it was an unpleasant discovery to the boys that after parting company with the ill-favored man who was known to be a friend and comrade of the rogue ike hardman, and after travelling hundreds of miles to this lonely spot, they should meet the fellow again. doubtless he was engaged on the same errand as themselves, and the presumption was that sooner or later he would be joined by hardman.
"i don't know that there is any danger," said roswell; "but it would be more comfortable to know they were not going to be our neighbors."
"let's follow up the man and question him," said frank, starting to climb the rocks behind which the other's face had vanished. it took only a few minutes to reach the spot; but when they did so, and looked around, nothing was seen of him.
"he evidently doesn't wish to make our acquaintance," said frank.
"i hope he will continue to feel that way; we must tell jeff and tim about this. let's hurry back to camp."
they now started to descend the stream, which they had followed from the point where they left their luggage. by using the brook as their guide, they were in no danger of losing their way.
about half the distance was passed when they came to a point where the walking looked better on the other side. the stream was so narrow that frank, who was in the lead, easily leaped across. roswell started to follow, but tripped and fell on his hands and knees, one foot splashing in the water, which was only a few inches in depth and as clear as crystal.
"are you hurt?" asked frank, pausing and looking around at him.
"not a bit. i don't know what made me so awkward."
"halloa! what's that?"
at first frank thought it was a small fish holding itself stationary in the brook; but that could not be, and he stooped down to see more clearly. with an exclamation, he dashed his hand into the water and drew out a rough, irregular nugget nearly two inches in diameter each way. it was bright yellow in color, and so heavy that there could be no doubt of its nature.
"it's gold!" he exclaimed in a half-frightened undertone, as he passed it to roswell, who was as much excited as he. he "hefted" it and held it up to the light.
"it's gold!" he exclaimed.
"it's gold!" he exclaimed.
"no mistake, it is. i wonder what it is worth."
"several hundred dollars at least. i'll bet there are lots more about here."
they straightway began a vigorous search up and down stream, confident of finding other similar nuggets, but none was discovered, and finally they reached the place where their baggage had been left, and where tim and jeff were awaiting them.
"look!" called the delighted frank, holding up the nugget. "see what we found!"
"begorra, but i shouldn't wonder if that's worth something," remarked tim, catching the contagion. jeff merely smiled and reached out his hand without any appearance of excitement.
"let me have a look at it."
he never used glasses, nor did he bring any acid with which to test such yellow metals as they might find, for he needed neither. he had been trained too well in his early manhood.
the instant he noted its great weight he was convinced of the truth. but, without speaking for a minute or two, he turned the nugget over, held it up to the light, and then put it between his big, sound teeth as if it were a hickory-nut which he wished to crack. he looked at the abrasion made by his teeth, tossed the nugget several feet in the air, and, catching it in his palm as it descended, said:
"that's pure gold. haven't you any more?"
"no," replied frank; "we searched, but couldn't find any."
jeff moved his hand up and down and closed one eye, as if that would help him to estimate the weight more exactly.
"i should say that it is worth from six to eight hundred dollars; you younkers have made purty good wages for to-day. i hope," he added quizzically, "you'll be able to keep it up."
"and how have you made out?" asked roswell.
"tim says he didn't come onto anything that looks like pay dirt; but i struck a spot that gives me hope. we'll locate here for a while."
of course it was impossible for the party to bring any material with them from which to construct a dwelling. the regulation miner's cabin is twelve by fourteen feet, with walls six or seven feet high, and gables two feet higher. it consists of a single room, with the roof heavily earthed and the worst sort of ventilation, owing to the small windows and the necessity of keeping warm in a climate that sometimes drops to fifty or sixty degrees below zero. the miners keep close within the cabins during the terrible winter weather, or, if it permits, they sink a shaft to bed-rock and then tunnel in different directions. the ground never thaws below a depth of two feet, so there is no need of shoring to prevent its caving. the pay dirt is brought up by means of a small windlass and thrown into a heap, where it remains until spring, when it is washed out.
since the season was well advanced, the men and boys prepared themselves to wash the pay dirt whenever found. but, first of all, it was necessary to establish a home for themselves while they remained in the region. they had a single axe and a few utensils besides the shovels, pans, and articles required in their work. while tim was prospecting, he gave more attention to searching for a site for a home than for gold, and was fortunate enough to find a place among the rocks, which was fitted up quite comfortably. the stone furnished three and a part of four walls necessary, and they cut branches, which were spread over the top and covered with dirt for the roof. owing to the moderate weather and the trouble from smoke, the fire was kindled on the outside when required for cooking purposes. the yukon stove, because of its weight, was left at dawson city, whither one of them expected to go when it became necessary to replenish their stores. although the nights were still cold, the weather was comparatively comfortable. before long it would become oppressive during the middle of the day.
as jeff figured it out, they had enough food, tobacco, and supplies to last for a couple of weeks, or possibly longer. if they struck a claim which they wished to stake out, it would be necessary for one of them to go to dawson city to register it, the process being quite simple.
the prospector is forbidden to exceed five hundred feet up and down a stream, following the course of the valley, but the width may run from base to base of the mountains. thus a miner's claim is one of the few things that is often broader than it is long. should the stream have no other claims located upon it, the one thus made is known as "the discovery claim," and the stakes used are marked 0. this claim is the starting-point, the next one up and the next down the stream being marked no. 1, and there can be only two such on any stream.
next, four stakes must be driven in place, each being marked with the owner's initials and the letters "m. l.," meaning "mining location," after which it must be bounded with cross or end lines, and within the ensuing sixty days the claim has to be filed with the government's recorder at dawson city. should a claim be staked before the discovery of gold, the prospector has sixty days in which to find the metal. if he fails to do so in the time mentioned, his claim lapses, since it is absolutely essential that he shall find gold in order to hold it permanently.
