 to be so. I would make others happier. The 
 helpless, homeless and suffering, I would re- 
 lieve. My wealth would now permit it. 
 
 In this manner, and by my dreaming, my 
 sorrow had been somewhat mitigated, and 
 that grief, so terrible in the beginning, was 
 to some extent assuaged. Not that I loved 
 Olga less, or had forgotten, but all unknow- 
 ingly I had been striving to be more worthy 
 of her memory. 
 
 Daily I meditated in the sweet silence, and 
 hourly received strength and consolation 
 therefrom. Many pledges I made which I 
 would fulfil later on the future then held no 
 terrors for me I would work, work and wait. 
 More, I would learn, I would grow, I would 
 climb. I resolved to reach those heights to 
 which many were traveling, and to which 
 Olga had already surely attained. In due 
 time, my Olga, we shall no doubt meet again 
 and live, love and work together as of old, 
 only that our happiness will be farther per- 
 fected because we have farther advanced. 
 
 212
 
 A MINER'S OWN STORY 
 
 It was midnight. I seemed to visit the land 
 of Holy Dreams. In the distance I heard a 
 chorus of voices, exquisitely beautiful and well 
 modulated, coming nearer as I continued to 
 listen. The singers were many, but so per- 
 fect was the rhythm and harmony that I 
 dared not breathe for fear of losing some part 
 of the beautiful song. Not only so, but the 
 accompanying orchestra faithfully upheld and 
 completed the symphony which rose and fell 
 with crescendos and diminuendoes more glori- 
 ous as the chorus pealed louder and nearer. I 
 was listening in sheer delight and with each 
 nerve tingling, when a dear familiar voice be- 
 gan in obligato, so clearly and sweetly that 
 the tears sprang into my eyes 
 
 "Have love; not love alone for one, 
 But man as man thy brother call, 
 And scatter like the circling sun 
 Thy chanties on all." 
 
 213
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 women sat weaving baskets. 
 They were not Aleut Indians, 
 and barely escaped being Rus- 
 sians; but were of mixed blood 
 so common on the Aleutian Is- 
 lands. 
 
 The younger one broke the silence. 
 "I'm tired of baskets ! I want to do some- 
 thing else," she said, with a yawn. 
 
 "Run out upon the hills awhile, but first 
 finish the row you are doing, then put all 
 away in a safe place. No Russian leaves 
 her work scattered to get lost or soiled," 
 said the older woman. 
 
 "Am I a Russian lady?" queried the girl, 
 apparently about the age of eighteen. 
 
 "You may be if your father comes to take 
 you to Russia with him. But by this time he 
 is likely dead; there is no telling. It is 
 three years since we saw him, and he prom- 
 ised to come again in two." And the woman 
 sighed. 
 
 214
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 "Oh, he may come at any time, and I am 
 going to the top of the hill to look for him 
 now," said the girl with youth's hopefulness, 
 as she hastened to obey her aunt. 
 
 "Don't set your mind on it, for sailor men 
 are very uncertain; only they are pretty sure 
 to roll around the whole world, making ex- 
 cuses that ships take them whether they will 
 or not. A poor excuse for not coming is 
 better than none." Then as the door closed 
 behind the girl she added, "I wish he would 
 send money to buy her clothes; it would be 
 as little as he could do, for she is not my 
 child, but my sister's. I, too, wish he would 
 come, for a cold winter we have had taking 
 much coal and many furs, and my money is 
 nearly gone. To be sure when the steamers 
 come with their hundreds of people bound 
 for the gold fields we shall sell some of our 
 baskets, but it will be weeks before they ar- 
 rive," and she pulled industriously at the 
 long strands of dried grass she was weaving 
 into her basket. 
 
 While her aunt meditated on these and 
 various other matters the girl, Eyllen, glad 
 to get away from the cabin and basket-mak- 
 ing, crossed the foot bridge over the small 
 215
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 stream which ran behind the house and be- 
 gan to ascend the high bluff which she claim- 
 ed as her watch tower. If she could only dis- 
 cern her father's ship in the distance, how 
 surprised her aunt would be ! 
 
 On the islands the winter was over. The 
 month of May had come with its many at- 
 tendant delights. Snow had gone from the 
 ground in the little settlements and lay only 
 upon the high hills and great mountain tops 
 surrounding. Down gulches and canyons 
 flowed swift, icy streams of what had until 
 lately been great snow masses, but which on 
 melting had left bare the sides of the tundra- 
 covered hills where the brightest of wild 
 flowers were beginning to spring into beauty. 
 
 The girl was not blind to their loveliness. 
 Upon leaving the cabin she had determined 
 to bring back all she could carry of the blos- 
 soms, but not until she had well scanned the 
 horizon for ships. Her father might even 
 now be approaching the islands, and perhaps 
 he could see her through his glass. With 
 this thought in mind she pulled her hand- 
 kerchief from her pocket and waved it en- 
 thusiastically, although as yet no ship had 
 she seen. Seeing some little children far 
 216
 
 She scanned the horizon
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 below in the village playing near the priest's 
 school she laughed aloud. 
 
 "They will surely say I am bewitched if 
 they see me, and what a joke that would 
 be ! I am certain to be badly quizzed by the 
 youngsters when I get home, for there is no 
 such luck as to escape their sharp eyes while 
 standing upon this hill-top. It will be a won- 
 der if some of them do not follow me. If 
 they do, they will not find me," and she 
 laughed again as she hastened on over the 
 brow of the bluff. 
 
 Eyllen was lithe of limb and supple. To 
 mountain climbing she had been accustomed 
 since a baby, and was well and hardy. She 
 now stood for a moment to take a fresh sur- 
 vey of the bay. A slight breeze was blow- 
 ing, and had tinted her smooth round cheeks 
 with crimson. Her eyes sparkled, and her 
 whole face betokened earnest and animated 
 thought. Down her back hung two thick 
 braids of dark hair, but the ends had become 
 free, and, left unconfmed, floated pictures- 
 quely about her shoulders. 
 
 An Aleut Indian she surely was not. She 
 had not their short, dumpy stature, but was 
 slender and graceful, and would not have 
 217
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 seemed out of place in civilization. 
 
 Having satisfied herself that no vessel 
 could put into the harbor for some hours, if 
 at all that day, she strolled farther on. 
 Down one hill and up another, picking a 
 flower here and one there, humming as she 
 went some old Russian song, her time passed 
 in evident enjoyment though with more or 
 less abstraction. 
 
 "I will visit that spot again, and find out 
 what there is so strange and uncanny about 
 it," she murmured. "I am not afraid, for 
 nothing can harm me. It is said that a wo- 
 man has much curiosity, and I am a woman, 
 so that will allow me to inquire into the mys- 
 tery, for mystery it surely is. Why should 
 I be so strangely affected when visiting that 
 spot? Why these sudden head pains, and 
 dizziness as though I were about to fall to 
 the ground? Can it be that some witch or 
 evil spirit dwells there and is displeased with 
 my coming? Does it belong to them any 
 more than to me? Have I not the right to 
 come and sit beside the little stream as often 
 as I choose? I will inquire into the matter 
 this very day, and solve the puzzle, for I will 
 never rest until I do." 
 218
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 So saying, she hurried her steps and was 
 finally standing at the head of a small 
 stream, where, from between rocks, the wa- 
 ter came bubbling to the surface and trickled 
 away to lower ground. She was thirsty from 
 her long walk and climbing in the sunshine, 
 and stooped to fill a drinking cup she had 
 brought with her for the purpose. 
 
 Suddenly she was seized with dizziness, 
 then an electric thrill or trembling passed 
 through her whole body, and a wave of 
 faintness swept over her. She felt ill. 
 
 Her face grew very pale. 
 
 Was it the work of one of the witches she 
 had heard so many times about? 
 
 At that she ran away a little distance and 
 sat down upon a grassy knoll. She had not 
 yet quenched her thirst, and longed for the 
 water. There was no other spring near at 
 hand, and she was determined to have a 
 cupful from that one. The witch, she 
 thought, (if a witch's work it was) had not 
 done worse with her than cause the sudden 
 illness and disagreeable sensations, and she 
 would repeat her visit to the spring and se- 
 cure a cupful of the water; which, though 
 possibly bewitched, still looked as pure and 
 219
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 sparkling as that of her own bright moun- 
 tain stream near home. 
 
 When she had fully recovered, she again 
 advanced toward the spring. Not until she 
 stood above its waters and peered into their 
 shallow depths did the old and oddly un- 
 pleasant experience repeat itself. Exactly 
 as before it happened now; but the girl, al- 
 ways a determined and resolute creature, se- 
 cured the water as she had intended, and re- 
 treated to her hillock where she again seat- 
 ed herself before tasting the liquid. 
 
 A second time the trembling left her, not 
 so quickly as before, perhaps, yet still in a 
 very few moments she was again herself. 
 
 Gingerly she sipped the water. It tasted 
 clean, sweet, and deliciously cool. Again 
 she cautiously sipped. Still no evil effects 
 from the draught. Thus encouraged, she 
 drained the cup, laughing aloud as she did 
 so. 
 
 "Ha, ha! old water witch of the moun- 
 tains ! I am neither afraid of you nor your 
 twin brother, the wind wizard. I am light, 
 love and happiness, and you cannot harm 
 me." 
 
 Saying this she began braiding her long 
 220
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 hair with which the breezes had played so 
 mischievously during her rambles, and grow- 
 ing more serious she reflected on the phe- 
 nomenon. 
 
 "It is in the rocks or ground underneath 
 the spring, and not in the water. Surely I 
 have proved that. Before today have I vis- 
 ited this place, and it is always the same. I 
 will tell no one, else the priest may say I am 
 bewitched, and make me do severe penance. 
 Only once more will I approach the spring 
 today and then I must surely go home or I 
 will lose my supper." 
 
 She was the lodestone, being irresistably 
 drawn to the magnet, which was apparently 
 the rocks at the fountain. 
 
 As before she approached, but with less 
 trepidation. She began to lose all fear. 
 Some inner monitor urged fearlessness, and 
 she felt full of courage. 
 
 As she stooped low above the spring, sur- 
 rounded on all sides as it was by ledges of 
 rocks and boulders, she determined to hold 
 herself, notwithstanding the decidedly disa- 
 greeable sensations it gave her, firmly in po- 
 sition long enough to get a view of the bot- 
 tom of the spring. It was not a deep pool, 
 221
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 forming a mirror for all above it, but rather 
 a bed of loose rocks, evidently from crum- 
 bled ledges. These latter, crossed the place 
 from east to west, but to the careless glance 
 of Eyllen, seemed simply a confused jumble 
 of rocks and nothing more. 
 
 Several of these pieces were light and 
 clear. They looked attractive in contrast to 
 darker ones, and being washed clean by the 
 water, and made brighter by the sunshine, 
 tempted the young girl to reach for them, 
 which she did. 
 
 "See! What was that?" 
 
 The rock was filled with shining yellow 
 specks which shone dazzlingly in the sun- 
 beams. 
 
 The girl gazed in astonishment upon 
 them. 
 
 "Holy Mother Mary!" she ejaculated. 
 "How beautiful! I believe its gold!" 
 
 With that she made a dash for other bits 
 of the same rock, and though her head ached 
 fearfully, and it seemed to her that she stood 
 upon an electric battery, which was anything 
 but pleasant, she secured as much as she 
 could carry, and fled as before from the 
 spot. 
 
 222
 
 "Holy Mother Mary!" she ejaculated. 
 "How beautiful! I believe its gold!"
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 Upon examination it proved to be the 
 same as the first piece discovered. 
 
 Crossing herself devoutly she murmured a 
 prayer. That over she kissed the fragments 
 of quartz in her hand, talking lovingly to 
 them in the meantime. 
 
 "Why did you hide away from me so 
 long? Why cause me to think of witches, but 
 force me to come to you once and again, and 
 giving me the illness? That's a funny way, 
 you little rascals ! And I will now repay you 
 by hiding you yet longer from sight of any 
 who might come here. I will cover you care- 
 fully until I come again, or until my father 
 comes from across the ocean. Then I will 
 give you to him, and he shall find the rest 
 of your brothers and sisters." She pulled en- 
 ergetically at the moss and grass at her side 
 in order to make a hiding spot for her newly 
 discovered friends, as she chose to consider 
 them. 
 
 Before putting the last piece beside the 
 others she again kissed it tenderly, patted it, 
 and giving a little gurgling laugh, said: 
 
 "You pretty darlings ! Sleep quietly un- 
 til I come again, and let nobody find you. 
 See? I will tuck you up, head and heels, 
 225
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 with this cover," and she replaced the mosses 
 and grass she had just pulled. 
 
 "By and by you can make me very happy 
 if you will, when I can be a rich lady. I have 
 heard old miners talk lovingly of you many 
 times, but they shall not find you. You are 
 mine! Remember, you are mine!" 
 
 With that she gave a last look at the spot 
 where her secret was hidden, and bounded 
 away down the hillside. 
 
 Presently in the valley below she struck 
 an old trail, one made long ago by the cat- 
 tle belonging to the settlement, and the oc- 
 casional tread, perhaps, of a few reindeer 
 and goats owned by the mission priest. 
 
 Hurrying along toward home she had al- 
 most forgotten the flowers she had intended 
 to gather but now had little time to leave the 
 trail and pluck them. For the sake of ap- 
 pearance, however, she pulled those happen- 
 ing to grow alongside her path, not wish- 
 ing to reach home empty handed. 
 
 As it was, her aunt's sharp eyes took no- 
 tice. 
 
 "To be gone so long upon the hills, and 
 yet bring so few blossoms ? You must be slow 
 in bending your back or heedless of the 
 226
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 beauty around you. Where are the butter- 
 cups and beautiful blue iris from the field be- 
 low the hill? Was the upper bridge gone 
 that you could not cross the stream at that 
 place either going or coming?" asked the 
 woman, a little sarcastically. 
 
 "No, no, Aunt, but it is early for iris, and 
 the buttercups are not half so lovely as these 
 bluets and violets. See the darling little blue 
 eyes peeping at us ! Tomorrow I will look 
 for the iris. But let me eat my supper now, 
 for I am very hungry," laughed Eyllen, af- 
 ter she had placed her spring beauties in 
 water. 
 
 "When we played by the schoolyard," re- 
 marked her youngster cousin dryly, from be- 
 tween huge mouthfuls of fish and potato, 
 "she was standing on the high hilltop and 
 looking out to sea. I am certain I saw her 
 wave something to the sailors, only there 
 were no sailors there," and the urchin 
 glanced roguishly across the table at Eyllen. 
 
 "Ha, you rogue ! It was likely the cor- 
 ner of my apron you saw, if indeed your 
 sight was clear enough to see me at all so 
 far away. I wonder Father Peter allows 
 you to let go your fancy in such manner." 
 227
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "Father Peter wishes us to learn by see- 
 ing, he tells us. Besides I wondered how 
 you thought to pluck flowers on that barren 
 hilltop where the snow is hardly yet melted. 
 Warm and sunny hillsides are the spots 
 where spring flowers grow." 
 
 "There, there," said the boy's mother, 
 "you talk far too much. Eat your supper 
 and let your elders alone." 
 
 The boy shrugged his shoulders and gulp- 
 ed down his tea, having finished his tea be- 
 fore the others owing to his haste in begin- 
 ning. 
 
 The older woman then gravely inquired if 
 any ships had that day been seen. 
 
 None could be reported; and the young- 
 ster was soon in a state of great sleepiness 
 in bed, while the two women washed the sup- 
 per dishes and made the small cabin once 
 more tidy. 
 
 That night Eyllen slept little. On her cot 
 in the corner she pondered long and earn- 
 estly. Just what was the nature of the 
 strange phenomenon with which she was so 
 lately identified she had no idea. She only 
 knew that the mystical rocks lying embedded 
 in that spring were full of life which thrilled 
 228
 
 Father Peter
 
 her tremendously as she made a near ap- 
 proach to them. As a magnet they had at- 
 tracted her until finally she perceived what 
 to her constituted discovery. 
 
 How very strange it was ! Could it be 
 possible that here were ledges containing 
 much gold which no one had ever discover- 
 ed, and which might all be her own if she 
 could succeed in keeping her secret until her 
 father should arrive? Of his coming she 
 had not the least doubt, as had her aunt; she 
 felt positive if he were dead she would in 
 some way know it. It was springtime and- 
 the season for vessels to put into the harbor 
 for coal and fresh water on their way to the 
 Arctic Ocean; and they would bring him 
 sometime she felt confident. Then he would 
 be delighted to hear of his daughter's dis- 
 covery, and together they would grow to be 
 very rich indeed. 
 
 Eyllen was a sensible girl and a good rea- 
 soner, but her knowledge of minerals was 
 exceedingly limited. Each piece of white 
 rock was, to her, quartz; and the place where 
 gold was found in any form was a mine, or 
 would be one later when developed. She 
 really wished to find out if there was more 
 231
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 of the same gold-bearing ore at the spring, 
 for unless there were large masses of it she 
 knew her discovery was worthless. 
 
 Then she thought of her often recurring 
 and unpleasant sensations at the spring, and 
 it occurred to her that here was a way by 
 which to gain further knowledge. If she 
 could bear the headaches and dizziness 
 might she not, by this means, trace the hid- 
 den ledges? It seemed reasonable even to 
 her inexperienced mind. But she would 
 need to use considerable caution. None 
 must see the gold-bearing rock which was al- 
 ready so fascinating to her. In some man- 
 ner, she reasoned, she must find a way of 
 gaining information about minerals other 
 than by asking questions. Curiosity upon the 
 subject would quickly give her friends the 
 cue to her new interest. She decided to visit 
 the library of Father Peter in his absence, 
 and from his housekeeper borrow some book 
 giving such information. By talking to the 
 good woman about her home work and chil- 
 dren she could manage to distract her atten- 
 tion so she would not notice which book it 
 was she was taking. 
 
 In this way Eyllen planned for hours be- 
 232
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 fore sleeping. When she finally slept it was 
 to dream of a beautiful water witch who 
 lived in the bottom of the mountain spring 
 between the rocks, but when, on insisting 
 upon a nearer view she found it to be only 
 herself with her dark hair floating around 
 her, she laughed aloud, and so awakened. 
 This decided her, however, upon one thing. 
 
 She would search for a tiny fragment of 
 the beautiful rock containing as much of the 
 precious mineral as possible, and wear it 
 suspended about her neck underneath her 
 dress; as this, according to tradition, would 
 surely preserve the wearer from witchcraft. 
 Not that she believed herself possessed of 
 any spirit other than her own; but the 
 strangeness of the sudden indisposition at- 
 tacking her at the spring, added to her 
 dream, caused her to greatly wonder. 
 
 A week passed. Eyllen developed a most 
 remarkable passion for wild flowers, along 
 with a sudden and vigorous distaste for 
 basket-making. She declared the latter oc- 
 cupation gave her headache and loss of ap- 
 petite, and only the fresh mountain air made 
 her feel like herself again. In her aunt's 
 cabin the window ledges were filled with 
 233
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 blossoms, and an overflow of the same was 
 furnished the priest's housekeeper. 
 
 Then, too, a daily watch was kept for 
 ships from the westward by the girl whose 
 strong limbs served her well in mountain 
 climbing. As the sun grew warmer and 
 clearer above the islands, she could see 
 old "Round Top" begin to breathe. At 
 times this mountain's snowy head became 
 quite hidden in the obscurity of misty vapor 
 or smoke clouds, while the double peak of 
 Isanotski, rising as grandly as ever to its 
 height above the others, seemed, by its long- 
 er-retained snow cap, to assure the world of 
 its superiority. 
 
 Frequently, but cautiously, she rambled 
 among the hills. Patiently she investigated 
 the rocks upon the hillside, quickly learning 
 where she might venture to be free from the 
 sudden indisposition, and where it was sure 
 to attack her; for there appeared no cessa- 
 tion of the phenomenon. With the hammer 
 which she secretly fetched from home she 
 hacked the out-cropping lode in different di- 
 rections. Everywhere in the white rocks 
 there were the golden specks scintillating in 
 the sunshine. It was a bona fide gold-bear- 
 234
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 ing ledge. From the borrowed book she 
 gained much knowledge that was helpful, 
 but with this more and more she felt her 
 powerlessness to proceed or to turn her 
 newly found interest to good account. 
 
 More than ever she longed to see her 
 father. Between her walks to the spring on 
 the hillside she climbed the bluff and .con- 
 tinued to look for ships from the westward. 
 To be sure other vessels were beginning to 
 arrive, and to welcome them the whole set- 
 tlement habitually turned out upon the 
 wharf. There were empty water tanks re- 
 filled, repairs made, and larders replenished, 
 while ship's officers drank, smoked, and told 
 sea yarns in the saloons along the water 
 front. 
 
 Thus passed weeks of waiting to Eyllen 
 and her aunt. It seemed that the monotony 
 would never end; but it did end suddenly at 
 last. 
 
 One day as the two women sat busily at 
 work upon their baskets the youngster of 
 the family rushed in quite breathless. 
 
 "A ship's in sight which flies the Russian 
 flag! She's nearing the harbor now! Some 
 men with glasses on the bluff have sighted 
 235
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 her, and signalled to those below ! She may 
 be coming from Vladivostock and bring news 
 of my uncle !" and the lad dashed out of the 
 cabin and down again upon the wharf. 
 
 "Or, better yet, the ship may bring him!" 
 suggested Eyllen, in a flutter, hastily rising 
 and putting away her work. "I must see if 
 my father has really come." 
 
 "I trust it is so; then will my prayers not 
 be in vain. If he brings money again will 
 they be answered," said the girl's relative. 
 
 "If he brings no gold his daughter will be 
 glad to see him," said Eyllen in a slightly of- 
 fended tone. 
 
 "I meant no harm, Eyllen. You surely 
 understand me. Has not your father been 
 always welcome here?" 
 
 "Yes, yes, Aunt," and tears forced their 
 way out of her eyes, as the girl threw her 
 shawl about her. "But come, we will soon 
 find out about this vessel, and who is on 
 board." 
 
 The ship was now moving into the placid 
 bay and toward the shore. From a flag 
 staff the Russian emblem already fluttered a 
 welcome to the visiting craft. To be sure, 
 the shore flag was accompanied by one made 
 236
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 up of stars and stripes, and this last floated 
 proudly at top of the mast above the other, 
 but the two flags seemed not to be on un- 
 friendly terms. 
 
 At last the vessel swung alongside the 
 dock. Eagerly did Eyllen and her aunt, 
 standing among the group of natives, scan 
 the faces of those on the vessel. None were 
 familiar, and they were about to turn disap- 
 pointed away when they heard a shout. 
 
 Some one on deck motioned to the two 
 women to come to the ship's side, and they 
 hurriedly obeyed, scarcely knowing what 
 they did. 
 
 "Were you looking for someone?" kindly 
 inquired an officer in Russian. 
 
 "My father," replied the girl, disappoint- 
 edly. "But he cannot be on board your ship 
 or he would have been out to greet us." 
 
 "Your father's name?" asked the officer. 
 
 "Fedor Michaelovitz," responded Eyllen. 
 
 "He is on board, but he is ill. We will 
 fetch him ashore presently," but even as he 
 spoke two men passed through the door to 
 the gangplank. They carried a litter be- 
 tween them upon which lay stretched a man. 
 
 Eyllen rushed toward the litter. It was 
 237
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 really her father, but so changed that she 
 would not have recognized him. 
 
 According to the physician's orders Fedor 
 Michaelovitz was placed in the small hos- 
 pital established upon the islands for sailors, 
 and there he was well tended. In a few days 
 he was far enough recovered to relate to his 
 daughter his story. 
 
 After leaving her three years before and 
 meeting many vicissitudes and disappoint- 
 ments, he had at last gained a fairly good 
 position, when smallpox overtook him, and 
 during a long illness he had lost it. Recov- 
 ering and working his way up again else- 
 where, he had lived frugally in order to save 
 a competence upon which to live with his 
 daughter in their own country to which he 
 wished to take her. 
 
 When his wishes seemed about to be real- 
 ized the bank in which his money had been 
 placed, failed, and he lost all his hard earned 
 savings. Weakened by discouragement he 
 again fell ill, and then he decided to sail for 
 the Aleutians and see his daughter at all haz- 
 ards. Penniless, ill, and discouraged, he 
 was a man who, in middle life, had still noth- 
 ing to show for years of work and hard- 
 238
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 ships. 
 
 One redeeming feature of all this dark 
 outlook, there was with him a friend who 
 was apparently moved by the misfortunes 
 of Michaelovitz, and that was a young Rus- 
 sian sailor with whom he had become ac- 
 quainted some years before, and who fol- 
 lowed him wherever he went, even at the 
 risk of causing a corresponding failure in 
 his own affairs by so doing. 
 
 The young man's name was Shismakoff, 
 and he had proven himself not only kindly 
 and generous, but self-sacrificing and noble. 
 Along with these good and somewhat unus- 
 ual qualities, he possessed more than average 
 good looks and abundant patience. He it 
 was who now in the hospital faithfully at- 
 tended Michaelovitz, as was his habit. 
 
 This young man had been told but little 
 of the family history of his friend, only 
 knowing that his wife was dead and that a 
 daughter lived upon the Aleutians with her 
 aunt. 
 
 This much he knew upon landing. At 
 
 sight of Eyllen's bright eyes and rosy cheeks 
 
 the young man's heart fluttered. She was 
 
 good to look upon. Without commenting 
 
 239
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 upon it even to himself he immediately pro- 
 ceeded to take, as compensation for atten- 
 tions to her sick father, such keen enjoyment 
 in her presence as only those long isolated 
 can know in the society of ladies. Not that 
 he forgot his manliness. For that the young 
 man was too sensible; but he simply drank 
 in every word uttered by the young girl, as 
 a thirsty traveler would drink fresh water 
 in a parched and burning desert. 
 
 The girl, herself, was unconstrained. 
 Probably in this lay her greatest attraction. 
 She had other hopes and interests, and they 
 were centered in her father's recovery, and 
 in her rocks a few miles away on the hill- 
 side. 
 
 Eyllen did not immediately relate her ad- 
 ventures to her father. He must recover his 
 health before she disclosed her secret. To 
 this end she now bent all her energies. A 
 basket was traded to a neighbor for fowls 
 in order that he might have nourishing 
 broths, and her fishing tackle was brought 
 into play to furnish the freshest of fish from 
 the bay. 
 
 With attendants like Eyllen and Shisma- 
 koff, who could long remain upon a sick bed? 
 240
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 Especially on these beautiful green islands 
 in spring-time? Greatest of all grasses were 
 those growing before the doors, and bright- 
 est of all blossoms were those plucked by the 
 hands of Eyllen. Sweet was the fragrance 
 of iris and violets, and lupins grew straight 
 stalked and fearless. Lilies, too, appeared 
 later, and all crowded the windows of the 
 invalid whose heart was gladdened, soften- 
 ed, and refreshed by their sweet and silent 
 influence. 
 
 At her basket work Eyllen sat daily for 
 hours with her father, until he was strong 
 enough to walk to her relative's cabin. Of 
 course it was only to be expected that Shis- 
 makoff would accompany them. Upon one 
 side of the convalescent he furnished sup- 
 port, while Eyllen assisted on the other. 
 
 The girl's aunt had prepared a dinner es- 
 pecially for the visitors, at which the incor- 
 rigible youngster had been instructed to ap- 
 pear only when his elders had finished. It 
 was Saturday, and the priest's school was 
 not in session that day. Freedom from this 
 restraint had had its effect upon the urchin, 
 and his mother found it in her heart to fre- 
 quently wish that it had been a school day in- 
 241
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 stead. With care she instructed him in what 
 manner to behave himself, and what things 
 he must under no consideration do, one of 
 which was not to talk too much. 
 
 "In that case, mother, what I do say must 
 count," said the boy, not dull as to wit. 
 
 "Count fifty before you speak at all. Then 
 you must consider what you say, and you 
 will not be foolish. I daresay you will still 
 show yourself feather-headed enough," and 
 his mother sighed, apparently striving to be 
 resigned to the suspense of her position. 
 
 The visitors were telling of their recent 
 voyage to the islands. The youngster could 
 keep quiet no longer. 
 
 "Eyllen has been long expecting you, Mr. 
 Shismakoff. She often went to the hilltop to 
 wave to you, and I suppose she also called 
 you. Did you hear her across the water, 
 and come in answer?" 
 
 The young man smiled. 
 
 "Be silent! you naughty boy!" command- 
 ed his mother, with as much force as she 
 could master. 
 
 Eyllen's color grew like the wild roses in 
 the window. 
 
 "Did you hear her calling?" persisted the 
 242
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 mischief loving youngster. 
 
 "I do not think so. I take it the saints di- 
 rected me here, for none but they could bring 
 me this present happiness," said the visitor, 
 gallantly inclining his head to the one with 
 the roses in her cheeks. 
 
 At this point Eyllen's father began to 
 speak of other things, and the irrepressible 
 youngster subsided; while Eyllen and her 
 aunt looked modestly down upon the plates 
 before them. 
 
 Two weeks passed. The ship which 
 brought the sick man and his friend had de- 
 parted, leaving them behind. None were 
 sad at its going. Eyllen's father was rapid- 
 ly improving, and gradually grew to feel 
 that life was, after all, worth having. To 
 the younger man, each hour in the presence 
 of Eyllen seemed brighter even than the one 
 before it, and a longing for many of the 
 same in the future took possession of him. 
 There was no real enjoyment out of her 
 sight. His former existence looked to him 
 a blank. He could not go back to it. He 
 could not leave this green island, the clear 
 mountain air made salt by great encircling 
 waters and scented by spring blossoms. 
 243
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 There were no fish like those in these waters, 
 and no winds so free as the ones playing 
 over the crests of Progromni and Shishaldin. 
 Finally, nowhere in the whole world was an 
 equal to Eyllen among women. 
 
 This last consideration settled every- 
 thing. He was determined to win her in 
 marriage if possible, but her father no long- 
 er needed attention, and he bethought him- 
 self to set to work at something by which to 
 earn money. More fishermen were in de- 
 mand at this time in the settlement to sup- 
 ply the constantly arriving ships with fresh 
 fish, and he devoted himself temporarily to 
 this labor. 
 
 In her turn Eyllen was interested in Shis- 
 makoff, but she longed to disclose her secret 
 to her father, who, she felt confident, could 
 not refrain from sharing it with his friend. 
 To this she could not yet consent. She had 
 suddenly grown wise with a wisdom not be- 
 fore exhibited. If the young man loved her 
 as she felt that he did, might not the know- 
 ledge of her secret urge him to increase his 
 attention? In all probability it would, and 
 she heartily repudiated this idea. 
 
 Of all things in the world, to be loved for 
 244
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 her gold-bearing ledges would be the worst 
 of misfortunes, she reflected, and this feel- 
 ing, growing upon her, prevented her day 
 after day from confiding in her father. 
 When he had recovered his strength suf- 
 ficiently to walk among the hills (she told 
 herself) then she would inform him of her 
 good fortune; and even then he must be 
 pledged to keep his own counsel. 
 
 At last the time came; the girl invited her 
 father to walk with her upon the hills to 
 gather wild flowers. 
 
 "We will go first into the valley by way of 
 the trail, Father, and then come home an- 
 other way. There are many beautiful blos- 
 soms and mosses, and we will take our tin 
 cup and lunch along with us," said Eyllen 
 brightly as she made ready for the tramp. 
 
 "Anywhere you say, Eyllen, only let it 
 not be too far for my feet to travel," re- 
 plied the man indulgently, as he watched 
 her, well pleased with the grace of her move- 
 ments. 
 
 "When we are tired we will sit and rest in 
 
 the sunshine. See! Here is buttermilk the 
 
 priest's housekeeper has sent you. I will 
 
 carry a bottleful to refresh you when thirsty. 
 
 245
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 They then trudged off among the hills. A 
 few short walks Michaelovitz had already 
 taken with his friend and good supporter at 
 his arm, but who was today ,away in his boat 
 on the water, and he now leaned upon the 
 stock he carried in his right hand. 
 
 For a time Eyllen walked by her father's 
 side, carrying her basket of luncheon, but as 
 the trail narrowed she led the way, restrain- 
 ing her haste as best she could (for she was 
 impatient to be at her ledges) lest she should 
 tire her father before their walk was ended. 
 
 Several times they halted to rest. As yet 
 her father saw no reason for hurrying. To 
 loiter, to rest upon the hillside and chat in 
 the sunshine was what he liked; and here 
 was his daughter fleet-footed and strong, al- 
 most hurriedly leading him far into the val- 
 ley between the hills as though bent on some 
 mission. 
 
 Where could she be going? 
 
 "Are you sure you know where you go, 
 daughter? And that you will not get us 
 lost in the mountains? I have never before 
 been so far from the settlement in this direc- 
 tion, and we cannot hear the church bell 
 ring, eh, Eyllen?" 
 
 246
 
 "No, Father, we care nothing for hear- 
 ing the church bells now," laughed the girl, 
 "and as for losing ourselves, it is impossible, 
 as I have many times rambled over and 
 through these hills. I know each rock as 
 large as my head, and I will show you some 
 presently much larger and more beautiful, 
 as you are sure to agree with me." 
 
 "Rocks are not beautiful, child. I thought 
 it was blossoms you wanted to show me." 
 
 "So it is, but on our return. We have 
 reached the place I wanted to show you, 
 Father. Sit upon this mound while I fetch 
 a cup of water from the spring," and the girl 
 ran a few steps farther. 
 
 Returning with the water she said brisk- 
 ly, "now we will eat our lunch while we rest 
 and talk, for I have a little story to tell you 
 in the meantime," and the hands at the 
 basket trembled a trifle. 
 
 A cloth was spread upon the ground, and 
 the basket's contents turned out upon it. 
 There was the bottle of buttermilk which 
 Eyllen declared she would not carry home 
 again, as it might be changed into butter by 
 that time, and she urged her father to drink 
 it and eat heartily. 
 
 247
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 "But the story, Eyllen, the story! What 
 is it you will tell me? I doubt not 'tis some 
 island-lover business, or a new gown you will 
 politely ask for when your father's appetite 
 is quieted, as is the way of many keen wo- 
 men, eh, little girl?" said Michaelovitz giv- 
 ing his daughter's pink right ear a gentle 
 tweak. 
 
 "There is neither new gown nor lover in 
 it, and you will never guess, so I am going di- 
 rectly to tell you," smiled Eyllen. "Do you 
 see this piece of pretty rock, Father?" 
 
 "There you go again with calling rocks 
 pretty. But stay! What is this, child?" 
 Where did you get it? Is there more? Do 
 you know what it is that sparkles?" ques- 
 tioned the man rapidly, bending forward 
 toward his daughter. 
 
 "Yes, Father, it is gold, and there is much 
 more of it where that comes from. I have 
 found the ledges." 
 
 "You, child? You? How did it happen? 
 Tell me." 
 
 Then the girl proceeded to relate her ex- 
 perience with which we are already familiar; 
 how she first came to drink at the spring, 
 and her peculiar sensations which were at 
 248
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 first affrighting; how she persisted in return- 
 ing to the place until by accident she discov- 
 ered the quartz pieces in the water; her fool- 
 ish fears of a water witch, including her 
 dream, and her decision to wear as a talis- 
 man a bit of the gold besprinkled rock; of 
 her hesitating in telling her father her secret 
 for fear he would divulge it to his com- 
 panion, young Shismakoff, at the same time 
 entreating her listener to keep sacred her 
 confidence for fear that others would molest 
 the treasure-laden ledges; and lastly, inquir- 
 ing if he would, as her partner, accept one 
 half of the property as a present. 
 
 "May the blessed saints preserve us! my 
 child, what is this you are saying? Where 
 are the ledges? Where are they?" and the 
 man sprang to his feet in excited interest. At 
 that, the buttermilk flask rolled away down 
 the hillside where it landed against the 
 stones below, breaking into hundreds of fly- 
 ing fragments. The lunch basket, too, top- 
 pled over, with the contents, luckily being 
 only sandwiches of bread and butter; and 
 Eyllen, as excited now as her father, ran 
 lightly down the path to the spring from 
 which she had filled her drinking cup a few 
 249
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 minutes earlier. 
 
 "Here are the ledges, Father, here they 
 tre ! Come and see for yourself !" pointing 
 to the rocks she had already so thoroughly 
 investigated. 
 
 The man quickly followed. He was weak 
 and weary no longer. His walking stick lay 
 neglected on the ground beside the luncheon, 
 and he had forgotten that weariness or hun- 
 ger were possible. Eagerly he examined the 
 formation, the quartz, the wall rocks and 
 surroundings, ejaculating and questioning 
 Eyllen in the meantime. 
 
 She replied that she was positive no one 
 knew of her interest in the hillside, as she 
 had carefully kept concealed her destination 
 when walking so frequently here. All pros- 
 pecting had been done by herself, and now 
 she would gladly share the work, worry, and 
 profits with him, she laughingly avowed. 
 
 Only one condition would she rigidly im- 
 pose, and that was that Shismakoff should 
 be kept in ignorance of their good fortune 
 as long as was possible. 
 
 At this her father arose from his stooping 
 position among the rocks and looked keenly 
 at Eyllen. 
 
 250
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 "You mistake if you think that Shismakoff 
 is unable to keep a secret," said he earnestly. 
 Then seeing Eyllen's blushing and downcast 
 countenance, the facts began to take shape in 
 his brain. 
 
 "Oh, ho! I see it! Is that your mean- 
 ing ? My wit is not the keenest, else I would 
 sooner have caught it. Well, well, child, 
 perhaps you are right, although I shall sore- 
 ly want his counsel and advice in this mat- 
 ter. I promise to withhold the knowledge 
 of these ledges from him until I have your 
 permission to tell it; so rest easy, and fret 
 not. He is a good fellow, and I fancy will 
 presently remove the necessity for further 
 secrecy by making known his intentions to 
 your father. With your acceptance of his 
 hand there need be only confidence between 
 us." 
 
 As he finished speaking, a wave of senti- 
 ment passed over him, and his eyes filled 
 with tears. Approaching his daughter, he 
 took her hand in his own, drew her closer to 
 him and kissed her. "You are a good child, 
 Eyllen, and very like your mother. It is a 
 pity she cannot be with us ! You are worthy 
 of a good husband, and he will be one. You 
 251
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 will have great happiness." 
 
 Resuming his examination of the rocks he 
 dropped his seriousness and remarked in a 
 lighter tone: "That he is a poor man is not 
 important now that you will have riches 
 yourself. Should both possess wealth it 
 would be too much of good luck, and one 
 fortune is quite sufficient." 
 
 Eyllen was now herself once more. Tilt- 
 ing her head backwards she measured the 
 sun with her eyes. 
 
 "It is time we returned now, Father," she 
 said, "for we will have flowers to gather by 
 handfuls. There is no such thing for us as 
 reaching home empty handed. It would never 
 do. You see I have been much at this work, 
 and know how to manage." 
 
 "Right you are, child, we will do so." 
 
 "Here is your walking stick, Father," 
 holding it out to him. 
 
 "Bah! I do not need it! I am now 
 strong." 
 
 "But, Father, please use the stick, because 
 you must not be grown strong too rapidly. 
 It may cause comment, and you must not 
 excite suspicion of our good fortune, and 
 why we came here today. Leave the stick 
 252
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 where you will tomorrow, but take it with 
 you today." she urged laughingly, and with 
 eyes twinkling. 
 
 "To be sure, to be sure. I forgot. I 
 will not expose your secret, child; have no 
 fear." 
 
 With that they turned their faces toward 
 home. Flowers nodded gaily on all sides, 
 and soon replaced the luncheon in their bas- 
 ket. 
 
 Mosses, green and velvety, sank beneath 
 the pressure of each foot-fall, and a brood 
 of eaglets tested their pinions near the crag 
 above the trail. 
 
 Right glad was Fedor Michaelovitz be- 
 fore reaching home that he had listened to 
 Eyllen and carried his walking stick. With- 
 out its support he would have found much 
 more tedious the long walk from the moun- 
 tains. 
 
 A hot supper, a pipe full of tobacco and a 
 restful evening, however, restored him, es- 
 pecially as Shismakoff made his appearance 
 all spick and span after his day's work on 
 the water. The recital of his adventures with 
 a school of whale in mid-ocean, and the cap- 
 ture of one of them, occupied a good share of 
 253
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 the evening. Eyllen's father asked many 
 questions relative to the subject. To these 
 were supplemented the queries of the young- 
 ster, whose large dark eyes fairly stood out 
 upon his cheeks with wonder at the tale. To 
 say that the boy's admiration for Shisma- 
 koff was thereafter greatly augmented would 
 be speaking much too mildly. From that 
 day, the young man was looked upon by him 
 as a hero who needed only a following of 
 soldiers to make him a real general. 
 
 In this way the evening passed with slight 
 reference to the tramp of Eyllen and her 
 father in the mountains, much to the girl's 
 satisfaction. 
 
 Her mind was now relieved. Work upon 
 her baskets was again taken up, and per- 
 severingly done. Michaelovitz, with walk- 
 ing stick in hand, tramped among the hills 
 alone often, considering it the affair of no 
 one that a pick and shovel did honest duty in 
 his hands during the day, and lay secreted 
 beneath the rocks near the little spring when 
 he returned to his cabin at night-fall. If his 
 capacious coat pockets contained bread slices 
 in the morning, it was empty by evening, and 
 his hands full of blossoms then quickly paci- 
 254
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 fied the children he met in the village. 
 
 At times Eyllen accompanied her father. 
 Then, at his direction, by the use of her mys- 
 terious instinct for minerals, she could trace 
 still further the treasure-filled ledges from 
 the spring or ore shute where her initial dis- 
 covery had been made. By this means, sev- 
 eral hundred feet of gold-bearing ledges 
 were located and staked by the girl and her 
 father, whose active labor in the open air, 
 along with a brightened future and more en- 
 couraging life prospects, soon caused the 
 man to grow strong and well again. Shis- 
 makoff and Eyllen became more fond of each 
 other day by day, until at last it was beyond 
 his patience to endure uncertainty longer, 
 and he told her of his great love, begging for 
 a response in the form of a promise of mar- 
 riage. To this the girl replied as he desired, 
 taking no note of his reference to a lack of 
 exchequer, and that he must go away from 
 the islands in order to make money more 
 rapidly. 
 
 A few days afterwards, Michaelovitz in- 
 vited the young man to join himself and 
 daughter in a ramble to the hills. Eyllen 
 thought it was no harm to give the whales 
 
 255
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 and fishes one day more of freedom, she 
 said, and his boat needed caulking. She in- 
 sisted that the boat must be made entirely 
 seaworthy, now that it must carry her future 
 husband; and she could not endure the 
 thought of his life being in danger. 
 
 Upon reaching the vicinity of the spring 
 in the ledges, Michaelovitz proposed that 
 they rest for a little and listen to a story which 
 Eyllen had to relate to them, but (with a 
 woman's usual perverseness) when they 
 were comfortably seated upon the grass she 
 refused to begin it. Would she finish if her 
 father began it? they asked. 
 
 No, she would not even promise to finish. 
 If her father wished the story to be told, 
 then he must tell it, she declared between 
 laughing and blushing. 
 
 The old man needed no urging. He pro- 
 ceeded to relate the story of the discovery 
 of her gold ledges. Of her patiently locat- 
 ing the ledges in the face of the fact that her 
 strange electric instinct for minerals gave 
 her real suffering; and of her taking him into 
 her secret; not omitting to tell of the wa- 
 ter witch, the talisman, and the dream, as 
 well as her wish that Shismakoff be kept in 
 256
 
 EYLLEN'S WATER WITCH 
 
 ignorance to the last moment. It was now 
 that Michaelovitz forced his daughter to 
 regret that she had not herself told the tale. 
 
 He did not spare her blushes. On the con- 
 trary he bore down upon the finale of the 
 narrative with all the vigor of a surgeon 
 performing a serious duty, adding that she 
 had had her wishes in the matter gratified, 
 and she ought to be satisfied that their listen- 
 er was a genuine lover, and not one seeking 
 a wife for her possessions. 
 
 At this juncture Eyllen's poor cheeks could 
 blush no longer. Her eyes were wet, but 
 her lips were smiling; and Michaelovitz be- 
 took himself to the path which led to the 
 spring, thus giving the lovers an opportunity 
 to be alone. 
 
 Shismakoff was the first to speak. 
 
 "So this is the little one who wears the 
 talisman!" he laughed. "But it has no pow- 
 er to protect you from witchcraft, as I can 
 honestly testify. See! Here in me is the 
 proof of my story. Have you not bewitched 
 me?" his strong arms moving tenderly 
 around the girl's little jacket, while he cov- 
 ered her lips with kisses. 
 
 "Give the talisman to me, darling, that I 
 257
 
 THE TRAIL OF A SOURDOUGH 
 
 may wear it until your love shall be as strong 
 for me as is my own for Eyllen !" 
 
 Then the girl, thinking him in earnest, 
 handed it to her lover who hung it about his 
 neck beneath his waistcoat next to his heart. 
 So the lovers had forgotten the ledges and 
 the man among them, and thought only of 
 their love and each other; the rocks, gold- 
 laden though they were, as well as every- 
 thing else, being then of secondary import- 
 ance. 
 
 258
 
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