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diff --git a/41530-8.txt b/41530-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 6a34109..0000000 --- a/41530-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10446 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of In Search of El Dorado, by Alexander MacDonald - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: In Search of El Dorado - A Wanderer's Experiences - -Author: Alexander MacDonald - -Release Date: December 1, 2012 [EBook #41530] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN SEARCH OF EL DORADO *** - - - - -Produced by Matthias Grammel, Greg Bergquist and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - IN SEARCH OF EL DORADO - - - - - _THREE BOOKS OF_ - _TRAVEL AND DESCRIPTION_ - - - Siberia. A Record of Travel, Climbing and Exploration. - - By SAMUEL TURNER, F.R.G.S. With about 100 Illustrations - and 2 Maps. Demy 8vo, cloth, =21s.= net. - - Travels of a Naturalist in Northern Europe. - - By J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S., Author of "Fauna of - the Moray Basin," "A Vertebrate Fauna of Orkney," &c.,&c. - With 4 Maps and many Illustrations. 2 vols. Royal 8vo, - cloth, =£3 3s.= net. - - Russia Under the Great Shadow. - - By LUIGI VILLARI, Author of "Giovanni Segantini," "Italian - Life in Town and Country," &c. With 85 Illustrations. - Demy 8vo, cloth, =10s. 6d.= net. - - - LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN. - - - - -[Illustration: Yours Very Sincerely Alexander Macdonald.] - - - - - IN SEARCH OF EL DORADO - - A WANDERER'S EXPERIENCES - - BY - ALEXANDER MACDONALD - F.R.G.S. - - WITH AN INTRODUCTION - BY ADMIRAL MORESBY - - - ILLUSTRATED - - - SECOND IMPRESSION - - - LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN - 1, ADELPHI TERRACE. MCMVI - - - - - FIRST EDITION 1905 - SECOND IMPRESSION 1906 - - - [_All rights reserved_] - - - - - TO - - MY MOTHER - - - - -Introduction - - -"Good wine needs no bush," but because a man does not always himself see -the full scope of what he has written, an introduction may have its uses -for author and readers alike. And to me--the adventure of whose own -career has reached the inexorable _Finis_--these true stories of gold -and gem seeking have an interest beyond the mere record of peril and -achievement, though, in the words of Sir Philip Sidney, it "stirs the -heart like a trumpet-blast" when brave men come to grips with dangers -which (like the treasure-guarding dragons of fairy-tales) yield not only -their hoard, but their own strength, as reward to the conqueror. - -And these are true romances--no fiction with its _Deus ex machina_ at -the psychological moment, but the unadorned risks, escapes, and failures -of adventurers on the quest of those strange commodities, seemingly -haunted by death and fear, from their secrecy in the recesses of the -earth till they shine with a sinister light in the crowns of kings or -make rough, for better handling, the sword-grips of warriors. - -The quest of "El Dorado" begins with the history of man, and in pursuit -of the glittering phantom have "many souls of heroes gone down into -Hades," only that others might step into their empty places in the -ranks. For whatever is found, always just beyond reach flits what is not -found--what never will be, be it the golden city of Manoa, with its -palace of the Inca, "all the vessels of whose house and kitchen are of -gold, and in his wardrobe statues of gold which seemed giants, and -ropes, budgets, chests and troughs of gold," or the mysterious jewels of -the wisdom of Solomon, or the genie-guarded gems of the Arabian Nights. - -The instinct of delight in this adventure which has dazzled the mind of -man from time immemorial is universal: it is a relish of youth which -persists into the old age of the world; it warms the coldest blood; and -our author, who has himself followed the mirage and felt the fascination -so keenly, is able to transmit the magic of the search to his readers. -Whether toiling over the Chilcoot Pass, hunger-pinched, and desperate -with cold and exhaustion, or thirst-tormented in the burning deserts of -Central Australia, the indomitable desire that drives him forward with -his comrades, drives us also on this modern Odyssey, where the Siren -sings on beaches of dead men's bones, and perils as terrible as any -man-devouring Cyclops lie in wait for the wanderers. - -The author, leaving his book to the verdict of the public, is once more -an explorer in the Australian deserts, collecting who knows what strange -experiences for future use, so I may, in his absence, characterise him -as a born leader of men, a very prudent Odysseus; for what lesser -qualities could have held together so strangely assorted a band as the -rough-hewn Mac and Stewart and the gentleman adventurer Phil Morris? -Reticence is perhaps unavoidable, but one would willingly see and hear -more of the central figure than his own modesty allows him to give us. - -Yet, as I said before, it is not only the adventure which gives a charm -to these studies of wild life. They are little epics of -comradeship--impressions of men to whom gold and jewels are much, but to -whom loyalty is the one thing better. It is good to see the yellow gleam -in the washings, and the milky fire of the Australian opal is worth the -perils endured, but there is also the abiding knowledge that quite other -and less elusive treasures reward the quest--courage, endurance, and -above all--"the manly love of comrades." - -And to me--to whom some of these studies recall in keenest remembrance -scenes which I shall never behold again with my living eyes--there is -another point of view and one of wider interest. Such men, in working -out their own destiny, are evolving also the imperial destiny of the -Mother-Country. They break the path, and other feet follow. There is the -march of an army behind them, for they are the vanguard of -civilisation--the first spray of the tide that, however slowly it flows, -does not ebb. It is well, since the change must come, that these men, of -good home-spun stuff, honest and kindly in thought and deed, should be -among the forerunners of the race that will abide where it has set its -feet. Scotland need not be ashamed of her sons as they stand before us -in these true stories of daring and endurance, and speak with their -enemies in the gate. - -The inexhaustible mineral and gem deposits of New Guinea are only -glanced at, but the description of those marvellous tropical forests, -through whose deep ravines rush the gold-bearing torrents, from which -"Mac" was able to wash out thirty pounds worth in one day, proves what -possibilities England possesses in that great island, and sheds light on -the policy of a time, now happily past, when I had hoisted the Flag, in -1872, and thus taken formal possession of Eastern New Guinea. I reported -to my chief, and his reply has a curious interest in view of many later -developments. - -"Have we not enough tropical possessions, without requiring more? Enough -issues to sap the strength of our Englishmen, without giving Government -patronage to the infliction of new wounds on our body? Enough -circumstances in which there must be a subjected race alongside of our -English proprietors, without putting the Government stamp on a new -scheme which will help to demoralise us, and weaken our moral sense as -a nation?" - -Such were the views of the Little Englanders thirty years ago. Such seem -strangely out of date when explorers of the Alexander Macdonald type are -tapping the remotest sources of commerce in the interests of the old -country. - -So I leave the little band to the reader--very human, compound of great -generosities and small failings, travellers, like ourselves, on "the -Great Trail" that leads to the Mountains of the Moon, and beyond, but -always _men_, and knit together by so strong a bond that each might well -say of the other, with Walt Whitman-- - - "Bold, cautious, true, and my loving comrade." - - J. MORESBY. - Admiral Rtd. - - BLACKBECK, - _April 19, 1905_. - - - - -Preface - - -I desire to assure all readers of this book that the scenes here -depicted, and the events described, may be taken as faithful -representations from life. I would also add that the geographical -descriptions throughout are accurate in detail; my knowledge is borne of -long and varied experience in the countries of which I write. - -A friendly critic, on reviewing my MSS., said that the book might be -misunderstood because of its containing the remarks and conversations of -my companions, which he considered could not very well have been -remembered by the writer. On this point, however, I beg to differ, and I -feel that I shall have the sympathy of my fellow-wanderers on my side. -When a man has travelled for many years with the same companions, and -has shared danger and sorrow and gladness with them, surely it is not -too much to assume that he must ultimately know their temperaments well, -and would scarcely need to draw upon his imagination when recalling -their various remarks on striking incidents. - -At the conclusion of our Western Australian journey the outbreak of the -South African war caused a temporary disbandment of my party, all of -whose members served at the Front with the Australian Contingents -during the campaign. As a result it will be observed that in the third -part of this volume the narratives partake somewhat of a general nature, -and are also more or less disconnected. - -Finally let me say in extenuation of any brusqueness or crudity of -expression which may be noticeable, that I write as a traveller whose -hand has more often gripped the rifle and sextant than the pen. - - ALEXANDER MACDONALD. - - ELCHO PARK, PERTH. - _March 1, 1905._ - - - - -Contents - - - PAGE - - INTRODUCTION vii - - PREFACE xiii - - - PART I - - THE FROZEN NORTH - - UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE WHITE PASS 3 - - SHOOTING THE WHITE HORSE RAPIDS 16 - - THE LAND OF THE THRON-DIUCKS 24 - - THE FINDING OF "GOLD BOTTOM" CREEK 37 - - THE PERILS OF THE TRAIL 51 - - THE TENT AT CARIBOU CROSSING 60 - - ACROSS THE CHILCOOT PASS 70 - - - PART II - - UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS - - THE FIVE-MILE RUSH 83 - - SINKING FOR GOLD 97 - - WE "STRIKE" GOLD 107 - - CAMP-FIRE REMINISCENCES 122 - - THE "SACRED" NUGGET 133 - - INTO THE "NEVER NEVER" LAND 146 - - EL DORADO! 159 - - WHERE THE PELICAN BUILDS ITS NEST 173 - - - PART III - - PROMISCUOUS WANDERINGS - - IN THE AUSTRALIAN BACK-BLOCKS 199 - - ON THE OPAL FIELDS OF WHITE CLIFFS 220 - - PROSPECTING IN BRITISH NEW GUINEA 238 - - IN THE GUM-LAND OF WANGERI 256 - - WITH THE PEARLERS OF NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA 271 - - - - -List of Illustrations - - - PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR _Frontispiece_ - - A PARTY OF MINERS GOING IN BY THE SKAGWAY - OR WHITE PASS TRAIL _Facing p._ 7 - - THE CHILCOOT PASS " 16 - - KLONDIKE-BOUND MINERS AND THEIR OUTFITS - ON LAKE LINDERMAN " 22 - - AFTER THE RAPIDS " 22 - - PAN-WASHING IN SKOOKUM GULCH " 37 - - GOLD-BOTTOM CREEK " 47 - - DAWSON CITY " 54 - - ON THE SAFE SIDE OF THE PASS AGAIN--MAC, - SELF, STEWART " 79 - - STEWART PREPARING OUR FIRST MEAL " 89 - - "DISCOVERY" SHAFT--ON GOLD " 99 - - STEWART FINDS THE GROUND HARD " 106 - - NO. 2 CLAIM--JUST STRUCK GOLD " 114 - - OUR SHAFT " 122 - - NUGGETY DICK AND SILENT TED " 127 - - HAPPY JACK AND DEAD-BROKE SAM " 132 - - READY FOR THE RUSH " 139 - - A BREAKDOWN IN THE RUSH " 145 - - OUR LAST VIEW OF THE 5-MILE WORKING " 150 - - TAKING OUR POSITION " 159 - - A NATIVE CAMP " 165 - - EL DORADO! " 172 - - AN EXTINCT VOLCANO WE CAMPED ON " 182 - - THE ONLY CREATURES THAT CAN EXIST IN THE - N.W. INTERIOR " 195 - - AN EMU'S NEST " 200 - - "LEICHARDT'S TREE" " 213 - The last trace found of the great explorer who - attempted to cross the interior and was never - heard of again. - - A FAMOUS MINE IN THE GULF COUNTRY " 219 - - BORING FOR OPAL INDICATIONS " 224 - - THE BELLE OF THE BUSH--A SALVATION ARMY - CONVERT IN WHITE CLIFFS " 230 - - THE DINGOE OR NATIVE DOG " 237 - - CROCODILE JAWS " 243 - - THE GUM-DIGGERS' SWIMMING-POOL " 265 - - READY TO GO DOWN " 275 - - - - -PART I - -THE FROZEN NORTH - - - - - "And, as his strength - Failed him at length, - He met a pilgrim shadow-- - 'Shadow,' said he, - 'Where can it be - This land of El Dorado?' - - 'Over the mountains - Of the moon, - Down in the valley of the Shadow, - Ride, boldly ride,' - The Shade replied - 'If you seek for El Dorado.'" - - - - -UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE WHITE PASS - - -I have stumbled upon a few "tough" corners of the globe during my -wanderings beyond the outposts of civilisation, but I think the most -outrageously lawless quarter I ever struck was Skagway in the days of -its early infancy. Now, I am told, Skagway is a flourishing township, -boasting of the orthodox amount of "broad" streets and "palatial" -buildings for an American "boom" camp. This may be, though--unless the -geographical features of the district have altered--I can hardly credit -it. When I was there the embryo city balanced itself precariously along -the lower slopes of the White Pass, and a good percentage of the -population had to be content with huts built on piles within the tidal -limit of the Lynn Canal. In short, there was no room to build anything, -and Skagway existed simply because it marked the entry to the Yukon's -frozen treasure. Its permanent residents were, for the most part, -sharpers of the worst type; indeed, it seemed as if the scum of the -earth had hastened here to fleece and rob, or, failing those gentle -arts, to murder the unwary voyagers to or from the Golden North. There -was no law whatsoever; might was right, the dead shot only was immune -from danger. - -It was late autumn in the year when the first news of Klondike riches -burst upon the world, when I, with my companion Mac, arrived at the head -of the Lynn inlet, _en route_ for the land of snows and nuggets. Our -ship, the _Rosalie_, carried a goodly number of passengers, but they -were mainly of the ruffian "store and saloon-keeper" variety, and few, -if any, of them ever got beyond the pass. The true gold-miner is -proverbially poor, and as yet his kind had not been numerous on the -trail. As for myself, I was enterprising if nothing else, and my -companion made up for my deficiencies in other respects. He was a -ferocious individual without a doubt, my worthy henchman; without him my -early journeyings would have ended before they had well begun, but, -being a hardened traveller, he knew how to adapt himself to -circumstances, and how to come off best in a scrimmage, both of which -traits were brought fully out before we had been long in the villainous -little camp of Skagway. Our first twenty-four hours' experiences may be -worth relating. - -We were the only representatives of Old England in these uncouth parts -at this period, a fact which had not made us any more beloved by the -aggressively hostile Yankees on board the _Rosalie_. Times without -number they told me how the "great American nation" could wipe the -British Isles off the face of the earth at a moment's notice, and how a -"free-born American" was equal to a dozen Britishers, and how we two -would be swallowed alive by these same men should we dare say a word to -the contrary. We bore a good deal of this sort of thing in silence, -though occasionally throughout the protracted voyage my fiery -aide-de-camp retaliated angrily, and did considerable damage among his -tormentors, who proved to be warlike only in their speech. But this is a -digression, and though I could write pages on that momentous cruise--we -ran aground five times, and were practically wrecked twice--I must -desist and continue my narrative. - -The first man we saw after being dumped on the muddy shores of Skagway -Bay was a short, red-headed individual, with ruddy countenance to match, -who fairly bristled with weapons of the most bloodthirsty description. -He approached Mac and me as we stood hesitatingly by the water's edge -looking around for some habitation wherein we might find refuge for the -first night of our sojourn in a strange land. - -"Hallo, stranger!" he saluted, affably, firing a huge revolver -unpleasantly close to my ear in a most nonchalant manner. - -"Hallo!" I said without enthusiasm, feeling cautiously in the rear of my -nether garments to make sure that my own gun was where it ought to be. - -He seemed somewhat hurt at the stiffness of my rejoinder, and toyed -suggestively with his revolver for some moments without speaking. -Meanwhile Mac proceeded unconcernedly along the beach to where a huge -hulk lay moored, whose broad beam bore the legend in giant -letters--"Skagit Hotel. Recently of San Francisco. Finest accommodation -in town." - -I was preparing to follow in my comrade's footsteps, marvelling at the -enterprise which had brought the old dismasted schooner so opportunely -to such a region; but my friend with the gun was not to be put off. - -"Say, stranger," he growled, stepping before me, "you don't know who I -am, I reckon----" - -"I don't," I interrupted, shortly, "and I am not over anxious to make -your acquaintance either." - -He glared at me savagely for an instant, then broke out into a hearty -laugh. "For a darned Englisher you are mighty pert," he said, "an' I -won't slaughter you--just yet. Still, for your future benefit I may tell -you that my handle is Soapy Sam, an' I've planted considerable men like -you in my time. I'm a bad man, I is, but your ignorance saves ye." - -The conversation was being uncomfortably prolonged; yet I dared not make -any movement. "What's the damage, Soapy?" I asked contritely. "I suppose -you are collecting toll in your polite way?" - -He lowered his weapon and grinned. "Every tenderfoot as lands in this -here city has to play poker with me or fight," he acknowledged -smilingly. - -I realised my position at once. It was painfully clear to me that the -"fight" would be all on one side, and could only end in one way so long -as Soapy held the "drop," and it was also clear that the alternative was -to submit to wholesale robbery. A loud shout at our back made us both -turn with alacrity, and behold there stood Mac with his long Winchester -repeater levelled fairly at Soapy Samuel's head. The wily individual had -scented danger, and had made a _détour_ expressly for my benefit. - -"Say when," he murmured calmly, from behind his artillery, "and I'll -blow the deevil into vulgar fractions." - -I stepped out of range of fire without delay. Soapy's fingers twitched -on the stock of his lowered revolver as his ferret-like eyes blinked -down the muzzle of the deadly tube, which never wavered a hair's -breadth. Then his weapon dropped from his nerveless hand, and slowly his -arms were upraised towards the sky, and he smiled an exceedingly sickly -smile. - -"You've got the pull on me this time, partner," he said. "I caves." - -At this moment a hoarse chorus of cheers rang out from the vicinity of -the Skagit Hotel. The inmates had assembled on the upper deck to witness -the discomfiture of their common enemy. - -"Shoot him!" they roared; "he killed old Smith." - -But Mac was not disposed to make himself public executioner. "Ye'd -better vanish, Soapy," he grunted. - -[Illustration: A PARTY OF MINERS GOING IN BY THE SKAGWAY OR - WHITE PASS TRAIL.] - -"Never mind the cannon ye dropped; it'll just suit me. Quick, fur I'm -getting nervish." - -Soapy fled, slipping and stumbling through the snow in his intense -haste. But when he had placed a good hundred yards between him and his -conqueror, he turned and waved his hand cheerily. - -"I bear no ill-will, boys," he shouted; "I was clean bested. But," and -he turned towards the _Skagit_, "I'll have it out with you afore long, -and don't forgit it." - -A yell of derision greeted him in return. Apparently the _Skagit_ -dwellers meant to take all chances with a light heart. Mac grounded his -rifle with a grunt of satisfaction. - -"This is the deevil's ain country we've struck," he grumbled. "It's a -blessed thing I got insured afore I left auld Scotland." I agreed with -him heartily, and together we sought the hospitable shelter of the -stranded hotel, where we were welcomed effusively by the proprietor -thereof, a merry-faced Irishman of the name of O'Connor. - -"We're chock full up, but we'll gladly make room for you, boys," he -said. "It wouldn't be safe to allow you to go up among Soapy's gang." - -I expressed my gratitude for his tender solicitude, then made sundry -inquiries as to the prospects of crossing the pass within the next day -or so. - -"You want to cross the pass?" he echoed, in amazement. "Why, you won't -be able to do that until next spring. The snows are on, and the trail is -blocked with hundreds of dead horses anyhow." - -I had heard this statement so often of late that I was in nowise taken -aback. "We certainly did not come here for the good of our health," I -said. "We'll try the Chilcoot Pass if the Skagway route is impossible. -Dyea is not very far from here, I think?" - -"Only about four miles round about," he replied. "It is at the head of -the inlet you would see before your ship branched in here. A mighty -miserable place it is, for the winds sweep right down from the sea -almost constantly." - -"We didn't expect to find roses growing on the track," snorted Mac, -impatiently. "We'll try and get round to Dyea in the morning." - -But now another difficulty arose. There were no boats to be had stout -enough to withstand the heavy gales which, as we had just been told, -blew ceaselessly up the funnel-like entrance to the Chilcoot Valley, and -even if there had been, our outfit of flour and miscellaneous foodstuffs -was rather an unwieldy factor to be considered. - -"It's a maist ungodly country," commented Mac gloomily. "There seems to -be nae room for anybody but thieves an' murderers, and it' very funny -that there's no' an honest gold-miner among the lot." - -Our fellow-passengers nearly all had found congenial quarters further -back in the city, and one or two had erected their tents on the beach, -forgetting in their haste to found a home that the tide would wash over -their camp site about twelve o'clock that same night. Yet no one cared -to inform them on the matter, and Mac watched their progress with -undisguised joy, and howled with delight when one of his old enemies -began to haul timber from the hillside for the purpose of building a -substantial edifice on the sinking sands. - -"They might know that the old _Skagit_ couldn't have walked up here," -laughed our host. "But they'll find out their mistake soon enough, I -reckon," and he chuckled, long and loudly. - -Having partaken of dinner, Mac and I sallied forth to visit the -scattered array of huts and tents which constituted the town. - -"Look out for Soapy Sam," warned a swarthy-visaged man in picturesque -attire. "He's a nasty sort of skunk to meet, even in the daytime, as you -already know. If ye get into trouble just yell on me--Black Harry is my -handle--and I'll be with you in a couple of shakes." - -I thanked the dusky warrior, who indeed looked as if he could give a -very good account of himself when necessary, and with the butt of my -revolver clutched tightly in my hand, I walked citywards with Mac, who -gravely whistled selections from a hymn entitled, "There is a Happy -Land." On our arrival in Klondike Avenue, as the main thoroughfare was -elegantly styled, not a solitary individual was to be seen. The weather -was bitterly cold, and the denizens of the camp, with commendable good -sense, avoided all danger of frostbite by keeping within the shelter of -their wigwams. The deserted avenue was therefore a most dreary -spectacle, and the gathering shadows of night hanging over the grim pass -in the background did not tend to enliven the gloom of the scene. - -"And to think that for the last fortnight I hae heard nothing but -stories o' American grit, American hardiness, American--everything," -soliloquised Mac, sarcastically; "yet every deevil o' them is frichtened -o' catchin' cold--but hallo! what's this?" - -He directed my gaze towards a flaring poster nailed to a tree. We -approached, and read the rude notice. "In the Skagit Hall to-night. -Grand concert. Miss Caprice, of New York, the world-famed variety -actress, will hold the camp in thrall. Leave your guns at home, and come -early to avoid the rush. N.B.--Poker tables have been fixed up for the -convenience of the audience." - -The last clause gave the key to the whole concern. Miss Caprice--whoever -that might be--was merely an extra attraction. Appended was a weird -diagram purporting to be a sketch of the aforesaid Miss Caprice in -the intricacies of one of her dance specialities. Mac shuddered and -looked pained. - -"This is maist decidedly no place for a white man," he asserted, with a -sigh. Then we turned and headed back for the _Skagit_, where in the -later hours the world-famed artiste was billed to disport herself. As we -passed by a large log structure set back among the trees, I was -surprised to hear a husky voice call out to us, and while we hesitated -the door of the hut swung open, and Soapy Sam appeared and beckoned -mysteriously. He apparently had discarded his armoury, but I was not -disposed to trust much to appearances, at which our old enemy looked -considerably aggrieved. - -"I bear no grudge, boys," he said. "No man can say that Soapy Sam went -back on his word. You downed me fair." - -"Then what is it?" I inquired suspiciously. - -"Ye must admit, Soapy, ma man," added Mac drily, "that your reputation -even among yer ain folk is no' just rosy." - -But Soapy was evidently determined not to be offended by anything we -might say. He approached with hands extended in token of good faith, -and, noting this, we stayed our progress and waited wonderingly to hear -what he wished to speak. He did not enlighten us much, however. - -"I say, boys," he whispered when he came near, "can you both swim?" - -Mac nodded. "But it wouldna be a pleasant diversion in this weather," he -remarked, with a shudder. - -"Then don't go near the _Skagit_ to-night," said Soapy impressively. -"There's a storm rising, and I shouldn't wonder if the old barge bursts -her moorings before morning." - -He was gone in an instant, and Mac and I gazed at each other in dismay. -"What can he mean?" I said. - -"Heaven knows," growled Mac; "but we'll likely find out before very -long. He's a gey slippery customer, is Soapy, an' no' easily understood, -I'm thinkin'." - -We continued on our course meditating deeply, but, no solution of the -mysterious warning presenting itself, it escaped our minds utterly in -the noisy excitement that prevailed on our return to the _Skagit_. -O'Connor, the proprietor, was all agog with the importance of his -position as master of ceremonies; he was busily superintending the -placing of a rickety old piano when we made our appearance, and he -immediately seized on Mac for a song during the evening, a favour which -was most promptly refused. - -"Miss Caprice an' me wouldna suit on the same programme," was the worthy -diplomatist's excuse. "Get Black Harry an' Soapy Sam--" - -"Soapy Sam is barred this circus," sternly interrupted O'Connor. "I'm -running a concert to-night, not a funeral undertaking establishment." -Assuredly Soapy Sam's prowess was no mean factor to be considered. - -At 7 p.m. prompt--as advertised--the entertainment began. The room was -crowded with truly all sorts and conditions of men, and the air reeked -with tobacco smoke. The piano manipulator--a bewhiskered and -groggy-looking personage in top-boots--took his place with stately grace -as befitted the dignity of his office. He ran his fingers clumsily over -the keys as if seeking for some lost chord or combination, which, -however, he did not find, and then he rattled out an ear-shattering -melody in which the audience, after a moment's pause, joined lustily. In -the midst of the uproar thus let loose a gaudily-bedecked creature of -the female persuasion, wearing a grin that almost obliterated her -features, appeared on the raised stage at the end of the saloon, and -joined in the pandemonium, her shrill voice screaming out the touching -information that there would be "a hot time in the old town to-night," -which coincided with the item on the programme. - -This was Miss Caprice--a type of the "noble and enduring" women whom -recent "Klondike" novelists have portrayed so tenderly in their -"realistic" romances. Heaven forbid that the respectable British public -should be thus deceived. There was no woman with any claim to the name -on the long trail in these days. - -It would be impossible to describe the course of that memorable -"concert." It continued in spasms--or turns, which I believe is the -correct term to use--far into the night, with occasional interruptions -in the shape of fights and wordy altercations among the poker players, -diversions which lent pleasurable variety to the entertainment, though -now and again it seemed as if a funeral or two would surely result -therefrom. But all smoothed off harmoniously under the influence of Miss -Caprice's moving melodies, which always were turned on at opportune -moments. Mac said that her voice was like unto the buzzing of a steam -saw in cross-grained wood, but perhaps he was prejudiced, or his -artistic senses a trifle too fine. Anyhow, she pleased the multitude -mightily, and they roared out their appreciation boisterously at the -conclusion of each of her vocal exercises, and implored her to continue -her soothing ditties unendingly. The too free use of the flowing bowl -was probably accountable for the warmth of their approval; but Miss -Caprice, having indulged in equal degree with her admirers, was getting -less and less able to trill forth sweet sounds for their edification, -and matters were fast beginning to assume a by no means inviting -aspect. - -Several times during the progress of events Mac and I endeavoured to -make an unobtrusive exit, but all to no purpose. - -Slowly the time dragged on its weary course, then suddenly I became -aware that the old _Skagit_ was rising with the incoming tide. She -swayed cumbrously once or twice, and her rotten timbers creaked and -groaned dismally under the strain, but no one seemed to consider these -indications worthy of attention, and the roystering chorus went on -without interruption. At intervals I could hear vague voices calling -excitedly without, and I guessed that the men who had built their homes -in the sand were having a bad time. - -Another half-hour passed. By this time the taste of the audience had -reached the sentimental stage, and they loudly clamoured for a song -suited to their altered temperament. The accompanist, however, persisted -in playing the "hot time" tune to everything, so he was discharged with -ignominy by the scornful prima donna, who announced in broken accents -that she would give a rendering of "Ashtore" without musical assistance, -which was most unwise on her part. Still, she persisted at her task, and -got to the end of the first verse without mishap; but as she screamed -out the last wailing notes of the chorus the old _Skagit_ gave a sudden -lurch, and sent her reeling head foremost into the centre of the room. - -"What's the matter with the darned barge?" howled several indignant -voices among the crowd, but no answer was forthcoming. The _Skagit_ at -that moment was seized with convulsions, and rolled and pitched in a -most unaccountable manner. - -"Howlin' blazes!" yelled Black Harry. "The happy home must have broken -loose." - -The rush that followed is beyond description. Mac and I, being less -affected by the motion of the hulk than the majority, reached the deck -first. Away far back to the right the lights of Skagway shimmered out -over the smooth waters of Skagway Bay. To the left the faint -illuminations of Healy's Store at Dyea shone at the head of the Chilcoot -Inlet, along which great seas were rolling in from the main channel. We -had drifted out with the ebbing tide, and we were now being borne -onwards by the uninterrupted ocean gales. If we escaped being dashed to -pieces against the rocky bluffs of the peninsula, we might be driven -ashore on the mud banks at Dyea; but it was certain that the _Skagit_ -could not return to her wonted anchorage that night. - -Loud and deep were the curses that now arose from all on board. - -"It's Soapy Sam's work," howled O'Connor. "He must have cut the -moorings. He said he would do it." - -Then I remembered Soapy's warning, but held my peace, and while the men -raved, and threatened, and prayed in turn, the old _Skagit_ dashed on -her new course, buffeted by the great seething rollers crowding in from -the sea, and spinning like a top in the swirling waters. Crash! At last -we had struck, and the surging waves swept over the deck in a copious -flood, and the night was filled with the shrieks of the frenzied band, -who feared the worst; but it was only a sand bar after all, the first of -a series of similar obstacles that bar the Dyea Channel at high water. - -"We could never have got round here ourselves," muttered Mac, as we -stood watching the slowly-receding waves. "It is a fact that it's a gey -ill wind that blaws naebody good." - -In a short space the _Skagit_ lay high and dry where she had been -deposited, and for the first time we learned that the Dyea Bar stretches -out three miles from the village. But I was satisfied. As Mac had -implied, the _Skagit_ had unconsciously done us a service of no mean -order in transporting our outfit nearer the Chilcoot Pass. With calm -contentment he and I sought peaceful slumber in the humble quarters -allotted to us earlier in the day, while the rest of the ship's -company--including Miss Caprice--started to climb the dividing mountain -ridge to Skagway on the trail of the elusive Soapy. - - - - -SHOOTING THE WHITE HORSE RAPIDS - - -It was a month later when we reached the shores of Lake Linderman _en -route_ for the frozen North. The Chilcoot Pass had presented an almost -impassable barrier to our advance; a light film of snow clung to the -bare rocks and filled the numberless crevices of the "Summit"--that last -grim climb, where the Dyea trail mounts all but perpendicularly upwards -to the blizzard-swept glacier cap of the pass--and no room for foothold -could be traced. It would be impossible to describe that frightful -climb. When we reached the top and saw far below the twisting line of -Indian "packers," who seemed to stick like flies to the white wall, we -could not understand how the ascent had been accomplished. - -Crater Lake, on the "other" side, was covered with a broad sheet of ice -which was not sufficiently strong to bear our sleighs, or weak enough to -allow of a passage being broken for our portable canvas boat. Here we -were delayed many days, laboriously dragging our outfit to a less lofty -and more congenial climate. - -Long Lake, Deep Lake, and Mud Lake were successfully negotiated in turn; -their waters glistened cold and cheerless, surrounded by the great snowy -peaks that were rapidly opening out into the magnificent Yukon valley. -Far down in the hollow, seemingly in a sunnier and well-timbered spot, -nestled Lake Linderman, and beyond, the Yukon channel could be traced -between the ever-widening mountain ranges. We had packed sleighs in -our outfit, not expecting to use them until we reached the Klondike -river, and how successful they might prove should it be necessary to -force a trail across the frozen waters was a matter for conjecture. - -[Illustration: THE CHILCOOT PASS.] - -At this time Linderman's shores were the scene of much bustle; many -intending voyagers were building their boats in feverish haste, for they -knew that the elements must soon lay firm grip on the waters, and render -their work useless. - -Major Walsh, the Canadian Administrator of the Yukon Territory, had just -made his appearance from over the Skagway trail, and he was all -eagerness to proceed. He immediately bought--at fabulous prices--the -boats that were built, and, without a day's delay, set sail northwards -with his staff. - -Two days after the Major's departure, I succeeded in purchasing a -twenty-feet "Dorie" from a disheartened miner who had decided to return -to Dyea, and wait for the ensuing spring. - -I need not detail our journeyings for the next few days. Linderman was -sailed over within two hours, then the half-mile porterage between it -and Lake Bennet was accomplished after much labour. This latter lake is -twenty-eight miles in length, its northern extremity narrowing down to a -deep and swift-flowing channel, which extends but a few hundred yards -before expanding into a broad, shallow lake or lagoon, colloquially -known as "Caribou Crossing." The current here is sluggish, and the water -abounds in shoals and sandbanks, which at that time were a sore trial to -the adventuresome navigator with his precious freight of flour and other -necessaries. - -Tagash Lake forms the next link in the great lake chain of the Yukon, -and it stretches full twenty-nine miles, then contracting to a -fierce-flowing stream by which the Canadian Customs Offices are now -stationed. - -Beyond this is Marsh Lake, and here it was that our troubles began. - -Not a breath of wind stirred the waters of the lake, and our -crudely-built dorie, containing 1,000 pounds of flour and 1,000 pounds -of miscellaneous foodstuffs, ploughed slowly through the wide expanse to -the accompaniment of much wheezing and groaning of oars, and an endless -string of forcible expletives that burst from the lips of my stalwart -companions, who provided the motive power of the ungainly craft. The -favouring wind had died away, and, unaided by the sails, we could make -but little headway over the still water. The weather had become -strangely cold considering the earliness of the season, and I was almost -benumbed as I sat in the steersman's perch, directing the course by -sundry sweeps of a great-bladed Indian paddle, which I wielded with both -hands. - -"Keep it up, boys," I encouraged. "We are more than half-way through the -lake." - -"Twa miles an 'oor," grunted Mac between his efforts. "This is the worst -boat I ever pulled." - -Stewart, his companion, another brawny Scot who had joined me at Dyea, -rested his oar for a moment to breathe a sympathetic swear word of much -intensity; then together they bent to their labours, and the rasp of the -oars, and the brief swish of the eddying pools created, alone broke the -deadly quiet. - -Towards nightfall I was surprised to notice here and there large sheets -of ice on the lake surface, and occasionally our heavily-laden boat -would grind against these obstacles, shouldering them off with much -effort: then my oarsmen's long sweeps would rend and split them as they -passed alongside. - -It was very plain that the Yukon headwaters were fast freezing over. - -"We'll have to keep going all night, boys," I said, "for we'll be ice -jammed if we camp anywhere around here." - -The fierce torrent issuing from the end of the lake and rushing towards -the dread White Horse Rapids would in all probability be free from -ice--if we could reach that far. - -Strenuously my companions pulled at their oars. The gloom deepened, then -the stars came out, and by their feeble light I could distinguish far -ahead a scintillating field of ice. - -The sight caused me almost to despair--we had been sailing since early -morning, and were tired and very hungry. - -Before I could get the head of our boat turned inshore, it had crashed -through several flaking sheets, and immediately after I realised that we -were hopelessly in an ice maze from which there seemed no exit. - -"We'll gang straight on," said Mac, with determination, and he levered -powerfully with his oar against the frosted masses. - -A quarter of an hour passed, then the up-turning stem of the dorie went -thud against an immovable barrier, and I knew that we were indeed -ice-jammed beyond the possibility of forcing a passage with the oars. -Nor could we return, for the ice-pack we had negotiated for miles was -now seemingly welded together in one solid mass. - -Cautiously Mac put his moccasined foot over the prow and bore heavily on -the glittering ice; it neither strained nor yielded. - -With a fervent malediction he jumped on "shore," and felt the edge of -the sheet. - -"It's mair than twa inches," he said sorrowfully. "Hoo can we get -through this?" - -Very sadly we got out of our boat, and, taking the cooking utensils, the -tent, and some flour and coffee, sought a sheltered spot among the dense -timber on the lake side. Soon we had almost forgotten our woes, and were -regaling ourselves with copious draughts of coffee and much hard damper. - -From our tent door we could see our boat stuck fast amid the ice. How we -were to get it free I could not well imagine. In the morning, however, -we awoke with renewed energy and more hopeful hearts. - -"We cannot have far to go, boys," I said. "We'll cut down a couple of -trees and use them to break a passage." - -After breakfast we lost no time in making the effort. Armed with the -heavy logs, we re-embarked, and soon the ponderous hammers had begun -their work and a passage was slowly made towards the Yukon. With great -reluctance our boat moved ahead, leaving a trail of glittering ice -boulders. Mac leaned over the bow and opened the channel, while Stewart -and I belaboured the masses that closed in on either side. - -About midday we neared the end of the lake, and the channel beyond -appeared a rippling, crackling flood of jagged ice-floes. - -We felt the suction of the current long before we had reached the limit -of the ice-field. The sheets became thinner and broke away readily, so -that the oars came again into play, and we crashed onward impetuously on -the bosom of an irresistible stream. - -At last we were free, and our boat dashed madly into the narrow egress, -bumping, grinding, and rocking against the detached fragments of ice -that appeared everywhere. - -With a great effort we managed to slow our craft before coming into -contact with a sharp jutting rock that reared high in the middle of the -stream, and then we found that it required all our energies to evade the -miniature icebergs that rushed alongside. These floating dangers looked -harmless enough, yet they were fully six inches deep in the water, and -contact with them would result in much damage to the planks of our -dorie. Several times, indeed, we were almost overturned by colliding -with unusually large floes. - -In another hour we had nearly navigated the extent of Miles's canyon, -and only several hundred yards ahead I noticed Major Walsh's flotilla, -buffetting the seething waters cumbrously, while the men at the oars -strained every muscle to escape the perils that abounded in their -course. - -"We're not far away from the White Horse, boys," I said to my sturdy -henchmen, who were working away like galley slaves. They ceased their -labours for a moment to look round, and at once our vessel swung about -and drifted dangerously near the rocky river steeps. - -"We maun keep a way on her," said Stewart. - -"Let's ken when we're through," said Mac, and their oars cleft the water -like the paddle floats of a fast river steamer. - -The current was flowing at the rate of ten miles an hour, and to keep a -steering way on our unwieldy barge was, as may be understood, no easy -matter. - -Frantically I swung my paddle and strove my utmost to avert the calamity -that every moment seemed to threaten us. - -We were rapidly gaining on Major Walsh's outfit. He had four boats in -all, three of them being clumsy barges laden entirely with provisions. -These latter were manned by several members of the North-West Mounted -Police, who worked their oars from difficult-looking perches among the -flour sacks. - -The police boats, however, steered a very erratic course, sometimes -being carried forward almost on their beam ends. I guessed that the -heavily freighted craft had become unmanageable; certainly the steersmen -seemed to have no control. Yet I had little time to notice those ahead, -for our own "clipper" required every attention. - -"Keep her going, boys," I yelled, as I worked my steering paddle with a -will, evading rocks, boulders, and ice floes in turn. - -Suddenly the white dashing surf of the Rapids came into view, the river -narrowed to a fraction of its former width, and over the cataract a -jagged sea of the dangerous floes crackled and roared into the abyss -beyond. - -I saw the Major's first boat fly like an arrow from the bow into the -heart of the boiling foam; it careened dangerously on taking the sweep, -then righted itself and disappeared into the flying mists. - -"Steady, Mac!" I cried, as our craft entered the race. The dense spray -almost obscured the great deflecting rock, and we rushed seemingly to -destruction. - -Then, before my eyes, there appeared an awful spectacle. Faster than I -can write the words--one, two, three--each of Major Walsh's three boats -reared high in the sleety mist and overturned one after the other as -they took the curve. - -"Let her go, boys," I bellowed. "Bend to it." The crucial moment had -arrived; we were enveloped in foam, and were dashing straight towards -the torrent-deflecting bluff. I leaned far back over the stern of our -half-submerged boat, and with a mighty stroke of the paddle swung her -head round, and we grazed death by barely half a dozen inches. - -[Illustration: AFTER THE RAPIDS.] - -[Illustration: KLONDIKE-BOUND MINERS AND THEIR OUTFITS ON - LAKE LINDERMAN.] - -A moment more and we were floating in almost placid waters. Beside us -bobbed three smashed boats. Major Walsh stood sorrowfully on shore -assisting dripping men from the water. - -"It's all over, boys," I said to my crew; "you can ease off now," and I -steered for the beach and lent my aid in the work of rescue. - -The half-drowned Canadians were dragged ashore gasping and almost -senseless, and while we scanned the grim waters anxiously for a trace of -one still missing, his body was tossed at our feet by the relentless -waves. Soon after, the sand was littered with sacks of flour, and beans, -and miscellaneous foodstuffs. - -Several camps were in evidence around this melancholy spot, erected by -men who had lost their all in the rapids, and were only waiting a chance -to return to civilisation. They eagerly accepted the Major's offer to -purchase their scanty outfits, and without loss of time that intrepid -old Indian fighter had embarked again for the north. To him it was a -race with the elements, but the elements won after all, and compelled -him to make his winter camp at Big Salmon River, forty miles further -north, where we overtook him a few days later. - -"It's no use my lads, you can't do it!" he said, on my reiterating my -intention of proceeding onwards. "Why, the river's frozen solid from -here to St. Michael's." - -"Then we'll put skids under the old boat and make her into a sledge," -quoth Mac, drily, and I hailed the suggestion with encouragement. - -We duly arrived at Dawson City after many days and weeks of ceaseless -struggle with the elements on that long and terrible icy trail, and our -coming was received with rejoicings by the few half-starved miners who -at that time peopled the "City." We had proved the feasibility of an -over-ice route to Dyea. - - - - -THE LAND OF THE THRON-DIUCKS - - -The Klondike Valley in that winter was the scene of many stirring -incidents. Owing to the non-arrival of the Canadian Government -Commissioner and his police no law or order prevailed. To make matters -worse the utmost bitterness existed between the Canadian and American -sections of the community, each of whom claimed the rich gold-bearing -territory as being within their country's boundary. Quarrels more or -less serious were consequently of every-day occurrence. However, the -following incident involves no harrowing description of these fierce -skirmishes--though it might have led to a most sanguinary encounter with -the _true_ owners of the land. - -Accompanied by "Cap." Campbell and "Alf" Mackay, two well-known miners, -my party set out on a prospecting expedition into the mountains flanking -the upper reaches of the Klondike River. We had one dog, a powerful -mastiff, named Dave, which had proved an invaluable companion to me on -our earlier prospecting journeys. Previous to this we had been very -successful in our quest for the yellow metal, having located three -creeks rich in the precious golden sand. But our eagerness seemed likely -to cost us dear, for our store of foodstuffs had become wonderfully -small, and we were many days' journey from our camp on Skookum Gulch, -where were our headquarters. - -The return journey proved to be more difficult than we had anticipated; -the weather had been very severe for the last few days, and the snow on -the hillside was hard and dangerously slippery. - -"We'll try a short cut over the mountains, boys," said Mackay, as we -strove vainly to reach the frozen river far beneath. - -The Klondike takes many twists in its erratic course, and it so happened -that if we could cross a mountain spur we should strike the trail only a -few miles from Eldorado Creek. - -"We'll make the attempt," I said, and Mac and Stewart concurred with -emphatic ejaculations. One sleigh carried the possessions of the whole -party, and it was tugged along by our combined efforts, including the -assistance of Dave, who struggled in his harness in the leader's -position. At last we surmounted the great glacier-capped ridge and -gingerly made a trail through a narrow ice-bound gulch issuing from the -crystal dome and marking a long line of gigantic ice boulders far into -the wooded slopes beyond. - -We slid, and clambered, and buffeted with the snow wreaths and -intervening ice fields for over an hour, and then the gully led us -across a thickly-timbered flat well sheltered from the elements by the -surrounding mountains. At this stage we were, to judge by the lay of the -country, but a few miles from the main channel; but the afternoon was -far advanced and darkness was quickly closing over the valley, so that -further progress was rendered difficult. We were looking about for a -suitable camping ground when Mac, who had been closely examining the -landscape, gave a howl of delight. "Injuns!" he roared, "I see Injun -hooses!" Sure enough there appeared, nestling among the drooping pines, -a straggling array of Indian huts and several totem poles. Before I -could restrain them, my henchmen dropped their sleigh ropes and rushed -impetuously towards the supposed settlement, but their moccasined feet -stuck deeply in the soft snow under the trees, and, using my snowshoes -to good effect, I succeeded in rounding up the doughty pair before they -had gone far. - -"It's an Indian village," I explained, "and not a circus." - -"I ken weel what it is," indignantly howled Mac. "Hiv I no seen Injuns -afore? When I wis oot on the pampas o' Sooth America--" - -But I listened no further, and Stewart condoled with his comrade in well -chosen words of sympathy. - -"This is nae country for us, Mac," said he. "A lot o' Injun hooses, -wi'--wi' chunks o' caribou hangin' inside, an' we maunna touch them!" He -almost wept at the thought. - -"Howlin' blazes, boys!" shouted the Captain, "them Injuns'd make ye into -mince pies at oncet; ye wur committin' sooicide!" - -But Mackay smiled broadly and winked reassuringly at Mac, whereupon that -gentleman began to chuckle audibly. - -"We've nae floor, an' nae bacon, an' nae beans--nae naething," he said -meaningly. "If you have no 'jeckshuns,'" added Mackay, addressing me -with much deliberation, "we'll camp a leetle furrer down." - -I had no objections whatever. If I had, it might not have mattered much, -for my warlike retainers seemed on the verge of mutiny. So we proceeded -on our way, cautiously and silently, keeping in the densest shadows, and -as far distant from the village as we could conveniently get. - -Ten minutes later our tent was fixed and our camp fire blazing brightly; -and Stewart, with a lugubrious countenance, busied himself preparing the -last of our hoarded stores. Our fare was certainly meagre and -unsatisfying, and unfortunately the keen air had given us extremely -healthy appetites. I am inclined to think, when I recall the matter, -that my share, as doled out by Stewart, with many a sigh at its -diminutive proportions, was unnecessarily meagre, and purposely served -so by that wily individual in order to destroy any conscientious -scruples I might have. If that was his purpose it succeeded admirably, -for when my humble repast was finished I felt hungrier than ever, and -had not the ghost of a scruple left. - -"Talkin' about Injun villages," began Mackay, when the cooking utensils -had been cleared away, "I've niver seen wan yet that hadn't a winter -storehouse of dried salmon and cariboo somewheres handy." - -"Ye're a man efter ma ain heart," beamingly interrupted Mac, and Stewart -murmured: "Dried cariboo!" and smacked his lips. - -"As I was discoursin'," continued Mackay, "them Injuns hiv always got -rations hid away in their wigwams." - -"Likewise a few tommy-hawks an' an assortment o' clubs," grimly edged in -the Captain. - -No one seemed anxious to say anything in a direct sort of way, although -the general meaning was plain enough. - -"To cut it short, boys," I ventured to remark, "you are in favour of -visiting the village to-night?" - -"Fur reasons which it ain't necessary to shout out loud--precisely," -answered Mackay. - -After that further speech was superfluous, and we made hurried -preparations for our marauding journey. The Indians at this time were -very hostile towards the white invaders of their country, and there was -little reason to hope that they would either barter or sell any of their -stores to us. There is a proverb which states that "necessity knows no -law," and as we were in rather a sad plight we agreed with it to the -letter; there may have been room for some slight condonation of our -errors of reason at such a time. About eight o'clock that night we -sallied out, leaving Mac with the dog in charge of the sleigh, with -instructions to clear out lively should he hear a revolver shot. The -worthy Mac was much disgusted with his lot, and gave vent to his -annoyance in no stinted terms. - -"It wis ma idee at first," he grumbled, "an' it's gey hard fur a man tae -be sacrifeeced tae wait here a' the time." - -"You've got the healthiest job, my friend," said the Captain, "an' you -ought to be durned well pleased." - -The moon shone brilliantly, illuminating the open snow patches and -shooting down through the heavy foliage myriad rays of dancing light. I -remember well how we had hoped for darkness, and how nervously we crept -along seeking the shelter of the deepest shadows. A death-like stillness -reigned; the thermometer in camp had registered 37 degrees below zero, -and we knew that the mercury would keep falling till midnight. Our faces -were quickly framed in icicles, and a thin dazzling frost draped us from -head to foot. We presented truly ghost-like figures, but we were too -much engrossed with other matters to notice our strange appearance. Soon -we arrived within sight of the village, and stealthily we manoeuvred -from tree to tree until we were but a few yards distant from the largest -logged structure. And still not a sound was heard; the frosted edifices -showed no sign of life within. - -"Seems to me we're in luck," chuckled Mackay, gazing on the desolate -scene with evident enjoyment. "The population has evidently gone out -huntin' bear or moose deer, or some sich quodroo-ped, and thar shid -therefore be no call fur any skirmish. Put up your guns, boys," he -added, "there's nary soul in the village." - -We were all greatly relieved at this, yet it was with a feeling of deep -humiliation that I approached the most imposing of the houses and began -to investigate the best and surest means of forcing an entry. I had seen -a few Indian buildings in my travels, but this one was unlike any design -I had ever witnessed. There appeared to be two heavily-barricaded wooden -windows in the usual places, but search as we might, no door could be -found. - -"We'll try another," said Mackay, loath to acknowledge that the peculiar -structure was beyond his comprehension. We examined each one--there were -six in all--but they were alike in every particular, save that the one -which had first received our attention was larger than the others, and -had a very imposing totem pole in its foreground. - -"The first was the most likely, boys," I said, "we'll go back to it." -And back we went. - -Stewart was now working up something approaching a righteous wrath -against the "heathen sort o' buildin's." "I'll shin mak' a door," he -said, with emphasis, bracing his shoulders; then something caught his -eye on the rough planking walls, and he beckoned to me mysteriously -before applying his energy towards their demolition. - -"What is it?" asked Mackay impatiently. - -"Come and hold a match," I said. He did so, while I laboriously spelled -out a series of Chinook characters which had evidently been cut deep -into the wood through the agency of some sharp instrument, most probably -a tomahawk. The result was rather mystifying, for, translating into -English, I read twelve names ending with the words, "_Chief of the -Thron-Diucks_." Eleven of the names were simply unpronounceable, but the -last entry had a decidedly English appearance; it required no -translation, and read: "_King James the First, Chief of the -Thron-Diucks_." - -"We've struck the King's house," said Mackay with a laugh. "The old -skunk and I hev niver agreed, so I hope he doesn't come along now." - -"I thought he called himself 'James the Second,'" said the Captain -slowly. - -But Stewart would wait no longer. "Staun clear, a'm comin'!" he cried, -and his voice rang with shivering distinctness through the air. With a -short rush he threw himself against the wooden barrier; the stout -timbers bent and quivered, but resisted the shock, and from within came -a harsh, tearing sound, terminating in a muffled crash, as of something -falling heavily. Again and again Stewart acted as a battering ram, but -only vague echoes rewarded his efforts; the logs were evidently -unusually firmly founded. The noises created by these various -onslaughts--and ultimately we had simultaneously applied all our -energies without avail--had a most demoralising effect upon us, and -after each attack we waited breathlessly until the echoes had died away. -Assuredly, if the Indians were within several miles of us, they could -not fail to hear the diabolical din we were creating. - -We had been over an hour at our depredating labours, and I was beginning -to wish I had never sanctioned the expedition; then the indefatigable -Stewart made a discovery. We had hitherto neglected to examine the -barricaded holes which seemingly served as windows, deeming them too -securely fastened for our nefarious purpose; they were closed from the -inside, and were too high in any case to be within reach of Stewart's -impetuous shoulder, but now our strong man had but lightly pressed the -window-guard, and behold! it swung open. His hearty "hurroo" drew my -attention. - -"For heaven's sake shut up!" I whispered angrily. But Mackay made even -more noise by exploding into a loud laugh, which resounded weirdly over -the tree-tops. - -"Good fur you, Stewart!" he cried; "now we're right." - -The Captain, like myself, was not very enthusiastic over our night's -exploit. "Let's get it over quickly, boys," he said. "Give me a lift-up, -Stewart." But Stewart had reserved to himself the honour of first entry, -and was even then dangling midway through the aperture, and squirming -his way forward vigorously. The opening was very small, not more than -two feet square, and as I watched my companion scrambling in, I thought -that if the level of the floor was lower than the surface without, which -is usually the case with Indian huts, considerable difficulty might be -experienced in making an exit! Stewart, however, was apparently troubled -by no unpleasant anticipations, and soon a crash, followed by an -ejaculation of much fervour, heralded his arrival on the other side of -the stoutly-timbered wall. - -"Are you there?" cried Mackay, preparing to follow. - -"Whaur did ye think a wis?" came the somewhat surly reply, and the -doughty warrior's voice sounded almost sepulchral as it floated out of -the darkness. Then he added enticingly, "Come in, ma man, come in, an' -bring a licht wi' ye, fur it's pitch dark, an' an' awfu' smelliferous." -To me the insinuating tone of my comrade's voice sounded suspicious, but -neither Mackay nor the Captain noticed anything unusual. - -"I'll be with you in a jiff, Stewart, old man," said the former -gentleman, vainly striving to get his head and shoulders through the -aperture. But his body was somewhat rotund and made rather a tight fit -in the narrow entrance. "Push, ye beggars!" he gasped, and the Captain -and I went to his assistance, only to see him jerk suddenly forward and -disappear with a clatter inside, while Stewart's voice spluttered out in -firm protest, "Come awa' in, ma man, an' dinna block up the ventilator." -For some minutes longer I waited in suspense, while Mackay struck match -after match and spoke never a word, and Stewart kept up a continual flow -of mysterious grunts and sundry forcible expletives. I had a small piece -of candle in my pocket, and this I lit; then, with the Captain's aid, I -thrust my head through the window and surveyed the interior. Mackay -quickly seized the piece of tallow from my hand, and held it aloft, and -then I saw what had baffled the usually fluent descriptive powers of the -worthy Stewart and his fiery companion. The room was bare save for the -presence of several shelves roughly built up in the centre of the floor -and reaching almost to the roof, and on each of these shelves a massive -oblong box rested, the sides of which were heavily inlaid with silver or -some similar metal. The whole structure presented an appearance not -unlike a Chinese pagoda in miniature; the meaning of the arrangement was -more than I could understand. The noises which we had at first heard had -evidently been occasioned by the uppermost cases falling from their -resting-places, for Stewart was examining with much interest one of -several of the strange receptacles which were lying on the -heavily-logged floorway. As I gazed in mute wonder on the extraordinary -scene, I was quickly made aware that a wonderfully-powerful odour -pervaded the room. It assailed my nostrils and my eyes, causing me to -choke and blink, and finally withdraw my head into the pure air. - -"It's the thickest perfume I've iver struck," groaned Mackay, and he -staggered against the weird-looking pagoda. - -I heard a shuffling rattle, and looking in a second time, saw the -spidery monument sway, then fall with a dull hollow crash, scattering -its curious freight in all directions. At the same time a yell from -Stewart all but shattered my little remaining nerve, and he came leaping -wildly across the fallen boxes towards the narrow egress. - -"A'm comin' oot!" he bellowed; then Mackay, forcing up behind, and -making strenuous endeavours to preserve his usual _sangfroid_, said -weakly, "I guess I need a breath of air also, boys." - -To make matters worse, the Captain, who had been warily prospecting -around, now came rushing back, gesticulating energetically. "The whole -tribe is quite close, and comin' fur us!" he announced in a loud whisper -when he came near. Here was a predicament. The two eager individuals -whose heads were thrust appealingly out of the window, groaned in -anguish, for they could not get out without assistance, struggle as they -might. - -"You had better stay right where you are, boys, and we'll come in too," -I said to them hurriedly, for the shuffling of many snowshoes now -reached my ears, and there was no time to effect a rescue. - -"Heaven knows what's goin' to be the end o' this," muttered the Captain -as he swung his lank frame through the opening. It took some time for -him to wriggle inside, and then I attempted the acrobatic performance -necessary to make an entry. I was just a little late, for, looking -around before making the final duck inwards I saw a number of -wild-looking figures approaching quickly over the snow. The moon then -encountered a belt of dense, fleecy clouds, and a welcome darkness -enveloped the landscape just as Stewart, with a grunt of satisfaction, -tugged me ingloriously into the odoriferous realms from which he had -been so desperately anxious to escape, and shut the heavy barricade. A -few minutes passed, during which time we were all but stifled by the -pungent air; then our miseries were forgotten in the danger -that threatened. Snowshoes hissed and skidded around our shelter, and -deep, guttural exclamations in the Chinook tongue sounded on every -side. And as I pieced together the various monosyllabic utterances, I -refrained from translating them to my companions, although I had a dim -idea that both Stewart and Mackay had fully decided that, whatever it -might be, the strange structure in which they were was certainly no -storehouse for dried caribou or salmon. - -We had been barely five minutes in the dismal room, yet the time seemed -an age. The Indians contented themselves with circling round each house -in turn, keeping several yards distant from them, for a reason which was -now painfully apparent to me. I could stand it no longer. "Boys," I -said, "we've got to get out of this, lively, for the Indians will -probably patrol about till sunrise, and half an hour will just about -finish me." - -"An' me," groaned Mackay. - -The Captain, however, was not satisfied. "Look here, boys," he said, "I -don't hitch on to yer meaning a bit. Are the Injuns afraid to go into -their houses, or--I'm hanged if I can make out thish yer circus. Is this -an Injun village, or is it not?" he demanded. - -There was no need to hide it from him further. "No, Captain," I replied, -"it's not." - -"Then what place is this?" he asked slowly; and Stewart answered him in -dolorous tones-- - -"A graveyaird, Cap'n--an Injun graveyaird." - -So it was. The cases contained but the dust of long-deceased warriors, -wrapped in blankets which were impregnated with a sickly-smelling scent -made by the Indians from the roots of certain plants. In the darkness I -could not see the Captain's face, and for some moments he said nothing, -then he spoke, musingly: "James the First" said he, "yes, I might have -known, for it is James the Second who is now Chief of the Thron-Diucks." - -The swishing of snowshoes again sounded ominously near. We waited till -the Indians had passed; then Stewart, swinging open the barricade, -Mackay scrambled up, and was shot forward into the snow with our -combined effort. "Hurry up, boys," he cried, when he had recovered -himself; "they are at the end, and are just turning to come back." -Breathing heavily, Stewart was next propelled into the open; then came -my turn, the Captain being the tallest, waiting to the last; but tall as -he was he could only reach his head and a part of his shoulder through -the window, for the floorway was sunk considerably. No time was to be -lost. With a howl, Stewart gripped the outstretched arm, Mackay the -exposed shoulder, and both pulled as if for dear life. Despite the need -for silence, the Captain was but human. - -"Howlin' tarnation, you're twistin' my neck off!" he yelled, as he was -yanked like a sportive fish on to the glistening snow. - -"Run, ye deevils, run!" roared Stewart, himself setting the example. -There was much need. Scarcely twenty yards away fully a score of tall, -bemuffled warriors were speeding towards us, silent and grim, like a -raging Nemesis. On the impulse of the moment I discharged my revolver as -a signal to Mac to move ahead; then with a wholesome fear in our hearts -we set a course for the camp, where Dave, aroused by the revolver shot, -was baying loud and fiercely, and skipped over the intervening -snow-wreaths at an uncommonly lively rate. - -Whether the Indians followed us, or whether they remained to make good -the work of our desecrating hands, we never learned, but I rather think -they waited to rebuild the tombs of their ancestors. They were certainly -not in evidence when we overtook Mac, and we gave a simultaneous shout -of relief. - -"Whaur's the cariboo ye wis gaun tae fetch?" asked that gentleman in an -outburst of righteous indignation. - -"Say nae mair, Mac. Say nae mair," eloquently pleaded Stewart, gripping -a rope and feverishly assisting the sleigh on its onward progress. "If -you had suffered what I hae suffered this nicht----" His voice failed -him, and Mac simmered down at once. - -"Was it as bad's that?" said he commiseratingly. - -"We'd better keep going all night, boys," Mackay hastily remarked, with -a furtive glance behind. "And to-morrow," he added, more cheerfully, -"we'll have a good blow-out at Skookum Gulch." And so it came to pass. - -[Illustration: PAN-WASHING IN SKOOKUM GULCH.] - - - - -THE FINDING OF "GOLD BOTTOM" CREEK - - -As the season advanced the ground hardened so that with our primitive -fire-burning methods we could barely thaw more than eighteen inches of -gravel in the short day, and even this occasioned tedious labour. The -depth of bedrock was sixteen feet, and the frost had penetrated far -beyond this level, so that our tunnelling operations along the line of -the wash proceeded very slowly indeed. The miners around had begun to -flock into Dawson to frequent the saloons and gamble away their -hardly-earned gold, all declaring that it was too cold to work--the -thermometer registered 25 degrees below zero--and soon Skookum Gulch was -almost deserted. "Cap." Campbell and "Alf" Mackay alone remained to keep -us company. - -My knowledge of the Chinook tongue had been of considerable service to -me, and the Indians inhabiting the upper Thron-Diuck valley occasionally -visited our camp, bringing many presents of dried salmon and caribou, -all of which Mac and Stewart accepted with voluble thanks. Then one day -"King James," the chief of the tribe, paid us the honour of a call. - -"Why you dig, Mis'r Mac?" he interrogated, apparently much mystified to -see us excavating the ground. - -"Fur GOLD, ye heathen," howled Stewart, popping his head above the -shaft. - -King James did not understand the full significance of the remark, but -smiled indulgently when I translated it, and solemnly inclined his head -towards the speaker. - -"You squaw," he said, "you squaw to Mis'r Mac." Which meant that he -considered Stewart somewhat presumptuous in addressing a chief of the -Thron-Diucks. - -After much talk had been indulged in, King James appeared to realise -that we were really searching for gold, and had no idea of carrying away -or shifting the course of his river; and his dry old face spread out in -a broad grin when I explained that much gold, in our country, was -equivalent to many squaws. Suddenly he turned and strode solemnly -towards his sleigh, which was guarded by several richly-robed squaws and -half a dozen youthful warriors; and after groping among the bearskin -rugs for some time he came back to me, displaying in his greasy palm a -beautiful specimen of alluvial gold: it was large and flat, with smooth -surface and water-worn edges; it must have weighed at least three -ounces. I gazed in bewilderment; the Indians rarely looked for gold, -which to them was not even so valuable as silver, and the latter metal -they used only for making ornaments. Mac and Stewart were soon by my -side, and while we examined the specimen with undisguised interest, King -James lit his pipe--a former present from myself--and puffed leisurely, -eyeing me the while with a half-amused expression. - -"What think o' that, Mis'r Mac?" he asked at length. - -"It's good stuff, King James," I strove to answer in his language, and -with a sigh I offered it back. My surprise was great when he waved it -aside right royally, and placing his grimy hand on my shoulder in quite -a fatherly manner, he spoke out several sentences rapidly. - -"Hold hard, King James," I cried. "I cannot follow you if you talk in -that fashion. Come into my tent and have some 'baccy." - -He smiled benignly, and spoke a few words to the sleigh attendants, who -immediately unhitched the dogs and proceeded to build a fire near at -hand; then he followed me to my camp and ensconced himself by the stove. -I still carried the nugget in my hand, but obeying the old chief's -directions, I now placed it in a bottle with my other specimens and sat -down beside him. Stewart meanwhile turned his attention to culinary -matters, and while the billies boiled, King James and I conversed -earnestly on matters dear to the Indian heart. - -He was no lover of the white men who had invaded his domain and driven -his people to seek the refuge of the mountain fastnesses, and he -intimated plainly enough that he should not be sorry to see Dawson City -speedily deserted by the white intruders. As for gold, the idea of grown -men seeking for the yellow metal aroused his keen amusement, and he was -very incredulous about my statements as to its value in the wigwams of -the white people. After the subject of his woes had been gone into at -great length, and our hearty sympathies enlisted, he remained silent for -a time as if absorbed in thought. Then his eyes surveyed the mining -implements and firearms in the tent, and finally rested upon my nugget -collection with a newly-awakened sparkle of interest. - -"You come wi' me, Mis'r Mac," he said thoughtfully, after a long pause, -"Heap big bear on Thron-Diuck; you come wi' King James----" - -I shook my head vigorously; we were not very anxious to shoot big game -at that time, but his hospitality would not be denied. - -"Me show you whar big gold come from. Me show you Gold Bottom," he -hastened to add: "too much gold for white men in Dawson--me show _you_, -Mis'r Mac." - -Stewart was so astounded at the old chief's last words, spoken in broken -English, that he nearly chopped his fingers with the axe instead of the -solidified flour he was preparing to bake. - -"I'll gang," he bellowed. - -"An' me," growled Mac, who, like his comrade, had only understood the -last sentence. - -King James smoked stolidly for a few moments, then patted Stewart -patronisingly on the back. "You good squaw," he said, gazing at the -half-baked flour with much approval, "you come wi' me." - -The appellation "squaw" by no means pleased the fiery Stewart, and he -would have burst out angrily had I not restrained him. - -"Yes, I guess we'll go with you, King James," I replied. "I want to see -Gold Bottom Creek badly, and I don't anticipate any evil effects from -too much gold." And so the compact was made, and old "Leatherskin," as -Stewart promptly dubbed him, smiled softly when I explained to him the -workings of my big game rifle, and went into a transport of delight on -being presented with a serviceable Colt revolver and a box of -cartridges. Suddenly his face clouded, and he said anxiously-- - -"Only you come, Mis'r Mac; only you an' squaws." - -I restrained my companions with difficulty from rushing at him to choke -back the objectionable epithet; then an idea struck me. I wanted "Cap" -Campbell and Mackay, my adjoining burrowers in the frozen gravel, to -accompany me; they had shared with us the plodding uncertainty of things -at Skookum Gulch, and I wanted them to reap some of the benefits -attached to the discovery of the mysteriously-famed "Gold Bottom" before -the district was rushed. I could hardly doubt that King James's -information was correct, and the specimen given me was sufficient for -even the most incredulous-minded person. The inducement was very real -indeed, but the chief would only allow Mis'r Mac an' squaws. - -"All right, King James," I said, "but I have two more squaws." He eyed -me with a look that was fast changing from one of mere friendliness to -one of much respect. - -"You great man, Mis'r Mac," he grunted. "Four squaws? Ugh!" - -When he saw the brawny giants that Mac hastily called in, his surprise -was unbounded. "Good squaws," he chuckled. - -"What in tarnation does the old skunk mean?" said Mackay, and Campbell's -anger was rising visibly. - -"Look here, boys," I said. "King James has told me of a creek that is -lined with gold, and this is a sample"--I showed them the specimen -received. "He asks me to go and take charge of the lot, but only myself -and squaws. You had better be squaws for once in your lives. _Savez?_" - -They did "_savez_," and made every effort to show their cordiality to -the King, who appreciated their advances with tolerant grace, but -grinned expansively when he saw their well-filled cartridge-belts. - -Stewart made a triumphant success of his cooking that day, and in honour -of the occasion he filled the little "doughboys" with pieces of dried -apricots and peaches, and, indeed, everything in that line our larder -afforded. So luxurious a repast did he provide that King James sighed -regretfully when he rose to go. - -"You come to-morra', Mis'r Mac!" he cried when he was rolled up in his -sleigh blankets, like, as Mac said, an Egyptian mummy. - -"Right!" I answered, waving him goodbye. But he had not finished. - -"Be sure bring cook squaw," he murmured contentedly. - -The long whips cracked and the dogs bounded forward; the shriek of the -sleigh-runners effectually drowned Stewart's vehement curses; and the -King departed. - -Next morning we started out for the Indian camp. Mac and Stewart had the -tents struck, and it with the blankets packed in neat rolls on our -sleigh soon after sunrise. Our rather small store of flour and other -necessaries found ample space on the same conveyance, and to this load -Dave was harnessed. Campbell and Mackay did not delay us; they were up -betimes and had their dog-sleigh ready with ours. The temperature this -morning registered 30 degrees below zero, and even while we were engaged -tying the sleigh ropes, long icicles formed at our chins and dripped -from our eyelashes. - -"Are you ready, boys?" I cried to my freshly-acquired squaws. - -"Right!" they responded with one voice. - -"Gee up, Dave," said Mac, and with a bound and a shriek our sleigh led -the way towards the Klondike's unknown source. We were not much -concerned about leaving our properties on Skookum Gulch; it was not -likely that any one would "jump" our claims; the weather was too cold -for the tender feet of Dawson to venture out around the creeks. Soon we -left the Dome in the distance behind, and swiftly we crashed through the -powdered snow and blown ice on the main river. No white man, at this -time, had explored the head waters of the Klondike. In the earlier -season I had attempted the task, but was repelled by the deep gorges and -grim cañons that marked the river's channel for many miles when near an -outlying spur of the "Rockies." Now we forced a trail far beyond my -furthest travel, tracing here and there the track of the old chief's -sleigh where the runners had cut deep through the blistered ice. Our -visages were soon framed in icicles, and our cheeks rendered stiff by a -thin film, as of glass, which caused us much pain. Mac and Stewart -ambled beside the staggering dogs, occasionally helping them over -obstacles and badly-blown patches. For once they were forced to march in -silence, for their mouths were sealed as if by iron bands. - -The Grand Cañon was entered soon after midday, and the majestic powers -of old King Frost had so metamorphosed the dark gorge that we made our -trail over the frozen torrent almost nervously. The great stalactites -and dripping ice cones shut out the sky completely, and we forged ahead -in a vague eerie shadow reflected from the translucent pillars. Here and -there the roar of the flood echoed from giant clefts in the ice, and -caused the glassy walls to quiver and crackle; then again came the -oppressive calm, broken only by the dull rumble of the rushing torrent -full fifty feet below. - -It is impossible to picture the grandeur of an Alaskan cañon when the -elements hold it in thrall; there is nothing like it in the whole world. -Nevertheless, we were not sorry when we emerged into the comparatively -open country beyond, and picked up afresh the track of King James's -sleigh which we had been unable to trace in the gorge. Our destination -could not now be far distant, for the frowning peaks of the Rockies -loomed directly ahead, and the valley was rapidly becoming lost in the -minor ranges that appeared; we were surely near the mystic source of the -golden Klondike. The dogs never slackened their trot, though now and -then they staggered and stumbled over large ridges of blistered ice, -which cut their paws cruelly. Our moccasins were being quickly reduced -to shreds, and our clothing generally had become stiff with the frost -and rent in great holes by contact with the brittle, flaking ice. Few -white men would have dreamed of making such a journey on such a day. I -contented myself with that reflection, though probably the miners in -their snug huts at Dawson would have dubbed us colossal fools for -venturing so far back into the Indian territory; but gold was always an -irresistible incentive. - -"I reckon," said Campbell, coming up from behind, and grimacing -frightfully as he spoke, while the ice shivered on his face with the -effort, "this is not much of a picnic, is it?" - -It was some minutes before I could reply, and while I strove to coax the -muscles of my mouth to relax without doing serious injury to my -features, Stewart's hoary visage shook itself clear of its icy sheath -with a crackling, splintering sound, and his voice rang out-- - -"I see the Injun camp! Hurroo! D----!" The last expression was given in -a most sorrowful tone as he felt the blood trickle on his cheeks and -freeze into icy appendages. - -"You've got to think a lot before speaking in this country," I -sympathised, but he would not open his mouth again. - -Rounding a bluff, we saw, nestling in the shadow of a great pine-forest, -an array of mud huts and tepees covered with caribou skins. Many fires -were blazing in the vicinity, fed lavishly with logs drawn from the -wooded slope behind. A number of King James's subjects superintended -operations with unmoved faces; it was a routine to which they had long -become accustomed--for bear-fires were very necessary indeed in these -parts; Bruin had not yet reconciled himself to his winter slumber, and, -as I have noted, the Klondike valley was infested with various species -of his kind. - -With a sigh of thankfulness I signalled to Mac to draw up alongside the -largest fire, and he needed no second bidding. A few moments more and we -were all eagerly thawing ourselves before the blaze. Even the dogs -crept as close as the burning logs allowed, and warmed their poor frozen -bodies on all sides, turning continually, as if on a revolving -toast-rack. From the most imposing hut now came rushing towards us King -James, with numerous squaws; and while the King congratulated me -effusively on my safe arrival, the squaws beamed coquettishly on my -companions, who felt in no wise complimented by their attentions. - -"They tak' us fur squaws, Stewart!" howled Mac, more in sorrow than in -anger; then I heard them both with much deliberation calculate out the -value of the Queen squaw's dress as she stood by them, speaking words of -welcome in a tongue they could not understand. - -"It's a rale guid beaver," I heard Mac say. - -"An' what a bonny silver-tip cloak," burst in Stewart. - -"An' the moccasins," continued the first speaker, "are faur ow'r guid -fur an Injun tae wear." - -At this juncture I turned anxiously; I thought it very necessary. - -"For heaven's sake, Mac," I said, "leave the squaw's beavers and -moccasins alone. We'll get murdered if old King James----" - -"Wha's touchin' their belangin's?" interrupted Mac indignantly; but -despite his righteous outburst, I knew that he and his doughty comrade -would have had little qualms about appropriating the bonny beavers and -moccasins also. Their logic was vague, but conclusive enough to satisfy -themselves. However, with much grumbling they unharnessed Dave, and -started to erect the tent in a sheltered spot, Campbell and Mackay -having already got their smaller canvas home fixed up. - -"It's fair disgracefu'," muttered Mac, as he pulled on the guy-rope, -"tae think o' livin' near Injuns! We're comin' faur doon in the world -surely." - -"Ye're richt there," spoke Stewart mournfully; "bit, man, did ye ever -see sic a bonnie beaver?" - -Next morning, when the dim grey light was beginning to appear, we set -out to explore the creek containing "too much gold." King James's sleigh -led the trail, for which I was truly thankful. The dangerous nature of -the route from the Indian camp was all too apparent. Miniature glaciers -hung perilously over each mountain ridge, and formed a sight well fitted -to unnerve any man but an Indian; and when we crawled over their glassy -surfaces, and slid down on the "other" side, it seemed to me that we -were running risks enough for all the gold in Klondike. We had not gone -very far, however, before King James drew up his dogs in the bed of a -deep chasm that traced directly from an enormous ice-field overhead. I -looked around and saw the frozen channel of the Thron-Diuck about a -hundred yards below; the King had taken us by a "short cut" over the -mountains rather than follow the much easier route by way of the main -river. For a moment I thought that he had purposely meant us to lose our -bearings, but he soon dispelled that fear. - -"Gold Bottom here, Mis'r Mac," he said. "You dig." He measured about a -four-feet length on the snow, meaning, I suppose, that we should find -bedrock at that level. "You find much gold, Mis'r Mac, too much -gold----" - -"Hold hard!" I interrupted; "I guess we'll deserve all we get. This is -the devil's own part of the world we've struck." - -King James grinned incredulously, but kept silence; and arranging his -sleigh rugs, he whipped up his long line of dogs and sped back over the -trail we had just traversed. We watched him till his sleigh, careering -dangerously, rushed down into the valley beyond. The mining instincts -of Campbell and Mackay now overcame their dislike of our chill and -uncompromising surroundings. - -[Illustration: GOLD-BOTTOM CREEK.] - -"It looks likely country," said Campbell, "and I shouldn't wonder if -that glacier has worn down quite a lot of gold." - -We were not long in pitching our tents and building several fires to -thaw off the icicles that clung to our faces; then we felt much more -enthusiastic over our prospects. The timber was plentiful, and close at -hand; we were far indeed from the madding crowd. - -"We'll make a start, boys," I said; "we'll see whether old Leather-skin -spoke correctly." - -My two companions were rather disconsolately surveying the scene. - -"Too much gold!" muttered Mac in derision. "No vera likely. It wad tak' -hundreds o' thoosands o' pounds tae pey me fur ma sufferin's in this -God-forsaken country." - -All day long we kept great logs burning over the frozen gravel silted up -on the edge of the channel. Slowly we excavated the "dirt" in fragments, -picking energetically at it after each fire had been cleared away. The -icy body of the creek had evidently long since been formed, for not a -drop of water flowed beneath; and after sinking a few feet we came to a -level where the frozen mass contracted from the old river-bed, leaving a -clear dry space in which a man could almost stand upright. We at once -abandoned our shaft, and crawled into the strange cavern formed. The -gravel over which the torrent had flowed was dry, and hard as flint. We -had reached bedrock on the true channel of the stream, and with water -still flowing overhead! A yet unfrozen fluid gurgled in the heart of the -great ice column above; the effect was wonderfully beautiful. - -"I guess we'll stick to the shaft, boys," said Mackay; "this looks -uncanny," and he scrambled out; the idea of working underneath the -flowing stream was too much for him, though he was a veteran miner. -Campbell and I soon followed his example, leaving Mac and Stewart, who -were not easily daunted, to survey the wonders of Nature at their -leisure. They at once commenced picking the frozen channel, and the -thud! thud! of the blows came to our ears, as we stood by the fire -above, as the sonorous notes of a deep-toned bell. Already the murky -gloom of an Alaskan night was fast closing over, though it was yet but -two o'clock in the afternoon. Thud! thud! thud! went the pickaxes below, -and I marvelled at the persistence of my companions, for I knew they -could make little impression on the flinty sands. - -Suddenly the echoes ceased, and the sounds of a wordy altercation -rumbled up towards us; a few minutes later Mac popped his head out of -the shaft and beckoned me mysteriously, then disappeared again. -Wonderingly I let myself down through the narrow aperture and wriggled -into the cavern. A strange sight met my gaze. A lighted stump of candle -was stuck in the ground, and its pale light, reflected against the -glistening roof, gave the scene a somewhat unearthly appearance. Stewart -was kneeling on the gravel, examining carefully a flat, pebble-shaped -stone; beside him was heaped quite a number of similar fragments, and -these were evidently the results of my companions' labours, for many -hollows in the channel showed where the pebbles had been extracted. When -I entered, Mac was feverishly rubbing one of the pieces against his -moccasined leg. - -"What kind o' stane dae ye ca' that?" he asked eagerly, handing his -prize to me. - -"I've tell't him it's ironstane," broke in Stewart in a convinced tone -of voice, "but Mac aye likes tae be contrairy." - -The specimen given me was a rough and rusty-looking pebble, very much -water-worn. At first glance it certainly looked like ironstone, and its -weight proved it to be either of that nature or--I dared not hoped the -alternative. I took my sheath knife and endeavoured to scrape the edges, -but they were hard as flint. - -"A kent it was ironstane," grumbled Stewart, yet I was not satisfied. I -held the specimen close to the candle-flame for several minutes until it -was heated throughout, then I again tried my knife on the edges. The -effect was astounding; the rusty iron coat peeled off as mud, and lo! a -nugget of shining gold was brought to view. - -With a howl of delight Stewart started up, cracking his head against the -crystal ceiling in his haste. "Gold!" he shouted, and grabbed at the -handful of stones he had collected. "Mak' some mair," he said. - -But there was no need to doubt further; every rusty-coloured pebble -unearthed was in truth a fine alluvial specimen of the precious metal, -and when scraped each tallied in every characteristic with King James's -nugget. The iron coating was but a frozen mud cement which had formed -over the irregularities of surface with vice-like tenacity. The bed of -the creek was indeed gold bottomed; the King had not stated wrongly. - -Campbell and Mackay soon joined us; they had become alarmed at my -prolonged absence. - -"This beats Bonanza and El Dorado hollow," was the first individual's -comment. - -"Well, I'm jiggered!" feebly murmured Mackay, gazing blinkingly around. - -The light danced and shone on the yellow fragments, and sparkled on the -crystal dome. The sight was truly gorgeous. Even the fabled Aladdin's -cave could hardly have surpassed the splendours of that Alaskan icy -vault. - -It was plain to us that the depth of "pay gravel" could not be more than -a few inches at most; the steep declivity of the channel was a sure -proof of that fact, and our "find" would not, therefore, take long to -work out. It promised, however, to be the richest strike in the Klondike -valley. The gold being so close to the mother lode, which was, -unfortunately, covered by the glacier, was all of a coarse nature; none -of the pieces collected came under the pennyweight limit, and one -specimen we computed to be at least five ounces.... - -Such is the record of one of our prospecting trips to the glacier -streams of the Upper Klondike, and "Gold Bottom Creek" from that time -occupied an honoured place in every miner's reference book. - - - - -THE PERILS OF THE TRAIL - - -All through that dread winter no news reached civilisation from the -frozen El Dorado, no communication had been established with the great -mushroom city of the far Nor'-West, and only the wildest sort of -speculation could be indulged in as to the fate of the pioneer -inhabitants of the Klondike valley. Only too late was the knowledge -forced upon the almost fanatical gold-seekers that the iron grip of an -Arctic winter was upon them, effectually barring retreat and sealing the -narrow gates of the country against all further expeditions from the -outside. They had lived on in the steadfast belief that the "Great -American nation" would send in supplies in good time to prevent any -likelihood of starvation. But so ignorant was the world regarding the -nature of the northern land that many companies continued even at that -time in Seattle and San Francisco to outline in the press their plans -for sending stores to Dawson in the "coming" winter--this in November, -when the elements had already a vice-like grip of the country. - -Several expeditions really started, but so ludicrous were their -equipments that they without exception failed to penetrate beyond the -coastal barriers--the grim old Chilcoot and the murderous Skagway trail. - -And so in the "promised land" the chill November blasts were hushed and -the deadly quiet of a December frost reigned supreme. The majority of -the miners worked out on the creeks, but when the intense cold forced -them to cease their labours they flocked into Dawson and idly frequented -the saloons, bragging of their riches to their less favoured comrades, -and cursing the ungodly nature of the country in forcible language. - -At this time very few had more than three months' provisions, and the -majority were at their last bag of flour. The stores would sell nothing -unless at fabulous prices. Everything commanded one dollar a pound. Even -salt, that cheap but necessary commodity, had the same value. Baking -powder was unpurchasable--there being none. Before long one hundred -dollars was offered and refused for a sack of rolled oats. The -restaurants for a time supplied "meals" at exorbitant charges, yet one -by one they had to give out for want of supplies. The end came when -seven dollars was asked and given freely for a meagre portion of bacon -and beans--the staple food of the Arctics. Only a few days did this -establishment--"Dawson's Last Hope"--hold out, and then the familiar -legend, "No supplies," was posted on the logged doorway. It was only -then that the real state of affairs was impressed upon the unthinking -people. - -Many tragedies were enacted in that northern mining camp during the -weeks that followed. A kind of panic prevailed. Short rations was the -rule, and starvation only too frequent. There seemed nothing but death -ahead for all. On short rations, with the thermometer averaging -forty-five below zero! who could view such a prospect with equanimity? -Thefts of goods were often attempted, and almost invariably death by -revolver bullet was the end of the poor hungry would-be thief's career, -for the necessaries of life were more strictly guarded than gold. Gold -could not buy them. Many would have given their all gladly for a sack of -flour. Long before Christmas all work was suspended. The population took -to their log-huts, and barricaded every nook and cranny in vain -endeavour to keep out the cold. Daylight appeared at ten o'clock in the -morning, and night closed over the camp soon after three. The "city" -seemed deserted, all but for the presence of a few dog-sleighs, which -were constantly employed in carrying timber from the mountain-side. The -strong men who had dared the elements and dragged the gold from the -unwilling soil now gave way utterly. The keen air whetting their -appetites rendered their existence on short rations a long-drawn-out -agony. The weaker element soon fell ill, and then a reign of terror -began. Fever became prevalent, and the little cemetery soon had to be -extended to accommodate the many victims to its fury. - -A "roll-up" of the miners was by unanimous consent held to reason out -the dangerous situation, and it was decided as a last desperate resource -to attempt the long overland route to Dyea across the treacherous -Chilcoot Pass. Until the arrival of my party over the ice none had -dreamed that such a journey was practicable. During the heart of an -Arctic winter, to march seven hundred miles over ice and unfathomed -snows! The idea seemed absurd, yet it now became the only hope of life -to all. That "roll-up" is pictured clearly before me now, and never -again do I expect to be present at a more cruelly dramatic gathering. -Starvation showed plainly on every face; each white frosted visage was -seamed and furrowed as if by a load of care. They were indeed a motley -crowd, comprising representatives of all nationalities. To me fell the -questionable honour of leadership. I was supposed to know the valley of -the Yukon better than any present, nearly all of whom had entered by -way of St. Michael's. - -"All right, boys," I said, in answer to their request, "my party will -make the trail for you as far as Big Salmon River. Then Major Walsh may -be able to advise us what to do." - -And so the strange company began its long and deadly march. Half a dozen -dog teams headed the column, after which came men pulling their own -sleighs, and at the rear wearily trudged the multitude who carried their -all in packs bound with straps to their shoulders. It was a strange and -pitiable spectacle at the start; what would it be at the finish? - -The Stewart River was reached in four days, and here the "blown" ice was -almost insurmountable. It piled up in great blistering sheets, the -elevations in some places exceeding a height of twenty feet. Over these -obstacles the dog-sleighs crashed, breaking a way for the long trailing -human caravan. Moccasins were cut into shreds, and clothing soon became -tattered and torn. The thermometer had now dropped to fifty degrees -below zero, and many became frost-bitten. Not a few lost the use of -their arms, and marble-hued noses were common indeed. - -Sometimes I would get well ahead of the main party, and from a -convenient point watched them approach and pass. A stranger sight could -not be imagined. The staggering line of dogs came first; over their -lowered heads the long whips cracked, and the poor brutes bounded -forward with nerve and life in every motion. Then the weary -sleigh-pullers passed in solemn array, shoulders bent and bodies leaning -forward. Their sleighs were pulled along to the accompaniment of the -harsh grinding sound emitted from the iron runners on the frozen snow. -Lastly, the "packers" straggled in Indian file, and they were surely a -sight to be viewed with mingled feelings. Tall men, short men, stout -men--and they were few--and thin men followed in miscellaneous order. -Some were lame, and limped painfully; some had their heads bandaged, -many wore nose coverings, and a few were minus the nose altogether. -Strange it was to see at intervals, when this almost weird procession -lagged to the rear, how strenuously they would endeavour to recover -ground, and when with one accord they broke into a run the spectacle -offered would have been laughable had it not been so seriously, so truly -a race for life. - -[Illustration: DAWSON CITY.] - -Salmon River was reached at last. Five men had died on the trail and two -were seriously ill, though they dragged themselves along, helped -occasionally by the dog-sleighs. Here I formally gave over my -responsible charge to Campbell and Mackay, and having been entrusted -with mails and despatches for the coast, with barely a halt pushed on -ahead with Mac and Stewart. Our stores had diminished greatly beyond my -calculations, and it was evident that an extreme effort must be made to -increase our rate of travel. Yet despite our utmost endeavours, when we -entered upon the snowy wastes of Marsh Lake we pulled a sleigh on which -reposed a few furs, a bag of mineral specimens, and about as much flour -as would make one good square meal. - -For the last several days our progress had been severely hampered by the -increasing depth and softness of the snow filling the valley of the -Yukon as we approached nearer the dreaded pass. Our daily march since -leaving the northern capital had rarely fallen below twenty-eight miles, -until the unfrozen White Horse Rapids had stayed our advance and caused -us to make a wide _détour_; but now, do what we might in our -semi-famished condition, we could barely travel twenty miles in as many -hours, and full eighty miles yet intervened between us and the sea. On -this day we had been on the trail since sunrise, and the darkening -shadows of night were already beginning to creep over the billowy -wastes, though it was but two hours after noon. - -"We are near the end of the lake, boys," I shouted encouragingly, as I -noticed the failing efforts of my companions. "We must try and reach -Tagash River to-night." - -Mac groaned dismally, and Dave emitted a plaintive howl as he struggled -in his harness. Then Stewart, who had grown wofully cadaverous of late, -stopped and addressed his compatriot. - -"I mind, Mac," said he, "that there used to be an Injun village aboot -here." - -"I hae a disteenct recollection o' the place," returned Mac shortly, -bending to his labours afresh. - -"We are passing that same village now," I cried cheerily. "That makes -ten miles since our last halt." - -The sleigh stopped with a jerk; half a dozen log-huts with a like amount -of totem poles, were plainly observable among the dense timber on shore. - -"Them Injuns must have something for eating in they houses," spoke Mac -thoughtfully, gazing at the rude structures intently. - -"But we have nothing to barter, and we know they won't sell," I broke in -impatiently. - -He made no reply to my remark, but turned to Stewart, who was evidently -in a fit of deep mental abstraction: "What's your idea, Stewart, ma -man?" he asked insinuatingly, and that individual responded promptly. - -"I am wi' ye, Mac, every time, but I hope it's no' a graveyard like the -last we tackled." They threw down their sleigh-ropes simultaneously, and -were half-way to the village before I had recovered myself. - -"Hold hard!" I roared. "What----" - -Mac's substantial figure spun round at once. "We'll be back in a -meenit," he whispered mysteriously. - -I loosened Dave from his harness, and hastened after the doughty pair, -expecting every instant to hear sounds of deadly strife, but all -remained silent as a tomb, and I shuddered with painful recollections. I -found them cavorting around the largest edifice in the group in a manner -that under different circumstances would have seemed ludicrous. - -"There's naebody in the hooses," cried Stewart gleefully. "The whole -tribe must have gone out moose-hunting." - -Not infrequently a village is entirely deserted in this way, and I -heaved a sigh of relief. "But they may be back at any time," I said, -glancing fearfully round. - -Mac shrugged his shoulders; "I think, Stewart," he remarked in a most -matter-of-fact tone, "I think the door is the weakest place after all." - -I swallowed my scruples at a gulp, and became interested in the -proceedings at once. Strangely enough, for the moment we all seemed to -have forgotten how very similarly our first escapade of the kind had -opened. - -Crash! Mac's broad shoulder butted the barricaded doorway right -ponderously, but though the heavy logs quivered and bent, they resisted -the shock. And now Stewart braced himself for the attack, and together -they hurled themselves against the wavering supports. There was a -resounding echo as the entire structure gave way, and with many chuckles -of delight the adventurous couple disappeared within, while I remained -outside, my rifle at full cock, listening for the tramp of moccasined -feet that would herald the Indians' return. I heard Mac strike match -after match, muttering discontentedly the while, and Stewart's -dissatisfied grunts filled me with dismay. Was our depredating raid to -go unrewarded? - -"There's jist the sma'est bit o' caribou ye could imagine in the hale -hoose," snorted Mac indignantly. "It wis high time the deevils went -huntin', I'm thinkin'." - -"Let's try the other hooses," counselled Stewart. - -At that moment Dave gave a long, low growl, and immediately an -indescribable chorus of yells issued from the forest near at hand. Then, -to my horror, I perceived numerous dark forms speeding towards me. -Instinctively I levelled my rifle, then by an extreme effort of will -lowered it again. We were surely in the wrong. "Come on, boys," I cried, -"we must run for it." - -"Haud on till I get that bit o' caribou," murmured Mac desperately. - -A moment more, and we made a wild burst in the direction of the sleighs, -pursued by a number of stalwart warriors, whose vengeful shouts inspired -our failing steps with an unwonted activity. - -"Let's stop and fecht the deevils," implored Mac, as we grabbed the -ropes of our sadly-light conveyance, and even at that juncture he -examined his stolen piece of caribou with critical interest. "It's no' -fit for human use," he protested angrily. "I'm no' goin' to run for -nothing." - -But the yelling horde at our heels made him think better of it, and -muttering sundry maledictions he hitched on to the rushing sleigh, and -lumbered manfully alongside his gloomy compatriot. Fear did certainly -lend wings to our flight, and by the time we had reached the outlet -leading to Tagash Lake, our pursuers were far in the rear, the obscuring -darkness probably being much in our favour. And then, as we hastened -over the shelving ice on the connecting river, we beheld a sight that -drew from us ejaculations of sheer chagrin. A great fire blazed on the -shores of the frozen stream, illuminating in the background a -solidly-built logged erection, and showing clearly the outlines of a -giant Union Jack fastened to a tree close by. Not a soul was in sight, -but I could fancy the comfortable group inside the generous dwelling -whiling away the time before a glowing stove or indulging in a luxurious -dinner. - -"It's a Government station," I said drearily. "It must have been put -here just before the ice closed in." - -We halted for an instant, and gazed wistfully at the snug police camp. -Here surely we might obtain some little stores for our urgent needs, but -how dared we ask? The Indians were British subjects, and would indeed be -treated with more consideration than we might expect, for it is the -policy of the Canadian authorities to protect, even to the outside -extreme, the rights of their dusky subjects. Then, again, we had been -long on the trail, and our clothing was rent and ragged. The police -might judge us by appearances, and then--I did not care to think what -might happen. Many thoughts flitted through my mind as we stood there -hesitatingly, and my worthy companions, by their silence, showed that -they too were thinking deeply. The unmusical cries of our pursuers -jarred on our meditations with seemingly awakening vigour. - -"They've got our trail," I said sadly. "We'd better get along." - -"Civilisashun be d----d," fervently, if ambiguously, muttered Mac and -Stewart almost with one voice, and we staggered out into the bleak, -snowy plains of Tagash Lake, and pursued a dogged course southward. - - - - -THE TENT AT CARIBOU CROSSING - - -It was midnight before we halted, and then we camped on the middle of -the frozen lake, and near the entrance to the Big Windy Arm; and here, -after a most miserable night, we were forced to abandon the greater part -of the stolen venison as being in itself but little satisfying to our -urgent needs. We started again before daybreak, steering by compass in -the darkness. Indeed, it was absolutely necessary that we should keep -moving if we would prevent the blood from freezing in our veins. Our -plight was surely an unenviable one, and as we stumbled on through the -ever-deepening snow, Mac and Stewart cursed the country endlessly in -choice vernacular; and even Dave, struggling desperately in his harness, -found opportunity to give his verdict in hoarse, muffled growls of deep -displeasure. - -"We'll bile the first Injun we meet," said Stewart solemnly, after -several hours had passed in silence, and he shook his head clear of its -encompassing deposits of frosted snow and ice, and gazed at our meagre -sleigh-load with pensive eyes. - -"I'm no sae sure that Injun is guid for eatin' ony mair than mummy -caribou," rejoined Mac after much thought. "I mind," he continued -ruminatively, "o' eatin' snake sausages in Sooth America, an' they were -wonderfu' paleetable, but Injun?" He shook his ice-enclustered head -doubtfully. The day was already drawing to a close; the sun had risen at -ten o'clock, and its short arc in the heavens was almost completed. The -time at which one usually expects to fortify the inner man had passed in -grim silence, and the darkening shadows were creeping over the billowy -white waste. - -"We must reach Caribou Crossing to-night, boys," I said. "We dare not -camp again on the open lake in case a blizzard gets up and wipes us -out." - -The blackness of night enveloped us completely, and the tingling -sensation in our cheeks warned us that the frost intensity was far below -the zero scale. Our moccasins sunk through a powdery fleece so crisp, -that it crushed like tinder beneath us, and the steel sleigh-runners -whistled harshly over the sparkling beady surface. The stars twinkled -and shone brilliantly, and great streaks of dazzling light shot at -intervals across the northern sky; the night effects were indeed -splendid beyond description, yet we were too much engrossed with more -practical matters to wax enthusiastic over astronomical glories. -Suddenly the sharp hiss-s of a sleigh reached our ears, then out of the -darkness came the sound of laboured breathing and smothered growls, as -of dogs straining under an undue load. Obeying a common impulse our -sorely-tried caravan came to a halt, Dave whining piteously and pawing -the ground impatiently, while my companions peered into the night -earnestly, then turned and gazed at me in silence. The hurrying sleigh -was fast approaching on a course that would lead it but a few yards to -our left. I was on the point of stepping forward to intercept the -advancing dog-team which was now showing dimly in the starlight, when -one of the two men who accompanied it spoke, and his voice sounded -distinctly in the still air. - -"I thought I heard something," said he. - -"What could you hear?" answered his companion gruffly. "There can't be -any one nearer than the station at Tagash, and it's far enough off yet, -worse luck." - -"All the same," reiterated the first speaker, "I'm sure I heard -sleigh-runners skidding over the snow. It's mebbe some poor devils -coming out from Dawson." - -They were almost beside us now, and I wondered that we had not been -noticed. - -"You'll remember, Corporal," came the tones of the doubtful one in hard, -official accents, "that on no account can I give out any supplies. I -have my own men to provide for." - -For the same reason that we had hurried past the station at Tagash -River, I had no desire to bring my party to official notice now; so, -inwardly cursing the niggardly captain, I decided to let the team pass -without soliciting relief. It was clearly a Government "outfit" for the -benefit of the men at Tagash. At a jerky trot the four leading dogs -swept by us, swaying wildly as they pulled in their traces. Four more -dogs followed, then a heavily-laden sleigh came creaking and groaning -through the snow, the runners sunk deep and churning up clouds of vapour -which almost hid from view the plump sacks of flour on board. The men -came after at an amble, their faces muffled so that they, apparently, -could neither turn to the right nor left. I could scarcely restrain my -companions at this point from breaking into a vehement denunciation of -the police captain and his corporal. They would, indeed, have stormed -the sleigh cheerfully, and meted out no gentle treatment to the owners -thereof. With energetic pantomimic gestures I implored them to be calm; -the team was fast being swallowed up in the gloom, but before it had -disappeared from our penetrating gaze a broken sentence floated back to -our ears: "Pity ... had to leave so much ... Caribou Crossing ... back -to-morrow.... D----d Klondikers." - -For five minutes more we waited in silence, during which time Mac and -Stewart were effervescing to an alarming climax, then we gave full vent -to our joy. "Ho! ho! ho!" laughed my companions. "Pity left so much at -Caribou! D----d Klondikers! Ho! ho! ho!" Dave, too, seemed to -understand the situation, and promptly proceeded to bark out his -appreciation; but his exuberance was too noisy, so it was hurriedly -checked. - -"Get under way, boys," I said, when my henchmen had recovered their -equanimity, "for we'll need to look lively before the trail is blotted -out." We had not spoken a word about the matter, yet there existed a -perfect understanding between us. If anything edible had been left at -Caribou Crossing we were determined to commandeer it. - -The well-weighted sleigh had made an easily-observable trail; in the dim -starlight the twin furrows formed by the runners glittered and shone -like the yeasty foam from a ship's propeller. We carefully directed the -prow of our snow-ship into these well-padded channels, and with renewed -energy forged ahead, thinking longingly of what might await us at -Caribou. Soon the shadows on either side of the lake drew nearer and -nearer, and the steep, wooded shores of the dreary waterway narrowed -inwards, so that the feathery fronds of the stately pine-trees were -plainly discernible; we were approaching the entrance to Caribou -Crossing. Five minutes later we had passed through the narrow -channel--it was barely twenty yards across--and were speeding silently -over the deep drifts of snow which were wreathed in giant masses on the -surface of the frozen lagoon. The hitherto heavily-marked trail now -appeared blurred and indistinct, and the dense forests lining the -"crossing" threw a shadow on the track which effectually neutralised -the vague glimmer of the stars, so that we had literally to feel for the -deep sleigh channels. - -"If I'm spared to come oot o' this," groaned Mac, as he crawled gingerly -on all fours across the drifts, "I'll never speak o' ma sufferin's, for -naebody could believe what I hae endured." - -"I hae traivelled faur," supplemented Stewart, lifting up his voice in -pathetic appeal, "but I've never been sae afflicted." - -Having now introduced the subject of their woes they proceeded to -comfort one another in well-chosen words of sympathy. "You'll suffer a -considerable amount more if you don't find the trail soon," I broke in -by way of getting their attention more concentrated on the very urgent -matter on hand. But Stewart would have one word more: - -"I'll mak' a fine moniment tae ye, Mac, ma man," he said with a sigh, -adding lugubriously, "puir, puir Mac." - -"I'll hae yer life for that, ye deevil," roared that irate gentleman, -getting to his feet suddenly, and in consequence floundering to the -waist in the chilly wreaths. - -Again I essayed to interfere. "Seems to me, boys," I said, "that you'd -better reserve your energy----" A loud bark interrupted my further -speech, and Mac immediately bellowed, - -"Dave has got the trail; come on, Stewart, an' we'll hae a glorious -feast o' Government stores very soon." - -I thought he was anticipating over-much, but I took care to say nothing -to discourage the pair, who now, side by side, were crawling rapidly -over the snow, tracing a new series of markings which led into the heart -of the thick foliage on shore. I followed after my comrades with -alacrity, but the drifts were very wide and deep, and I sunk to the neck -in their icy folds, and was almost frozen before I managed to extricate -myself. - -"Are you following the trail, boys?" I cried, "or is it a bear track you -are tracing up?" They were too much engrossed in their sleuth-hound -operations to notice my inquiry, but as I had reached the shelter of the -timber where the snow was but thinly laid, I now groped my way more -quickly forward, and overtook the keen-eyed couple as they stopped short -and emitted a simultaneous howl of delight. - -"Got it! Got it!" they yelled in unison, and Dave made the wooded slopes -resound with his deep-mouthed bark. - -"Got what?" I interrogated, when opportunity offered, for nothing but -absolute blackness surrounded us. - -"Licht a match," joyously spoke Mac. - -Somewhat mystified I struck a sulphur match and held it aloft, and by -its sputtering flame I saw before me a 10 × 12 tent, on the roof of -which was painted in huge black letters, "N.W.M.P." - -"We certainly have got it," I said with much satisfaction, "and we'll -see what's inside without delay." - -"Scotland yet!" roared Stewart, in an ecstasy of delight, performing a -few steps of the Highland fling as delicately as his heavily-padded -moccasins would permit. Mac was more practical; he proceeded to execute -what appeared in the gloom to be a solemn ghost dance, but in reality he -was searching for the "door" end of the tent. - -"Haud yer noise, ye gomeril!" he said shortly, addressing his -pirouetting companion, "an' when ye've feenished capering ye'll mebbe -get a candle off the sleigh." - -The candle was quickly forthcoming, and the flap of the tent discovered; -it was laced tightly with long strips of caribou hide, and so was not -easily located in the darkness. We were not long in forcing an entry, -the board-like canvas was rooted up from the snow where it had frozen -fast, several hoary branches were pushed away from the inside wall, -then we boldly took possession. At first survey our "find" seemed -disappointing, the tent was almost empty; only a few very -dilapidated-looking sacks were piled within, and the dripping icicles -from the ridge gave a most frigid aspect to a dismal enough scene. Mac, -however, was not discouraged. "There maun be something for eatin' in -they bags," he said cheerfully, which was logic of the clearest nature; -then he proceeded to explore their contents, and while thus engaged -Stewart gathered together some branches and started a bright blaze at -the doorway. - -"There's flour in this ane!" announced Mac joyfully, "an' beans in -anither!" he supplemented; then his delighted cries were frequent. -"We've got a wee thing o' maist everything that's guid," he summed up -finally, issuing out into the ruddy glow of the fire, where the billies, -filled with rapidly-melting snow, were fizzling away merrily. - -The good news affected Stewart visibly. "A'll mak' a gorgeous re-past -the nicht, ye deevils," said he, "A'll mak' a rale sumshus feast." - -The keen edge of our appetite was dulled as a preliminary by copious -draughts of coffee and the remnants of the morning's damper, then -operations were begun for the "gorgeous feast." Mac obligingly acted as -cook's assistant, and chopped off from the solidified contents of the -sacks the requisite amount of flour and other ingredients necessary--and -I fear many that were not altogether necessary in the strict sense of -the word, for beans, and flour, and rolled oats, and rice did not seem -to me to be a correct combination. But I was a novice in these arts and -feared to speak, and the manufacture of the "sumshus repast" went on -apace. - -The night was far advanced, yet for once on the long dreary march from -Dawson we were in no hurry to court slumber, although we had travelled -over thirty miles that day. I think Stewart sized up my own thoughts -rather clearly when he said, during a lull in his artistic labours, -"What fur should we gang awa' early the morn'? It wad be a rael pity tae -leave this mag-nificent camp." - -"We might wait just a little too long, Stewart," I replied, and visions -of an angry captain and his stalwart followers floated unpleasantly -before my eyes. - -It was near midnight when the gurgling billy was lifted from its perch -amid the glowing logs, and Stewart gingerly fished from its interior a -round steaming mass, neatly enclosed in an old oatmeal sack and tied at -the top. With deft fingers its author undid the wrappings, and lo! a -rubicund pudding of cannon-ball-like aspect greeted our expectant -visions, and was hailed with loud acclamation. - -"Ever see a puddin' like that, Mac?" demanded Stewart, gazing at it -tenderly, and his cautious compatriot somewhat sadly replied-- - -"Only aince, Stewart, an' that wis when we found Gold Bottom Creek, an' -ye nearly killed King Jamie o' the Thronducks wi' indegestion." - -The compliment was just a trifle vague, and was regarded with suspicion -by the prime conspirator, but he said no more, and we attacked the -"puddin'" in silence, and with a vigour borne of many days' travel on -short rations. - -Despite its heterogeneous nature, Stewart's culinary creation proved a -veritable triumph to his art; at any rate it quickly disappeared from -view, even Dave's share being rather grudgingly given. Never, since we -had entered the country, had we fared so well, and when coiled up in our -blankets close to the blazing fire, we felt indeed at peace with all -mankind--including the police captain. All night long we kept the flames -replenished, and dreamily gazed at each other through the curling smoke, -for our unusual surfeit had banished sleep from our eyes. And but a few -yards away from the burning logs the air was filled with dancing frost -particles that seemed to form a white wall around us, for our -thermometer, hung on a branch near by, registered forty-two degrees -below zero. The long hours of darkness dragged slowly on, and it was -nearly eleven o'clock in the morning before the faint light of day -gradually dispelled the murky gloom, yet still we lolled laggard-like by -the fire, starvation did not force us on this morning, and we had not -rested these last six hundred miles. About noon, however, we decided to -get up and have breakfast, and after many abortive attempts we succeeded -in unwinding our bodies from the blankets in which they were swathed -like Egyptian mummies. - -"It wis a gorgeous banquet," ruminated Mac, as he busied himself with -the sleigh and made fast thereon various little sacks appropriated from -the tent. - -"There's nae man," responded Stewart with eloquence, "kin teach me -onything aboot cooking--especially puddens." - -I now thought it advisable to examine the markings on the snow where the -trail had given us so much trouble on the night before. I could not yet -understand why a tent and stores should have been left at Caribou -Crossing, one of the most gloomy spots throughout the whole course of -the Yukon. "Be lively with the breakfast, boys," I said, "for I am -inclined to think the climate thirty miles further south will be -healthier for us to-night." And I made my way out to the edge of the -forest. - -I reached the lakeside without difficulty; the keen frost of the -preceding hours had given a thick crust to the deep snow-drifts -intervening; I then made a careful scrutiny of the various sleigh-runner -channels which were plainly evident, and which united at the point where -we had to diverge into the wood. A double trail led southward towards -Lake Bennet, but a single one only continued its course to Tagash -station. At once the meaning was plain. Two sleighs had started from -Bennet station, and the drifts on Caribou proving unduly deterrent, one -sleigh load had been temporarily abandoned. I remembered the two teams -of dogs in the sleigh we had met. Everything was clear in an instant. -"Yes, we'll certainly be healthier in a more southerly latitude -to-night," I said to myself as I turned to go back to my companions. The -enticing odour of an unusually appetising breakfast greeted my nostrils, -and brought back a feeling of serene contentment. But my happiness was -shortlived. I had barely reached the camp fire when I became vaguely -conscious of some disturbing element in the air. I listened intently, -then faintly sounded the tinkle of sleigh bells in the distance, and now -and again the sharp crack of a dog-whip smote the keen air. There was no -need to explain matters; even Dave whined knowingly, and backed -voluntarily into his harness. - -"Jist oor luck," grumbled Stewart, grabbing the cooked bacon and -thrusting it into one of the billies. - -"It's a blessed thing," quoth Mac, philosophically, "that we had such a -magnee----" - -"Are you ready, boys?" I interrupted. The bells sounded sharply now, and -I could hear the irascible captain cursing on the dogs. - -"I'm staunin' by the ingines," grunted Mac. - -"There's naething left," said Stewart, "unless we tak' the tent." - -"Then full speed ahead," I cried; "we'll camp somewhere near the head of -Lake Bennet, to-night." - -With a sharp jerk the sleigh bounded forward, keeping the shelter of the -timber for the first few hundred yards, then sweeping into the open at -the entrance to Lake Bennet, we forced a trail towards Lake Linderman at -an unusually rapid rate. - - - - -ACROSS THE CHILCOOT PASS - - -The snow was falling in thick, blinding sheets when we reached Lake -Linderman, and struggled up the first precipitous climb leading to the -dreaded Chilcoot. - -A death-like stillness lingered in the valley; the towering mountain -peaks enclosing the chain of lakes had formed ample protection from the -elements; but soon we ascended into a different atmosphere, where the -wind burst upon us with dire force, and dashed the snow in clouds -against our faces. In vain we laboured on; my comrades sank at times to -their necks in the snow, even the sleigh was half buried in the seething -masses, and rolled over continuously. I alone had snow-shoes, and for -the first time in the seven hundred miles' trail we had traversed I -strapped the long Indian "runners" to my moccasins, and endeavoured to -pad a track for the following train, but the attempt proved futile. Two -hours after leaving the lake we had barely progressed a mile, and the -air was becoming dark and heavy with the increasing fury of the gale, -which tossed the white clouds aloft, and showered them over our -sorely-tried caravan. Never had we dreamed of encountering such weather. -We had come from the silent Klondike valley, where the tempests were -hushed by the Frost King, who reigned with iron hand. - -At two in the afternoon we reached timber limit, and here a few stunted -trees showed their tips above the snow, but beyond the bleak surfaces -of Deep and Long Lakes appeared bare and forbidding, and the loud shriek -of the gathering gale warned us to venture no further that day. We -hurriedly scooped a hole in the snow, and lined it with our furs; then -the sleigh was mounted as a bulwark against the drifts, and we lay down -in our strange excavation, exhausted and utterly disheartened. Mac at -length broke the silence. "We might have a fire o' some sort," he said, -looking round. Very gingerly he and his companion crawled towards the -tree-tops, and broke off the tough green branches. After much coaxing -the unwilling wood ignited, and we clustered joyfully round the pungent -smoke--for there was little else--and endeavoured to infuse some warmth -into our frozen bodies. The thick blackness of night was rapidly closing -over, and the storm showed no signs of diminishing; so we obtained what -timber we could from the tree-tops, and stored it in our shelter to feed -the feeble fire through the long dreary night. Then we thawed some snow, -and boiled a "billy" of coffee, and the warm fluid helped to sustain us -greatly; but still the wind howled and the snow pattered down on our -faces with relentless force, and the drifts from the edge of our pit -ever and anon deluged us. How we passed that night is beyond -description. We huddled near to each other for warmth, while our dog -beside us groaned and shivered violently despite all our efforts to -protect him from the icy blasts. - -Morning at last arrived, but no welcome light appeared; the air -continued murky and dense with flying snow. Ten o'clock, eleven, and -twelve passed, and we were beginning to despair of getting a start that -day. Then the gloom merged into a dull grey haze, and we could -distinguish faintly through the driving mists the glacier peaks flanking -Long Lake. We had thawed snow and made coffee for breakfast, but -notwithstanding that fortification we felt ill-prepared to renew our -battle with the elements. - -"We'll make another try, boys," I said, after a brief survey around. "We -may reach the summit to-day, but the chances are against it." - -Dave was again harnessed to the sleigh, and with three separate ropes -attached we straggled forward on different tracks, and pulled as if for -dear life. Slowly we forged ahead over Deep Lake, staggering, stumbling, -and floundering wildly. Even Dave sank in the yielding track, and his -efforts to extricate himself would have been amusing--under different -circumstances. As we proceeded the gale increased, and almost hurled us -back, and I noted with alarm the heavy gathering clouds that seemed to -hang between us and the pass; they spread rapidly, and with them came -fresh blasts that whistled across the white lake surface, and tore it -into heaving swells even as we looked. I prayed for light, but the gloom -deepened and the snow fell thicker and faster. At length we reached the -cañon leading to Crater Lake, and with every nerve strained we fought -our way forward literally foot by foot. The snow-wreaths here were of -extraordinary depths, and several times my companions would disappear -altogether, actually _swimming_ again to the surface, for only such a -motion would sustain the body on the broken snow. - -At three o'clock we had travelled but two and a half miles, and the -storm was yet rising. Had we been provided with food our position would -not have caused us much alarm, but coffee had been our lot for -forty-eight hours, and now raw coffee alone must be our portion, for we -were above timber limit, and so could have no fire. Starvation from cold -and hunger combined promised to be rather a miserable finish to our -labours. The deep breathing of my companions betrayed their sufferings; -their weakened frames could ill endure such buffetings. At every other -step they would sink in the vapoury snow, while poor Dave's muffled -howls were pitiful to hear. - -"We'll have to camp again, boys," I shouted. But where could we camp, -and preserve our already freezing bodies? As I have said, we were beyond -timber limit; only the dull, drifting snow appeared on every side, and -the darkness was quickly hiding even that from view. I relinquished my -sleigh rope, and battled forward against the blizzard alone. My -snow-shoes skimmed rapidly over the treacherous drifts, but the extreme -exertion was too much for me, and I had to come to a halt. The air in -such a latitude, and at a 3,500-feet altitude, is keen enough even when -there is no blizzard raging. In the few hundred yards I had sped ahead I -had left my comrades hopelessly behind; they were blotted from my sight -as if by an impenetrable pall. Suddenly, through a cleft in the driving -sleet, I caught a glimpse of a blue glistening mass close before me. I -remembered that I was in the vicinity of the large glacier at "Happy -Camp," but the glacier had evidently "calved," for it was formerly well -up the mountain side. I staggered over to it, and felt its glassy sides -with interest; then I noticed a great cavity between the giant mass and -the mountain-ledge. It was indeed a calved glacier, and in its fall it -had formed a truly acceptable place of shelter. I cried loudly to my -companions, but only the shriek of the blizzard was my reply. I was -afraid to leave my "find" in case I might not discover it again, so I -drew my Colt Navy and fired rapidly into the air. The sound seemed dull -and insignificant in the howling storm, but a feeble bark near at hand -answered back, and through the mists loomed my doughty henchmen with -their sleigh-ropes over their shoulders, and crawling on all fours -beside the dog. They had been forced to divide their weight over the -snow in this strange fashion, and even as it was they sank at intervals -with many a gasp and splutter into the great white depths. "Happy Camp!" -I cried. - -"This is an end o' us a' noo," Mac wearily groaned, staggering into the -ice cavern. - -"Happy Camp" was the name derisively applied to the vicinity in the -summer. It was then the first halting stage after crossing the pass, and -as no timber existed near, no fires could be made, and hence the name. -But what it was like at this time, in midwinter, is beyond my powers to -describe. Imagine a vast glittering field of ice stretching from the -peaks above to the frozen stream below, and a small idea of its miseries -as a camping-ground is at once apparent. Yet it was a welcome shelter to -us at such a time, and we dragged the sleigh into the dark aperture -thankfully, and, wrapping ourselves in our blankets, listened to the -moaning of the storm outside. At each great rush of wind the walls of -our cave would quiver and crackle, and far overhead a deep rumbling -broke at intervals upon our ears. Our glacier home was certainly no safe -retreat, for it was gradually, yet surely, moving downwards. My -companions recognised their perilous position immediately they heard the -well-known grinding sound, but they said nothing--they were evidently of -opinion that we were as safe inside as out, and, as Stewart afterwards -grimly said, "It would hae been an easier death onywey." - -The cold was very intense, and we shivered in the darkness for hours -without a word being spoken. To such an extremity had we been reduced -that Mac and Stewart assiduously chewed the greasy strips of caribou -hide which did duty as moccasin laces, while I endeavoured, but with -little success, to swallow some dry coffee. If we could only have a -fire, I reasoned, we might live to see the morning, but without it -there seemed little hope. - -We had all grown apathetic, and indeed were quite resigned to a horrible -fate. I was aroused from a lethargic reverie by the piteous cries of -Dave, who remained still harnessed. I patted his great shaggy head, and -pulling my sheath-knife, cut the traces that bound him. As I did so my -hand came in contact with the sleigh, and at once a new idea flashed -over me. - -"Get up, boys!" I cried. "We've forgotten that the sleigh will burn." - -In an instant they were on their feet. One thought was common to us -all--we must have a fire, no matter the cost. Mac lighted a piece of -candle, and stuck it on the hard ground. Then he and Stewart attacked -the sleigh energetically, and in a few moments the snow-ship that had -borne our all for seven hundred miles was reduced to splinters. Eagerly -we clustered round as the match was applied, and fanned the laggard -flame with our breaths until it burst out cheerily, crackling and -glowing, illuminating the trembling walls of the cavern, and causing the -crystal roof to scintillate with a hundred varying hues. Sparingly Mac -fed the flame; if we could only keep it alive till morning the blizzard -might have abated. Piece by piece the wood was applied, and the feeble -fire was maintained with anxious care. Hour after hour passed, and still -the blizzard howled, and the swirling snow-drifts swept to our feet as -we bent over our one frail comfort, and protected the wavering flame -from the smothering sleet. - -At various times throughout the weary hours I fancied I could hear a -faint moaning without our shelter, but the inky blackness of the night -obscured all vision, and after aimlessly groping in the snow for some -minutes after each alarm, I had to crawl back benumbed and helpless. - -"It must have been the wind," said Stewart. - -"There's nae man could cross the pass last night," spoke Mac. - -Dave lay coiled up on my blanket apparently fast asleep. The noble -animal had had nothing to eat for two days, and I feared he would not -wake again. Suddenly, however, he started up, growling hoarsely. The -moaning sound again reached our ears, prolonged and plaintive. Then came -the sharp whistle of the blizzard, clear, decisive. There could be no -mistake. Assuredly some unfortunate was out in the cruel storm. Our -four-footed companion struggled to his feet with an effort, and swaying -erratically, he rushed from the cave whining dolefully. We gazed at each -other in silence; we dreaded the discovery we were about to make. - -"Keep the fire alight as a guide to us, Mac," I said, and Stewart and I -went out into the storm. And now Dave's deep-mouthed barks penetrated -the dense mists, and we crawled towards the cañon in the direction of -the sound; but we had not far to go. A few yards from our retreat I felt -Dave's furry body at my knees, and then my hand came in contact with a -human form half buried in the drifts. - -"It's a man, Stewart," I said, and he answered with a groan of sympathy. -We extricated the stiff, frozen body from the engulfing snow and dragged -it tenderly towards the light we had left; and there, in that miserable -spot, we strove to bring back the life that had all but fled. - -"We have nothing to gie him," said Mac hopelessly; "an' the fire's gone -oot." - -"There should be some coffee," I answered, "and the furs and my long -boots will burn." - -Soon our treasured possessions smouldered and flamed; boots, moccasins, -silver-tipped furs--all that we had that would simmer or burn was -sacrificed, and a piece of ice from the wall was thawed and slowly -boiled. When the hot fluid was forced between his lips the rescued man -opened his eyes and looked around. Soon he had recovered sufficiently to -speak a few words. He had ventured across the Chilcoot, despite all -warnings from the miners at Sheep Camp. He had wandered over Crater Lake -all day, not knowing where the valley lay owing to the dense mists -prevailing. "The blizzard has been blowing on the pass for two days," -said he; "your light attracted me last night, but I could not reach it." -Such was the tale of the poor victim of the pass; he died before -morning, despite our struggles to save him, and we felt that we could -not survive him long. - -No light appeared at ten o'clock, nor was there any promise of the -blinding storm abating. Our fire had gone out, and we sat in darkness -beside the lifeless body we had saved from the snows. - -"We'll make another try, boys," I said. "We may as well go under trying, -if it has to be." - -Our load was small enough now; the pity was we had not lightened it -sooner. I strapped the small mail-bag to my shoulders; my comrades -carried all further impedimenta, and, leaving the dead man in his icy -vault we staggered into the darkness and forced an erratic track towards -the Chilcoot Pass. Crater Lake was reached in two hours; I could only -guess we had arrived at it by the evenness of the surface, the air was -so dense that objects could not be distinguished even a few feet -distant. I tried to fix a bearing by compass, but the attempt was -futile, the needle swaying to all points in turn, owing to the magnetic -influences around. Then we _felt_ for the mountain-side on the left, and -staggered over the blast-blown rocks and glaciers along its precipitous -steeps. - -As we neared the summit the howl of the blizzard increased to a shrill, -piercing whistle, but we now were sheltered by the pass, and the fierce -blast passed overhead. All this time we forced onward through a murky -gloom with our bodies joined with ropes that we might not lose one -another. At three in the afternoon I calculated that we were near the -crucial point at which the final ascent can be negotiated, and we left -the white shores of Crater Lake and clambered up into the rushing mists -where the blizzard shrieked and moaned alternately, and hurled huge -blocks of glacier ice and frozen snow down into the Crater valley. The -top was reached at last, and no words of mine can describe the inferno -that raged on that dread summit. We lay flat on our faces and writhed -our way forward through a bubbling, foaming mass of snow and ice. Our -bodies were cut and bruised with the flying _débris_, and our clothing -was torn to rags. The blizzard had now attained an extraordinary pitch, -the mountain seemed to rock and tremble with its fury, and inch by inch -we crawled towards the perpendicular declivity leading to the -"Scales"--full eight hundred feet of almost sheer descent. Cautiously we -manoeuvred across the great glacier that rests in the Devil's -Cauldron--a cup-shaped hollow in the top of the notorious pass--and at -once the blaze of a fire burst before our eyes, illuminating the -apparently bottomless depths beyond. - -The ice-field on which we lay overhung the rocks to a dangerous degree, -and I realised that we must make the descent from some other part of the -semicircular ridge. We crept back hurriedly, and as we stood gasping in -the "cauldron" before making a _détour_ to find a possible trail, a -mighty rumbling shook the pass, and we clutched at the snow around, -which flew upwards in great geyser-like columns, almost smothering us in -its descending showers. The overlapping ice had plunged into the valley, -carrying with it hundreds of tons of accumulated snow; we escaped the -powerful suction by a few yards only. - -[Illustration: ON THE SAFE SIDE OF THE PASS AGAIN. - MAC--SELF--STEWART.] - -When we approached the edge a second time a smooth, unbroken snowsteep -marked the trail of the glacier, and to it we consigned ourselves, -literally sliding down into the black depths. We were precipitated into -an immense wreath of snow covering the scales for over a hundred feet. -The fire had been blotted out with the icy deluge, but luckily, as we -learned later, the fire-feeders had abandoned their post long before the -avalanche had come down. Three hours later we arrived at Sheep Camp, and -entered the Mascotte saloon, where the assembled miners were clustered -round a huge stove in the centre of the room, listening to the ominous -shriek of the gale outside. - -No one dared venture out that night, but in the morning the four days' -blizzard had spent itself, and we formed a party to explore the damage -done. A light railway that had been laid to the Scales was completely -demolished, and half down to Sheep Camp the channel of the Chilcoot -River was filled with enormous ice boulders. An avalanche had also -fallen on Crater Lake during the night, and when we had painfully -climbed the now bare summit the frozen plateau beyond was rent for -nearly a mile with enormous gashes over ten feet in width, and the ice -cleavage showed down as far as the eye could reach. - - - - -PART II - -UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS - - - - -THE FIVE-MILE RUSH - - -It was a very hot day in September when we arrived at Perth, Western -Australia, and hastened to put up at the nearest hotel to the station, -which happened to bear the common enough title of the "Royal." - -We had come up with the mail train from Albany, where the P. & O. -steamers then called, and even Westralia's most ardent admirers would -hesitate to claim comfort as one of the features of the Colony's railway -system. So we arrived, after a long night's misery, dusty and -travel-stained. No one attempts to keep clean in the land of "Sand, sin, -and sorrow," for the simple reason that, according to the nature of -things there, such a luxurious state of ĉsthetic comfort can never be -attained. The streets were sandy, and as a natural sequence the -atmosphere was not of ethereal quality. The people were sandy and -parched-looking, and we found the interior of the hotel little better -than the outside, so far as the presence of the powdery yellow grains -was concerned. - -In the darkened bedrooms the hum of the festive mosquito was heard, and -my companions chuckled at the sound. - -"It's a lang time since I heard they deevils," said Mac; then he -proceeded, "Noo, oot on the Pampas----" - -"D--n the Pampas!" roared Stewart, as he clutched wildly at one of the -pests that had been quietly resting on his cheek for full half a -minute. - -"Ye've pushioned that onfort'nate beast," Mac retorted, with unruffled -serenity; "noo, can ye no let the puir thing dee in peace?" - -We remained but a short time in Perth; it is a neatly-laid-out little -city with streets running off at right angles to each other, and -containing a fair sprinkling of fine buildings, among which may be -mentioned the General Post Office and Lands Offices, and they are -palatial edifices indeed. The Botanical Gardens are small, yet very -pretty; and here, instead of the usual garden loafer, may be found many -weary-eyed and parchment-skinned gold-diggers from the "fields," whose -one idea of a holiday lies in a visit to Perth or Fremantle, where they -stroll about or recline on the artificially-forced grass plots of these -towns, and wile the weary hours away. - -The Swan River at Perth forms an exquisite piece of scenery, which -redeems the environs of the sandy city from utter ugliness. Innumerable -black swans swim hither and thither on its placid waters, and by the -sloping banks, well fringed with rushes, many notable yachting clubs -have their pavilions. There is nothing in this Capital of the Western -Colony to attract. Even to the casual observer it is plain that the -bustling, Oriental-looking town is essentially a gateway to the -goldfields, and little more. Fremantle, on the other hand, is the Port, -and chief engineering and commercial centre. - -At this period I was, like most erratic travellers, without a definite -object in view. In a certain hazy way I thought that we should visit the -mining districts at once, as we had done in other and more impracticable -countries; yet I was aware that the known Westralian goldfields were by -no means so new as the "finds" in North-West Canada, and in consequence -the ground might be over-pegged or long since rushed. - -"The countrie is big enuff," said Mac when I mentioned my doubts, "an' -we'll mebbe find anither Gold Bottom Creek faurer oot than onybody has -gaed." - -"We're better diggin' holes, even if they are duffers," spoke Stewart, -"than makin' oorsel's meeserable at hame." Which argument in a sense -settled the matter, and I forthwith purchased tickets for Kalgoorlie, -with the intention of penetrating thence towards the far interior. - -It is a weary journey eastward from Perth, and one that cannot be too -quickly passed over. The single narrow-gauge line has been laid without -any attempt at previous levelling, and the snorting little engine puffs -over switchback undulations ceaselessly, at a speed that averages nearly -sixteen miles an hour. It is a fortunate circumstance for the fresh -enthusiast from "home" that the "Kalgoorlie Mail" leaves Perth in the -evening. The discomfort experienced in the midnight ride is bad enough, -but he is mercifully spared from viewing the "scenery" along the route, -which would assuredly have a most demoralising effect: Western Australia -must be taken gradually. - -The Coolgardie "rush" may be fresh in the minds of most people. The -township now stands almost deserted, bearing little trace of former -glory; and yet it is but a few years since the railway was pushed out to -this remote settlement. Southern Cross, two hundred miles nearer the -coast, was formerly the terminus of all traffic, and the hardy pioneers -of Coolgardie daringly ventured on foot from this point, as did also the -vast numbers who "followed the finds." - -Very insidiously Kalgoorlie has risen to high eminence as a mining -centre; it accomplished the eclipse of its sister camp some time ago, -and by reason of its deep lodes it is likely to retain its supremacy -indefinitely. To the individual miners a new strike or location is -considered to be "played out" when limited liability companies begin to -appear in their midst, as only in rare cases can fossickers succeed in -competition with machinery. However, the flat sand formations around -Kalgoorlie have proved one of the exceptions to this rule, and the -alluvial digger may still sink his shallow shaft here with every hope of -success, and even in the proved "deep" country surface indications are -abundant. - -When my little party stepped from the train at Kalgoorlie, we saw before -us a scattered array of wooden and galvanised-iron houses, -white-painted, and glistening dully in the sunlight through an extremely -murky atmosphere. On closer acquaintance the heterogeneous erections -resolved themselves into a wide principal thoroughfare, aptly named -Hannan's Street, after the honoured prospector of the Camp's main reef, -and a number of side paths that bore titles so imposing that my memory -at once reverted to the fanciful names distinguishing the crude log -shanties of Dawson, where there were: Yukon Avenue, Arctic Mansions, -Arcadian Drive, and Eldorado Terrace. Here, in keeping with the latitude -of the city, more salubrious, if equally fantastic, were the various -designations of the alleys and byways. - -In the near distance we could see the towering tappet heads of the -widely-known Great Boulder mine, and the din created by the revolving -hammers of the ever-active stamping machinery assailed our ears as an -indescribable uproar. But beyond the dust and smoke of these -Nature-combating engines of civilisation, the open desert, dotted with -its stunted mulga and mallee growths, shimmered back into the horizon. -Here and there a dump or mullock heap showed where the alluvial miner -had staked his claim, but for the most part the landscape was unbroken -by any sign of habitation. - -"There's a lot of room in this country, boys," I said, as we stood -unobserved in the middle of the street and took in the scene. - -"It's a deevil o' a funny place," Mac ventured doubtfully. - -"It's a rale bonnie place," reproved Stewart, whom the inexpressible -gloom peculiar to the interior country had not yet affected. "I'm -thinkin'," he continued, with asperity, "that ane or twa men o' pairts -like oorsel's were jist needed at this corner o' the warld." - -"In ony case," Mac now agreed, "it's better than being meeserable at -hame." - -Instead of seeking the hospitality of one of the numerous hotels close -by, we decided to begin our campaign in earnest right away, and get -under canvas as a proper commencement. So we prospected around for a -good camping site, and that same night we slept in our tent, erected -about a mile distant from the township. - -There was no water in our vicinity, and next morning Stewart set out -with two newly-purchased water-bags to obtain three gallons of the very -precious fluid at a condensing establishment we had noticed on the -previous night, where, at sixpence a gallon, a tepid brackish liquid was -sparingly dispensed. It should be understood that water, in most parts -of Western Australia, is more difficult to locate than gold, and when -obtained it is usually as a dense solution, salt as the sea, and -impregnated with multitudinous foreign elements extremely difficult to -precipitate. - -"There's aye something tae contend wi' in furrin countries," Mac -philosophised, as he leisurely proceeded to build a fire for cooking -operations. "In Alaska there wis snaw, an' Chilkoots, an' mony ither -trifles; bit here there's naething much objeckshunable let alane the -sand an' want o' watter." - -I agreed with him if only for the sake of avoiding an argument. "There -may be a few--insects along with the sand, Mac," I hazarded cheerfully, -and then I went into the tent to arrange the breakfast utensils. - -"Insecks!" cried he derisively after me. "Wha cares fur insecks, I shid -like tae ken? What herm is there in a wheen innocent muskitties, fur -instance? Insecks! Humph!" - -The absurdity of my remark seemed to tickle him vastly, and as he broke -the eucalyptus twigs preparatory to setting a match to the pile he had -collected, he continued to chuckle audibly. Then suddenly there was -silence, a silence so strange that I felt impelled to look out of the -tent and see what had happened; but before I had time to set down the -tinware cups I held in my hands, his voice broke out afresh. "Insecks!" -I heard him mutter. "Noo A wunner----; bit no, that canna be, fur snakes -hiv'na got feet, an' this deevil's weel supplied i' that direction. It's -a bonnie beast, too. I wunner if it bites?" I gathered from these -remarks that the valiant Mac had made the acquaintance of some unknown -species of "insect" with which he was unduly interested. "If it's an -inseck," came the voice again, "this countrie maun be an -ex-tra-ord'nar'----Haud aff! ye deevil. Haud off! I tell ye." I -hastened outside just in time to see my companion ruthlessly slaughter a -large-sized centipede, which had evidently refused to be propitiated by -his advances. - -"It's a vera re-markable thing," said he, looking up with a perfectly -grave countenance, "hoo they--insecks--persist in bringin' destruckshun -on themsel's. I wis just pokin' this onfort'nate beast wi' a stick--in a -freen'ly wey, ye ken--an' the deevil made a rin at me, wi' malishus -intent, I'm thinkin', an' noo he's peyed the penalty o' his misguided -ackshun." - -[Illustration: STEWART PREPARING OUR FIRST MEAL.] - -"In future, Mac," I warned, "you'd better not attempt to get on friendly -terms with these--insects; a bite from a centipede might kill you." - -"I'll gie ye best about the insecks," he returned thoughtfully, applying -a match to the pile, "bit ye'll admit," he added, after some moments' -pause, "that it's maist ex-tra-ord'nar' tae see insecks o' sich -onnaitural descripshun rinnin' aboot on the face o' the earth." - -I fully concurred, much to his satisfaction, and just then Stewart -arrived, perspiring under his watery load. - -"Dae ye mean tae tell me," howled the new-comer, addressing no one in -particular, "that ye hiv'na got the fire ken'l'd yet?" - -"Ca' canny, Stewart, ca' canny," sternly admonished the guilty one. -"There's been a narrow escape here, ma man, a verra narrow escape." - -Stewart's ruddy face blanched slightly, then slowly regained its colour -when the slain centipede was pointed out. "Ye've raelly had a -providenshul escape, Mac," said he. "Noo, staun aside an' let me get on -wi' the cookin'." - -Our first breakfast in camp was an unqualified success; it was not a -very elegant repast, certainly, but the traveller must learn to forego -all luxuries and enjoy rough fare, and we had already served our -apprenticeship in that direction. Stewart, however, had lost none of his -art in matters culinary, and, as he himself averred, could cook -"onything frae a muskittie tae an Injun," so we had every reason to be -contented. - -"If we wur only camped aside a second Gold Bottom!" sighed Mac, getting -his pipe into working order. - -"It's a bonnie countrie," mused his companion, "wi' a bonnie blue sky -abune, an' what mair could a man want?" - -"I think we have had no cause to complain, so far, boys," was my -addition to the conversation, "and I'll go into the township in an hour -or so and make investigations as to the latest strikes. To-morrow we may -make a definite camp." - -And so the early day passed while we rested and smoked, and recalled our -grim experiences in the land of snows. - -"It's mebbe wrang tae mak' compairisons," grunted Mac, "bit gie me the -sunshine an' the floo'ers----" - -"An' the centipedes!" Stewart slyly interpolated. - -"D--n centipedes!" roared Mac; then he recovered himself. "Mak' nae mair -allushuns, ma man," said he with dignity. "An' hoo daur ye spile ma -poetic inspirashun?" - -The sun was now well overhead and shooting down intense burning rays; -the sky was cloudless, and not a breath stirred the branches of the -dwarfed eucalyptii on the plains. - -"It's a g-glorious day," murmured Stewart, mopping his perspiring -forehead. - -Mac chuckled: "Wait till ye see some o' the insecks the sun'll bring -out," said he, "ye'll be fairly bamfoozled." - -At this moment I was surprised to notice a man, armed with pick and -shovel, approaching rapidly in our direction. As he came near I saw that -he bore, strapped to his shoulders, a bundle of wooden pegs which had -evidently been hastily cut from the outlying timber. "Some energetic -individual thinks we have made a find at this camp," I thought; but I -was mistaken. The stranger made as if to pass a good way off our tent; -then he hesitated, looked back, apprehensively, it seemed to me, and -came quickly towards us. - -"What in thunder does yer mean by campin' here, mates?" he demanded -hurriedly, grounding his shovel impatiently and letting his eyes roam in -an unseeing manner over the surrounding country. - -I had barely time to explain that ours was only a temporary camp, when, -without a word, he shouldered his shovel and sped onwards into the -brush. - -"Maist onmainnerly behaviour," Mac snorted wrathfully. "Noo, if I meet -that man again, I'll----" He stopped suddenly. "Ho, ho!" he chuckled, -"there's mair o' them comin'; I begin tae smell a rat." We now observed -what had caused the sudden flight of our visitor. Rushing from every -shanty near the township, and issuing from the main street in a chaotic -mass, a perfect sea of men bearing axes and picks and shovels came -surging down on us. As we looked the fleeter members of the "rush" -forged quickly ahead, so that the spectacle soon appeared as a medley -army advancing desperately at the double in Indian file. - -There was no need to be in ignorance as to what it meant; we had seen -the same thing often enough in Alaska when strikes on the Upper Klondike -were frequent. - -"Get the tent down, boys," I said, "and follow on when you're ready. -I'll represent this camp and see that it is not last on the programme." -Even before I had finished speaking, my companions were tugging wildly -at the guy ropes, and loosening the wall pegs of the tent. - -"We'll no be faur ahint," growled Mac from beneath the canvas folds -which in his zeal he had brought down upon himself. - -"Ye shid let me gang first," grumbled Stewart, "fur ye ken weel that I -can sprint wi' ony man." - -I seized an axe and shovel and awaited the approach of the van-leader of -the struggling line of humanity, who was fast drawing near: not knowing -the destination of the rush, it was necessary that I should follow some -one who did. I had not long to wait. A lean, lanky true son of the bush, -with nether garments held in position by an old cartridge belt, burst -through the brushwood a few yards wide of us. His leathery face showed -not the slightest trace of emotion, and though the heat was sweltering -not a drop of perspiration beaded on his forehead. Heaven knows how -often he may have taken part in a rush and been disappointed. - -"Mornin', boys," he said genially. "Fust-class exercise, this," and he -passed at a regular swinging pace, with eyes fixed straight ahead, -steering a direct course. - -"He gangs like clockwork," said Mac admiringly, gazing after him; "bit -haud on. What's this comin'?" - -The second runner was now coming forward at a rate that was rapidly -annihilating distance; he had passed the bulk of the others since he had -joined the race, and I had been much interested in watching his -progress. - -"Guid Lor'," ejaculated Stewart, stopping in his work of rolling up the -tent, and gazing at the approaching runner in dismay. "Did ye ever see -onything like that in a' yer born days?" - -There was ample excuse for his astonishment. The fleeing figure was -hatless, and otherwise ludicrously garbed--for Westralia. What Stewart -called a "lang-tailie coat" spread out behind him like streamers in a -breeze, a "biled" collar had, in the same gentleman's terse language, -"burst its moorings" and projected in two miniature wings at the back of -his ears, and a shirt that had once been white, bosomed out expansively -through an open vest. Yet, notwithstanding his cumbrous habiliments, he -had well outdistanced his nearest "hanger-on," and it was plain that the -wiry sandgroper still in front would have to screw on more speed if he -meant to keep his lead long. - -With lengthy strides the strangely-garbed runner shot past; in his hand -he gripped a spade, which tended to make his appearance the more -wonderful, but that he meant business was very evident. - -"Fur Heaven's sake, pit aff the coat!" howled Stewart, and Mac toned -down the impertinence of the remark by adding stentoriously-- - -"Ye'll rin lichter withoot it, ma man." - -The individual addressed slowed up at once. "Thanks for the idea, boys," -said he good-naturedly, and he promptly discarded the objectionable -emblem of civilised parts and threw it carelessly into a mulga bush. -Then noting that he was a good way in advance of the main army, he -mopped his streaming face and gave the information, "There's been a big -strike at the Five Mile, boys, wherever that may be. I am letting the -first man steer the way on purpose." - -"Ye're a daisy tae rin," admiringly spoke Mac, seizing the tent and a -packet of miscellaneous merchandise, while Stewart feverishly gathered -up the remainder of our meagre belongings. He of the "biled shirt" now -set down to work again, making a pace which I, who had joined in the -chase, found hard indeed to emulate; and my companions, heavily laden as -they were, hung into our rear like leeches. - -Far behind we could hear the sand crunch under hundreds of feet, and the -mallee shrubs crackling and breaking, but hardly a word was spoken. Mile -after mile we crashed through the endless brush and over the monotonous -iron-shot plains. Mac puffed and blowed like some huge grampus, and -Stewart's deep breathing sounded like the exhaust expirations of an -overworked steam engine. - -"Keep her gaun, Mac; keep her gaun," this personage would splutter when -his more portly comrade showed signs of flagging, which well he might, -considering that he clutched in his arms a weight of nearly forty -pounds. - -"Wha's stoppin'? ye inseegneeficant broken-winded donkey engine!" -retorted his aggravated compatriot, rolling along manfully. - -But the race was nearly over. Half a mile further on the land dipped -ever so slightly, and in the gentle hollow formed about a dozen men -rushed madly about, pacing off prospectors' claims, and driving rude -pegs at the boundary corners. - -The sight had an exhilarating effect on Mac and Stewart, and with wild -shouts they quickly drew up the little distance they had lost, and would -have passed my white-shirted pacemaker and myself were we not compelled -for very shame to keep our lead if we died for it. - -"By Jove!" panted he of the strange garments, "these beggars behind can -run." - -And Mac at his heels chivalrously grunted between his breaths, "I've -never had a harder tussle tae keep up ma deegnity--no never." - -A few minutes more, and we reached the field of operations. The men -there were too busy marking off their properties to give us much -attention. I noticed swiftly that our first visitor of the few words had -his claim neatly pegged, and was sitting in the middle of it, -complacently smoking. He must have received special information of the -find or he could not have got away so much before the others. Our second -passing acquaintance--he of the emotionless countenance who had steered -our quartet unknowingly--had got in a hundred yards ahead of us, and he -was now coolly cutting pegs with which to mark his chosen area. - -"It's a deep alluvial leader, mate," he said to me. Then he added -obligingly, "I guess I knows the lie of the kintry, an' if ye hitch on -at the end o' my boundaries, ye'll likely sink on it, plumb." - -The advice of an experienced miner should always be accepted; and while -Mac and Stewart were felling several small trees for use as -marking-posts, I proceeded to line off the direction of our claim as -suggested by the angle of my adviser's corner channels. I performed this -work with much care, knowing how slim are one's chances of holding any -gold-bearing area at a rush unless the holder's title is beyond dispute -according to official regulations. - -The straggling body of men was now beginning to appear on the crest of -the undulation which marked the only visible natural boundary of the -valley; in less than three minutes the madly-striving crowd would be -upon us, and we should be assuredly swamped by its numbers so that no -pegs could be driven. Then I noticed the man who had doffed his -fashionable coat to oblige Stewart, standing dejectedly near by; his -sleeves were rolled up, displaying splendidly-formed muscles, and he -held his shovel loosely in his hand as if uncertain what to do with it. - -"Better get your pegs fixed quickly," I advised. - -But he shook his head rather sadly. "I haven't got an axe," he said, -"and--and I'm new to this sort of thing." - -Mac had by this time obtained the four blazed posts necessary to denote -our "three-men square," and Stewart promptly began to smite them into -position in their proper places. - -"If ye'll alloo me," said Mac, "I'll get the bitties o' sticks fur ye; -I'd be vera sorry tae a bonnie rinner like you left in the cauld." - -But there was no time now. - -"Shift out our posts instead, Mac," I instructed, "we'll make a four-men -lot of it and divide afterwards." - -Our white-shirted associate looked at me gratefully, and held out his -hand. "My name is Philip Morris," he said. "I am an Englishman, just out -from the old country." - -A swaying mob of perspiring and fiery-eyed men of all nationalities now -flooded the valley as a tumultuous sea of humanity, and scattered in -twos and fours throughout its entire length. - -"You've struck a circus for a start, Morris," I said. "I think we'll all -remember the Five-Mile Rush." - - - - -SINKING FOR GOLD - - -Next morning the Five-Mile Flat was the scene of extraordinary activity. -Tents sprung up like mushrooms in all directions, and the thud, thud of -picks sounded incessantly. It was almost pitiful to witness the feverish -eagerness with which most of the diggers tried to bottom on their -claims. The depth of the Lead at Discovery shaft was given out to be -only forty feet, but the strata encountered before that level was -reached had been of a flinty impervious nature, necessitating the use of -much giant powder. - -At least the original prospectors, who were camped near to us, gave me -that information in a fit of generosity when they learned that I had -some little experience of geological formations. They even allowed me to -descend their shaft--most unheard-of thing--and compute the angle and -dip of the lode for the benefit of the general assembly; a privilege -which was duly appreciated, as it enabled me to calculate the proper -position in our own claim at which to sink. The lode, so called, proved -to be an auriferous wash, or alluvial gutter, the bed of an extremely -ancient watercourse, probably silted up long before the time of the -Pharaohs. - -Our newly-acquired companion, who had already won the good graces of -both Mac and Stewart, astonished me greatly, while I was expounding my -theories on these matters for his special edification, by making -several courteous corrections to my statements, so that I was forced to -tread more cautiously; and when I had finished, he capped my argument -with a lucid technical discourse and much scientific addenda. - -"You certainly know a fair-sized amount for an inexperienced man," I -said, with some irritation; but he hastened to explain. - -"My knowledge is purely theoretical," he replied. "Perhaps I should not -have spoken." - -His admirable good sense appealed to Mac's idea of fairness. "I'm -thinkin'," began that gentleman, gazing at me reproachfully, "I'm -thinkin' that oor freen Phil-ip is a vera modest man, a vera modest man -indeed." - -"I'm o' the opeenion," cried Stewart, from the interior of the tent, -"that if he keeps awa' frae tailie coats, and dresses rashunal, he'll be -a rale orniment tae ony camp." - -The young man was much moved by these expressions of good-will; but when -I asked him to mark off his allotment on our too large mining territory, -he stubbornly refused. "If it had not been for your kindness I should -have no claim to any corner of the ground," he said. - -I explained, however, that Mac, Stewart, and myself would not be allowed -by law to possess a four-men holding, and therefore there was no -kindness on my part in giving him back his own. Yet still he hesitated. - -"I am all alone, boys," he said at last, "and I don't think I could do -much damage to the ground by myself. Might I come in with you?" - -This was a _dénoûement_ I had not anticipated, though in some -unaccountable manner I felt drawn to the stranger; still, the vision of -his coat-tails fluttering in the wind could not be dispelled. - -"What do you say, Mac?" I asked, expecting a gruff rejoinder in the -negative; but the answer agreeably surprised me. - -[Illustration: "DISCOVERY" SHAFT--ON GOLD.] - -"He's a man o' pairts like oorsel's, a modest man, an' a golologist -forbye," replied Mac, grandiloquently; "it wud be sinfu' tae refuse him -oor guid company." - -Then Stewart, who had been paying great attention, rushed from the tent -and added his testimony. "Tailie coat or no tailie coat," he shouted, -"he's a guid man, as I kin testeefy, an' me an' Mac'll be prood tae hae -him wi' us. Forbye," he continued, "he's a Breetisher, an' tho' he isna -Scotch, me an' Mac'll look ower that fau't wi' muckle tolerashun." - -"I wis aboot tae re-mark----" began Mac, but Stewart had not completed -his peroration. - -"Haud yer tongue, Mac," said he sternly; "ye ken weel yer nae speaker -like me." Then he resumed the flow of his eloquence: "An' noo," he said, -"on behauf o' Mac--wha is a man o' disteenction tho' he disna look -it--an' in conformeety wi' ma ain incleenations, I hae pleesure in -signifyin' oor muckle approval o' yer qualities." - -The candidate for admission to our illustrious company looked gratified, -as well he might, and straightening his tall form he endeavoured to make -suitable reply to the expectant couple. - -"Gentlemen!" said he, and at the word Mac hitched up his nether garments -and looked solemn, while Stewart coughed discreetly. "Gentlemen," -repeated "tailie coat" in a voice that seemed to issue from his boots, -"it is with considerable feeling of elation that I have heard your -extemporaneous----" - -"Haud on!" howled Mac in horror; "ye'll dae, ma man, ye'll dae. Come on, -Stewart." And as they walked sorrowfully apart Stewart's voice floated -back plaintively, - -"Noo, Mac, hoo am I gaun tae keep up oor digneety efter -that--ex-tem-por-anee----! He's deceived us, Mac; he's a lamb in sheep's -ooter gairments, he is." - -"Well, Phil," I said, when they had disappeared within the tent, "I -think we'll get along all right." - -"I feel at home already," he replied, looking towards the tent in grim -amusement, "and enthusiastic enough to swing a pick with either Mac or -Stewart, and that means much, I think." - -"It does," I agreed with significance, and we went off to mark the site -of our prospective shaft. - -It was nearly midday before we commenced to excavate the ground, and by -that time most of the miners around had penetrated several feet of the -top sandy formation in their various claims. But haste is not always -advisable under such circumstances, and I preferred to make as sure as -possible of the lode's position within our pegs before sinking, and so -obviate any necessity for laborious "driving" when bedrock was reached. -We were fortunately in the "shallowest" ground, being within a hundred -yards of the forty-feet level strike, which meant, judging by the dip or -inclination of the auriferous wash, that we should probably find bottom -about fifty feet down. As for the numbers below us, they might have to -sink over a hundred feet, and even then miss the golden leader, so -elusive are these subterranean channels. - -The usual size of prospectors' shafts on any goldfield is five feet six -inches long, by two feet six inches wide, and this just permits of -sufficient room for one man to wield a pick. The aim of every miner on -an unproved field is to get down to bedrock with the least possible -labour, which is also the speediest method. A shaft can be widened -afterwards when it has been found worth while, but it is always well to -refrain from shovelling out two or three tons of granite-like substance, -as is done by most "new chums," merely for the sake of having more -elbow-room during the trying process of sinking. - -After our experience with the frozen gravel at Klondike, it almost -seemed like child's play to dig out the comparatively loose sand -conglomeration which formed the topmost layer in the line of our -descent. There was no fire-burning necessary here, but Nature, -nevertheless, had made the balance even, for the auriferous levels in -Alaska were rarely half as deep as even the shallow gutter we were now -searching for. And again, in frozen ground the surface formations are -naturally the hardest, whereas in most other workings that order is -reversed. - -"It's a pleesure tae work i' this grund," was Mac's statement, when, -after scarcely two hours' labour, he stood nearly waist deep in the new -shaft. With much foresight, that wily individual had volunteered to sink -the first few feet alone. "I'm just burstin' wi' surplush energy," he -explained to Stewart, "an' you can dae twa or three fit o' the easy -stuff when I'm feenished." - -"It's rale conseederate o' ye, Mac," said Stewart feelingly, with -thoughts on the nature of things at Skookum Gulch, and he went inside -the tent to try if anything edible could be gathered together for lunch, -a matter on which he said he had "graive doots." - -Our new comrade, whom we had already begun to address as "Phil," quickly -showed himself to be a very worthy addition to our party. After -exploring the scrub for timber suitable for banking-up purposes, and -drawing back a goodly load, he politely insisted on Mac taking a spell -while he swung the pick. "I can see," he said diplomatically, "that you -would soon work yourself to death out of sheer consideration for -others." - -"Dae ye think sae?" grunted he in the shaft cautiously, pausing in his -labours. - -"I do, indeed," reiterated Phil with much earnestness. - -Then Mac laid down his weapon, and leaning back lazily in his excavation -made further circuitous inquiry. "Ye've never dug holes afore, Phil?" -said he; and receiving a negative answer, he supplemented, "An' ye ken -that ironstane is a wee bit--weel, I'll say solid?" - -"Yes, I can understand that much," admitted Phil wonderingly. - -"Weel," continued Mac, lowering his voice, "I've come on a bed o' it the -noo, an' I'm jist makin' the tap o't clean an' tidy fur Stewart when he -comes. He thinks he can equal me at onything, an' I've got tae check -that fause impreshun. Dae ye savy?" - -"Mac," said Phil with decision, "he'll be a smart man that gets the -better of you." - -"I've traivelled a bit," returned the schemer shortly, "an' Stewart's -sometimes ill tae pit up wi'. I'll gie ye a bonnie saft bit tae -practeese on efterwards," he added after a pause. - -A little later Stewart announced that he had got some rice and "tinned -dog" cooked. "I houp ye'll excuse the rice," said he, "it's a bit podgy, -fur there wis vera little watter tae bile it in." - -"Ye're looking rale worried-like, Stewart," said Mac sympathetically, as -he gulped down his portion of the roasted grains. "It's exerceese ye're -needin', I'm thinkin'." - -"Mebbe it is," sighed Stewart dolorously. - -"Weel," spoke Mac again, "ye can try an' wear doon the shaft a bit in -the efternoon, an' me an' Phil 'll gang into the city an' get -some tasty bits o' provisions. I'm vera concerned aboot ye, ma man." - -It was indeed very necessary that we should obtain supplies without -delay, for our stores consisted only of the remnants carried so -hurriedly from our previous camp. Already, the first flush of excitement -having died away, representatives from the different claims were -hurrying towards the township on a similar mission. Enthusiasm and an -empty stomach seldom agree. But here a difficulty arose. Phil's wardrobe -was painfully small; his once spotless shirt was now yellow with sand, -and almost torn into shreds, and the rest of his limited apparel was in -such a state of disrepair, owing to his scramble through the brush, -that, as Mac said, he looked "hardly respeectable." - -"Ye can hae ma jecket," said Stewart magnanimously, "seein' that it wis -on ma account ye pit aff the tailie coat." - -Phil accepted the offer promptly. "There's a wonderful change in my -appearance since I left the Old Country a few short weeks ago," said he, -surveying his dilapidated garb ruefully. - -"I shid think sae," grinned Mac. "It wud be a rale treat tae see ye walk -doon Peecadeely in they claes." And they departed. - -"Dae ye tell me that Mac has gaun doon five fit?" asked Stewart, when we -were alone. - -"I believe he has," I replied, "but in this country it is easy to dig -near the surface where the sand has not even solidified." - -"Easy or no' easy," responded Stewart impressively, baring his strong -right arm, "what Mac can dae, I'll dae. Wha pu'd harder than I did gaun -tae Klonduk?" he demanded, making a digression, but I waived the -question. - -"Let me know when you have had enough of the shaft," I said, "and I'll -relieve you." - -"Umph!" he grunted, ignoring my remark in turn, "Five feet! Whaur's the -pick?" And he strode off to emulate his comrade's achievement. - -A few moments later a series of sharp metallic echoes issued from the -shaft mouth, intimating that Stewart had attacked a hard unyielding -substance. Then, not wishing to be present when he desisted from his -labours, I made my way stealthily to the adjoining claim and entered -into conversation with its owner; but still the unsympathetic ring of -steel meeting some kindred element reached my ears, and I sorrowed for -the unfortunate Stewart right deeply. - -The wiry sandgroper whom I interviewed was not one of the bustling kind. -I found him enjoying a siesta under the scant shade of the solitary -mulga bush on his domain, and scaring the numberless flies away by his -vigorous snores. It was almost impossible to realise that he was the -valiant runner of the day before. "Mornin', mate," said he, rubbing his -eyes, after I had hustled him gently. It was late afternoon, but that -was a small matter, and I did not trouble to correct him; and we talked -together on mining subjects for about an hour. - -"I ain't wan o' them cusses," he said, "that tries to git disappinted -early. My tactics is: git thar in the fust place--at which you'll allow -I is no slouch, nuther?" I made the necessary allowance, and he -proceeded. "In the second place, thar ain't no call to be desp'rit'ly -excited; thishyer life won't change worse'n a muskitter whether we does -git to bottom on a spec. three or four days sooner or later." I ventured -to remark that his reasonings did him credit. "I does philosophise a -bit, mate," he agreed languidly. Then there followed a long silence, -during which I missed the regular thuds of Stewart's pick, and wondered -where that persistent gentleman had gone. - -Suddenly a noise as of thunder startled me; it was succeeded by an -explosion that shook the ground under our feet. "By the Great Howlin' -Billy!" ejaculated my leather-skinned companion, "somebody's fired your -shaft." I looked in time to see great boulders of jagged ironstone, and -a dense volume of sand, hurled from the mouth of the narrow pit where -Stewart had been working. - -Filled with a vague fear I rushed to the scene of the disturbance, where -the sand-clouds were fast settling, and just as I arrived I beheld -Stewart calmly coming out towards me from behind Phil's timber pile, -where he had been sheltered. My surprise was so great that for the -moment speech failed me, and I looked vacantly at the shaft and at my -companion in turn. Then he took pity on me, and condescended to explain. - -"It's a' richt. I'm nae pheenix," he announced cheerfully, and he led me -to the mouth of the shaft, which no longer retained its oblong contour, -but was ragged and rent with the upheaval. "I wis lookin' fur ye aboot -an hour since," he continued further, "tae get yer opeenion concernin' a -sort o' irin furmashun what wis gi'en me sair trouble, bit as I could'na -see ye, I kent ye could rely on ma guid jidgement tae dae what I thocht -best----" - -"But I was not aware that we had any gelignite or giant powder in our -possession," I interrupted. - -"Nae mair we had," said he, "bit I kept ane or twa extra speecial -cartreedges what we used fur burstin' glashiers oot in Alaskie--as -samples, ye ken--an' I pit them a' in. They've made a vera bonnie hole," -he wound up; "that's the best o' they labour-savin' devices." - -On examination it was found that the ironstone bar had been completely -shattered, and little trouble was experienced in removing the remaining -fragments. The cavity wherein it had rested was fully five feet deep, so -that Mac's plot for outwitting his rival had proved a signal failure. - -It was six o'clock when we descried Mac and Phil returning from -Kalgoorlie, laden with stores; darkness was rapidly closing over the -valley, so that their forms could not be distinguished until they were -quite close. Then Stewart uttered a howl of rage. "They've brocht back -the tailie coat," he cried feebly, and in strutted Mac, wearing not only -that hateful garment, but also having perched on his head at a rakish -tilt a highly-burnished silk hat. - -"We fund the hat a wee bit faurer on than the coatie," said he, doffing -his glossy headgear and gazing at it admiringly. - -"If ye've ony regaird fur ma feelin's, ye'll pit them baith awa' at -aince," Stewart implored, much affected. - -His compatriot gazed at him commiseratingly. "Ye've been workin' ow'er -hard the day, ma man," said he, "yer nerves are in a gey bad state, I'm -thinkin'. Hoosomever," he added sternly after brief thought, "it's -ongratefu' on your pairt tae despise the gairment, fur I promised Phil -that ye shid hae it, purvided ye had sunk aboot three feet the day. -Which," he climaxed, nonchalantly, "I hae nae doot ye hae dune?" - -Stewart beamed. "I apologeese, Mac," he said, "noo gie me the coatie." - -"Hoo muckle hae ye sunk?" demanded the generous giver, much taken aback. - -"Full five feet," came the smiling answer. "Mac, ma vera dear freen, -ye've made a ser'us mistak' this time." - -Mac stood as if transfixed, gazing appealingly at Phil, who seemed -equally amazed; then he turned without a word and rushed out to the -shaft. When he came back a moment later, he stripped off the coat and -handed it to Stewart. "I'm prood o' ye, ma man," he said with an effort; -"ye're an indiveedual o' muckle strategy." - -Then Phil joined in with commendable tact. "You've still got the hat, -Mac," laughed he, "it's a fair divide." - -[Illustration: STEWART FINDS THE GROUND HARD.] - - - - -WE "STRIKE" GOLD - - -For over a week sinking operations on the Five-Mile Flat were continued -with unabated vigour, and then a hush of expectation seemed to fall over -the community, for the miners in the shallow ground at the head of the -lead were nearing bottom, and the vast array who had pegged along the -supposed course of the auriferous wash ceased their labours and waited -in tremulous eagerness for reports from Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, below -Discovery. There was good reason for anxiety. If these claims bottomed -on pipe-clay deposits or other barren clayey formations, little hope -could be entertained for those who had followed their line of guidance. -The direction of the golden channel certainly could not be ascertained -by judging the lie of the country on the surface, for it was almost -absolutely flat, and bore not the slightest resemblance to the original -country far beneath. Practical tracing from claim to claim was the only -method by which a miner could safely calculate, and that meant that -those a little way off the first proved shaft, and all following -claim-holders, must either be possessed of a vast amount of hope and -energy or an equal amount of patience. It is not unusual, also, to find -a deep lead suddenly "fizzle" out with little warning; and again, it -seldom fails to create consternation and disappointment at an anxious -time by shooting off at right angles, or diverging into numerous -infinitesimal leaderettes. - -So it was that when the first flush of excitement had died away -attention was turned to those claims mentioned, and for the time all -work was suspended. We, at No. 7, were still several feet above the -level at which we had calculated to find bottom. Since Stewart so -peremptorily burst out the ironstone bar we had encountered nothing but -a series of sand formations, which we managed to crash through at the -rate of five feet each day, and now our shaft measured fully forty-one -feet in depth. - -My companions worked like Trojans in their efforts to reach gold-paying -gravel before their neighbours. Neither Stewart nor Mac had the -slightest fear of our shaft proving a duffer, and their extreme -confidence was so infecting that Phil forswore many of his pet -geological theories in order to fall into line with their ideas. "After -all," he said to me, "geological rules seem to be flatly contradicted by -the arrangement of the formations here, and only the old adage holds -good, that an ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory." - -"It looks that way," I answered, "yet I do not like the look of these -enormous bodies of sandstone. If I were to go by my experience in other -countries, I should promptly forsake this ground and look for more -promising tracts." - -We were standing by the windlass pulling up the heavy buckets of -conglomerate material which Mac was picking below with much gusto. The -glare of the sun reached barely half-way down the shaft, and the -solitary worker was beyond our gaze, but well within hearing, -nevertheless, for his voice rumbled up from the depths in strong -protest. - -"I'll no hae mae idees corrupted wi' sich fulish argiment. Naitur has -wyes o' her ain, an' whaur golologists think gold is, ye may be sure -there's nane; bit whaur it raelly is, there ignorant golologists insist -it insna. There's nae pleasin' some fouk." - -We kept silence, and, after waiting vainly for our comment, Mac again -attacked the solid sandstone with sullen ferocity. - -The air was close and sultry, and the dumps thrown up from the many -shafts around glistened in the intense light and crumbled off into the -heat haze as filmy clouds of dust. The entire landscape seemed as a -biographic picture, and affected the eyes in similar degree. It was a -typical Westralian day. Thud! thud! went Mac's pick, and now and then -came a grunt of annoyance from that perspiring individual as an -unusually refractory substance would temporarily defy his strength. - -We leaned against the windlass barrel, awaiting his call of "Bucket!" -which would intimate that further material was accumulated below, and -ready for discharge into the outer air. Few men were about, unless at -No. 2 shaft, where there was much activity. On the adjoining lot our -friend of the leathery skin--who rejoiced in the title of "Emu -Bill"--dozed under the shade of a rudely-erected wigwam. - -"It's a bit warm," ventured Phil. He was not quite sure of his ground, -and did not wish to exaggerate. - -"It's d--d hot!" rolled a well-known voice from the depths, and Stewart -within the tent sang gaily an adaption from "Greenland's icy mountains." - -When quiet was restored I looked again towards No. 2, and at that moment -a red handkerchief fluttered to the top of a tiny flagpole surmounting -the windlass, and hung limp. A moment later a long, hoarse cheer swept -the flat from end to end, and, as if by magic, each claim appeared fully -manned, and a sea of faces turned in our direction. No. 2 had signalled, -"On Gold." - -"Staun by the windlass! I'm comin' up!" roared Mac, who had vaguely -heard the sound-waves pass overhead and was wondering what had happened. - -"Gold struck on No. 2, Mac!" I shouted, and Phil, who had not quite -understood, staggered in amazement, loosening with his feet a quantity -of sand and rubble which descended with much force on Mac's upturned -face, and interrupted a second passionate appeal to "Staun by the -windlass!" - -"I'll hae yer life fur that, ye deevil!" he spluttered. "Ye did it on -purpose." - -Then Stewart came upon the scene in great haste. "I tell't ye sae! I -tell't ye sae!" he cried, and for the especial benefit of his isolated -companion he bellowed down, "They've got gold at number twa, Mac! Oceans -o't!" - -Mac was then half-way to the surface, with one foot resting in the empty -bucket attached to the cable, and both hands gripping the strong wire -rope, which strained and rasped as it slowly coiled on the wooden drum. -He was no light weight, and Phil and I felt our muscles twitch as we -held against the windlass arm at each dead centre, for there was no -ratchet arrangement attached to prevent a quick rush back, and our heavy -bucket-load made the safety of his position somewhat doubtful by swaying -the rope impatiently, and indulging in other restless antics. - -However, when he came near the light and saw how matters stood he became -quiet as a lamb; but the sight of his face smeared with the grime so -recently deposited upon it, and wearing an intensely savage expression, -was too much for our gravity, and our efforts faltered. - -"Hang on, ye deevils!" pathetically implored he, as he felt himself -tremble in the balance. Then seeing Stewart's face peering down upon -him, he besought his aid. "Staun by the winlass, Stewart, ma man," he -entreated, "or I'll never see auld Scotland again." - -But Stewart was at that moment seized with a paroxysm of laughter. The -appeal was vain, and his comrade, being now near _terra firma_, and -comparatively safe, again addressed him. - -"Git oot o' ma sicht, ye red-heided baboon!" said he. "Nae wuner they -couldna work the winlass wi' you staunin' aside them." - -It is an unwritten law on most goldfields throughout the world where the -individual miner tries his luck that a flag be at once hoisted over -every shaft that bottoms on paying gravel. It is a pretty custom, and a -generous one to the less fortunate diggers, who judge by the progressing -line of flags whether their own remote claims may have a chance of -intercepting the golden channel. As it happened in this case, No. 2 -shaft could hardly have failed to pick up the lead, which had been -traced in its direction to the boundaries of Discovery claim. Still, -there was much rejoicing when the red symbol went up, and for the rest -of the day a renewed activity was in force to the uttermost end of the -Flat. Even "Emu Bill," as our near neighbour was picturesquely styled, -felt called upon to do a little work; but, as he took care to explain, -he did it only to satisfy mining regulations, which demand that a -certain amount of labour must be performed each day. "You'll notice," -said he, "that 3, 4, and 5 hiv tacked on d'reckly in line--as they -thought--an' you'll furrer notice thishyer propperty, No. 6, an' yer -own, No. 7, hiv not exzactly played foller the leader." Which was true; -for Emu Bill's claim had taken only a diagonal guidance from its -predecessor, and ours continued the altered route, while those following -varied considerably between the two angles thus given. - -"When you sees a flag floatin' on No. 3, boys," continued he -meditatively, "it's time to pack up your traps, an', as I said afore, I -believe in waitin' events an' jedgin' accordin'." - -"Hoo lang hae you been diggin' holes in this countrie, Leatherskin?" -Stewart politely inquired. And he of the weary countenance chewed his -quid reflectively for several minutes ere he made reply. - -"I reckon over a dozen years," he said at length, "in which time I -perspected Coolgardie an' Kalgoorlie wi' old Pat Hannan when there was -nothin' but niggers within' a couple of hundred miles of us." - -"A'm o' the opeenion," announced Mac, "that what Mr. Leatherskin disna -ken aboot the vagaries o' his ain playgrun' is no worth menshun." - -"Seven is supposed to be a lucky number," spoke Phil, "and I think it -will prove so with us." - -After which Emu Bill went back to slumber, and Phil went down to labour -in the shaft. "You've got tae mind," instructed Mac, who manipulated his -descent, "when you want the bucket jist lift up yer voice tae that -effeck, and I'll drap it doon gently on the end o' the rope." - -Phil promised, and was speedily lowered into the darkness, and Mac, -neglecting his post at once, came round into the tent, where Stewart and -myself were trying hard to find a half-hour's oblivion in the realms of -dreamland, and the myriad flies buzzing everywhere were trying equally -hard, and with greater success, to prevent our succumbing to the soft -influence. Mac's entrance at this moment was particularly distasteful to -his comrade, who was just on the verge of sweet unconsciousness, and -whose essayed snores were beginning to alarm the flies besieging his -face. - -"Go awa' oot this meenit, Mac," said he, opening his eyes, "and tak' yer -big feet aff ma stummick at aince." - -Just then a far-away cry of "Bucket" was vaguely heard, and calmly -ignored by the new-comer. "Stewart, ma man," he began, sitting down on a -portion of the weary one's anatomy, "I wis wantin' tae get yer idees on -one or twa maitters o' scienteefic interest." - -"Get out, Mac!" I ordered. But he seemed not to hear, and another hoarse -call for "Bucket" passed unobserved. - -"I wis wantin', for instance," he continued earnestly, "tae speak wi' ye -ser'usly on metapheesical quest-shuns----" - -"Let me alane!" Stewart howled, writhing in torment. But his visitor was -not to be shaken off. - -Five minutes later a stentorian yell from the shaft intimated that -Phil's patience was being unduly strained, and Mac reluctantly desisted -from expounding further the intricacies of science, and rose to go. As -may be understood, the bottom of a narrow and deep pit is not the most -pleasant of places in which to idle away the time, and Phil, after -digging as much as the limited area of operations would allow, was -filled with wrath at the neglect of his associate, and cursed that -worthy gentleman with fervour between his shouts. "Bucket!" he roared, -for the twentieth time, and Mac, who was then scrambling towards the -windlass, inwardly commented on the unusual savageness of the voice. -"He's a wee bit annoyed," he murmured. "I'll better try an' propeetiate -him." So he leaned his head over the shaft mouth and whispered in -winning tones, "Are ye vera faur doon, Pheel-up?" - -"Lower away the bucket, you flounder-faced mummy!" came the prompt -reply, which penetrated the darkness in sharp staccato syllables. - -Mac looked pained. "Noo, if that had been Stewart," he muttered grimly, -"I wud a kent weel what tae dae, bit being the golologist----" He shook -his head feebly, and reached for the hide bucket, which was lying near. -Then, forgetting in the flurry of the moment to hitch it on to the rope, -he let it descend at the fastest speed the law of gravity would permit. - -"Staun frae under!" he yelled, realising too late what he had done; but -in such a narrow space there was no room for dodging, and the leathern -receptacle struck the unfortunate man below with more force than was -agreeable. "Ye brocht it on yersel'," consolingly spoke Mac. "It's a -veesitation o' Providence fur miscain' me sae sairly." - -The words that greeted his ears were eloquent and emphatic, and he -marched into the tent in high dudgeon. "Gang an' pull the golologist oot -o' the shaft," said he to Stewart. "He's in the position o' a humourist, -an' he canna see throo't." - -Perhaps there are few who could have smiled and looked pleasant under -similar circumstances; but the "golologist" was of a forgiving nature, -and his enmity dissolved when he reached the surface. - -"You'll admit, Mac," he said, after allowances had been made on both -sides, "that I had some slight cause for grumbling, and in your -magnanimity you might have spared me your last forcible addition to the -argument." - -"That wis a mistak'," Mac replied apologetically. "I had the baggie in -ma haun, meanin' tae send it doon in orthodox manner; bit yer injudishus -remarks made me nervish, and doon it drappit, sudden-like." - -After these explanations peace reigned again; but Stewart's rest had -been so rudely broken that he now thought to work off his lassitude by -an hour's graft with the pick. We had arranged ourselves into shifts, -which went on and off alternately, or otherwise, as we thought fit; but -it was my plan to reach bedrock without delay, so the shaft was never -allowed to remain long unoccupied. Leaving Mac and Phil to attend to -culinary matters, I went out with Stewart, and, after lowering him into -the Stygian gloom, kept watch by the windlass until the night closed -over and Phil announced that tea was ready. - -[Illustration: NO. 2 CLAIM--JUST STRUCK GOLD.] - -Two more days passed uneventfully. The hourly-expected bulletin of good -news from No. 3 was being long deferred, and vague fears were beginning -to be expressed that all was not satisfactory there. It was known that -Nos. 3, 4, and 5 had put on extra shifts in the last few nights, and the -depths of their sinkings must at this time have exceeded fifty feet. We -at No. 7 awaited developments with keen interest. It was natural that we -should hope for the worst at No. 3, for, as Emu Bill had said, we were -on an entirely different tack, and might cease our labours when the -gaudy emblem appeared over that claim. In these two days progress had -been very slow with us, for a hard bar of conglomerate quartz had -intervened at the 45-foot level, and we dared not use gelignite in case -the heavy discharge might bring the upper walls inward and render our -whole work useless. - -It is always precarious to use blasting powder of any description at the -deep levels of an alluvial shaft, and the more so when the upper -formations have proved to be of non-cohesive nature. So we were -compelled to laboriously pick the unyielding mass where we might, and -otherwise drill and shatter it with hammers. - -On the morning of the third day after the flag had been raised at No. 2 -the Emu seemed to awake from his lethargy in earnest, and set to work -with right good-will to make up for lost time. - -"You wasn't wrong in takin' my advice arter all, mate," he said to me, -when I appeared to inquire the reason of his unwonted activity. - -"There's no flag up at No. 3 yet," I answered tentatively. - -"No, nor won't be, nuther," he returned with evident satisfaction. "I -tell you what, mate," he continued impressively, "the first flag that -goes up will be at your own shaft, No. 7, so you'd better get your -flagpole ready. The man what says I don't know this country is a liar, -every time." - -Yet still the men at the shafts in question continued to dig deeper and -deeper. "We hasn't reached bottom yet," they said, in answer to all -questions, and on that point they appeared decided. - -"I'll go up and pint out the evil o' their ways," Emu Bill said, coming -over to us after midday. "I don't believe in no man exartin' hissel' to -no good." Then he addressed himself to Mac far below: "I say, Scottie, -you're going to strike it first, and good luck to you, you hard-working -sinner." - -"Same to you, Leatherskin, an mony o' them," a voice from the depths -replied gruffly, for the "hard-working sinner" had but imperfectly -understood. - -Leaving Phil in charge of the windlass, I accompanied Emu Bill to the -shafts he now considered doomed. "Look at the stuff they're takin' out," -said he, drawing my attention to a heap of white and yellow cement-like -substance; "the beggars have gone clean through the bedrock and don't -know it." - -The men at the windlass eyed us savagely as we came near, and I -experienced for a moment a malicious joy when I noticed our -uncommunicative visitor among them. "We don't want no more opinions," -one of their number cried; "we knows we hasn't struck bottom yet." - -"Mates," said Emu Bill, with dignity, "I hiv sunk more duffers than thar -be years in my life--an' I'm no chicken--an' I tells ye straight, you've -not only struck bottom, but you've gone three or four feet past it. If -you means to tunnel through to Ole England, that's your business, but if -not, you'd better give it best." - -Without further words, we retraced our steps, my companion fuming -inwardly because of his brusque reception. Yet his advice must have had -due effect, for that evening the unfortunately-placed shafts were being -dismantled and late in the night the all too sanguine owners struck -their camps and departed for other fields. Their disappointment was -keen. They had missed fortune by only a few yards. - -Next morning all the Flat knew that Nos. 3, 4, and 5 had duffered out, -and, as a result, there was a great exodus of those who had been guided -by these locations; but, on the other hand, rejoicings were the order of -the day with the miners who believed Nos. 6 and 7 to mark the true -continuation of the lead, which had last been proved at the second -workings. - -Our claim was then the cynosure of all eyes, for the Emu's shaft was yet -barely six feet deep, and we were supposed to be close on the dreaded -bottom. I was convinced that we should know our luck immediately the -ironstone bar was penetrated, and that obstruction was not likely to -hinder us much longer. - -"I'll be the man that'll see gold first," Mac announced confidently, as -he shouldered his pick after breakfast and prepared to take first shift. - -"I've got a rale bonnie flag to pit up when ye're ready," said Stewart, -displaying an imposing-looking Union Jack which had done service at -Klondike, and which he had been surreptitiously repairing for some days -past. - -Phil was silent. "I sincerely hope we may not be disappointed," he said -at length. Like me, he could not understand the presence of the -refractory formation so close upon auriferous wash--if the latter -really existed in our claim. - -"Geological rules don't count in this country, Phil," I suggested -hopefully; then Mac departed, grumbling loudly at what he was pleased to -call my "Job's comfortings." - -For the best part of the forenoon I listened to the thudding of the pick -with an anxious interest, for any stroke now might penetrate to the -mysterious compound known as the cement wash; but the blows still rung -hard and clear, and I grew weary waiting. It was not necessary to send -the bucket below often. Though Mac smote the flinty rock with all his -strength, and a vigour which few could have sustained, the result of his -labours was almost infinitesimal. Every half-hour Stewart would receive -from his perspiring companion a blunted pick, hoisted up on the end of -the cable, while a fresh one was provided to continue the onslaught. Mac -seemed tireless, and Stewart above, at a blazing fire, practised all his -smithy art to keep the sorely-used tools in order; while ever and anon a -hoarse voice would bellow from the underground, "Mak' them hard, -Stewart, ma man. Mind that it is no butter A'm diggin'." - -"You must come up, Mac," I said, when one o'clock drew near, but he -would not hear of it. "I ken I hivna faur tae gang noo," he cried. "I -can hear the sound gettin' hollow." - -Another ten minutes passed, and now I could distinctly note a difference -in the tone of the echoes ringing upwards. Thud! Thud! Thud! went the -pick, and Mac's breath came in long deep gasps, that made Stewart rave -wildly at the severe nature of his comrade's exertions. - -Then suddenly there was a crash, followed by a shout of joy. Mac had -bottomed at last. - -For several moments complete silence reigned; then a subdued scraping -below indicated that Mac was collecting some of the newly-exposed -stratum for analysis. - -"What does it look like?" I whispered down. There are few indeed who -could withstand a touch of the gold fever at such a critical time, and I -was impatient to know the best or the worst; either report would have -allayed the indescribable feeling that possessed me then. The most -hardened goldseeker is not immune from the thrill created when bottom -has been reached; at that moment he is at one with the veriest novice -who eagerly expects to view gold in its rough state for the first time. - -My companion did not at once gratify my longing for knowledge, and when -he replied, Phil, Stewart, and myself were peering down into the shaft -awaiting intelligence with breathless interest. - -"I think," he muttered, in tones that struck upon our ears as a knell of -doom, "I raelly think--ye micht keep yer heids oot o' the licht." - -"Mac!" I admonished, "remember this is no time for pleasantries." - -"Weel, weel," he responded apologetically, "I wis wantin' tae gie -correct infurmashun, bit the glint aff Stewart's pow mak's a' thing -coloured." Stewart promptly drew back his head with a howl of rage. - -"Mak' nae mair refleckshuns!" he cried indignantly. - -There came a creak at the windlass rope as Mac put his foot into the -half-filled bucket and prepared to ascend; then his voice rolled up to -us again. "Wha's makin' refleckshuns? I was only makin' menshun o' the -bonnie auburn----" - -"Shut up, Mac," Phil interrupted, and Mac obligingly cut short his -soliloquy and roared-- - -"Staun by the windlass, ye deevils, I'm comin' up wi' specimens!" - -If he had had cause at one time to comment on the slow and uncertain -nature of his upward flight, he assuredly had no room for complaint in -that direction on this occasion. All three of us went to the windlass -and yanked our comrade to the surface at a rate that caused him much -consternation. Then I seized the bucket, which contained a few pounds of -an alarmingly white-looking deposit, and hurried with it into the tent, -where the gold-pan, freshly scrubbed, lay waiting beside a kerosene tin -half filled with muddy water. On closer examination the samples looked -decidedly more promising; little granules of quartz were interspersed -with the white cement, and a sprinkling of ironshot particles were also -in evidence. We had struck an alluvial wash: that was clear enough, and -now the question was--would it prove to be auriferous? Without speaking -we commenced to crush the matrix into as fine a powder as possible, and -when that operation was completed, the whole was emptied into the -gold-pan. - -"It looks just like sugar," Stewart broke out, "an' no near so dirty as -Klonduk gravel." - -"Get your flag ready," I said, "we'll know our luck in a few minutes." I -now filled the pan with water, and began to give it that concentric -motion so familiar to those who search for the yellow metal. Gradually, -very gradually, the water was canted off, carrying with it the bulk of -the lighter sands, and finally the residue was left in the form of some -ounces of black ironstone powder, which, because of its weight, had -remained, and about an equal amount of coarse quartz grains that had -escaped crushing. - -"But I don't see any gold," said Phil despondingly. - -"Ye're faur too impatient," Mac reproved. "Ye didna expec' tae see it -floatin' on tap o' a' that stuff surely?" - -I tilted the pan obliquely several times in order to make the contents -slide round in the circular groove provided, and as it slowly moved -under the gentle pressure of the little water remaining, it left a -glittering trail in its wake, which caused my three companions to break -out in a whoop of delight. - -Some sixty seconds later the Union Jack floated bravely above our -windlass, and was hailed with a thunder of applause. - - - - -CAMP-FIRE REMINISCENCES - - -For many weeks work went on merrily. One after another the various -claims reached paying gravel, and flags of all designs and colours soon -marked the course of the lead for fully half a mile, after which -distance the golden vein effectually eluded discovery; it had apparently -disappeared into the bowels of the earth. For the first few days -succeeding our location of the auriferous wash we contented ourselves in -dollying the more easily disintegrated parts of the white conglomerate, -and collecting the solid and cumbrous blocks excavated into sacks, each -of which when filled weighed over a hundred pounds. These I meant to -send to some crushing battery when several tons had been raised. - -The water for dollying as well as for all other purposes was obtained -from a deep shaft sunk near at hand by a speculative individual, who -considered that water might ultimately pay him as generously as gold, -and as he charged eightpence a gallon for the brackish fluid, and had an -unlimited demand for it at that, he probably found it a less troublesome -and much more lucrative commodity than even a moderately wealthy claim -on the Five-Mile Lead. As it so happened, however, when other claims -began to copy our tactics and dolly portions of their wash, it was made -evident that the water bore was not equal to the strain, and once or -twice it ran dry at a most critical time. After a careful computation of -its capacity we saw that it could only be drawn upon for domestic -purposes in future, and even then there was every probability of the -supply giving out if a good rainfall did not soon occur to moisten the -land and percolate to the impervious basin tapped by the bore in -question. - -[Illustration: OUR SHAFT.] - -At this time a public battery, owned by a limited company, was doing -yeoman service to the dwellers on an alluvial field some five miles -south of us; and after much consideration we, in common with the most of -the miners, arranged to despatch our golden gravel thither, as being the -only way out of a difficulty. Public batteries exist all over those -goldfields, for, owing to the absence of water, a prospector can rarely -do more than test samples of his find, and thereby estimate its value; -and these public crushing plants are, therefore, a very necessary -adjunct to his success. - -The time passed pleasantly enough now that the trying uncertainty of the -first fortnight was no longer with us, and the auriferous channel was -being slowly and surely tunnelled and cut in every conceivable -direction. Work was pursued in matter-of-fact fashion. The glamour of -the goldseeker's life had departed with the risk. - -Yet when the practical and perhaps sordid work of the day was done, and -we gathered together around one or other of the numerous camp fires, it -seemed as if a new world had descended upon us when daylight gave place -to the mystic glimmer of the lesser stars and the steadfast radiance of -the glorious Southern Cross. Only the world-wanderer who has slept -beneath all skies can truly appreciate the grandeur of the southern -constellations. The bushman has grown to love them from his infancy; -they have been his companions on many a weary journey, and he regards -them with an almost sacrilegious familiarity. But to the traveller from -other lands these shining guideposts in the heavens arouse a feeling -akin to reverence, and later, when he ventures into his grim desert -land and trusts his life to their constancy, his admiration, were it -possible, increases tenfold. There is, of course, one great reason for -the stranger's attachment to the sky sentinels of an Australian night -other than their calm, clear brilliance. In no other country is the -wanderer brought so close, as it were, to the luminaries of night. In -Canada, Alaska, America, India, or China, or, indeed, in any portion of -the globe, by reason of climatic or other conditions, one must perforce -sleep under canvas, and in some cases where the cold is severe--as in -Alaska--the shelter of a heavily-logged hut is almost a necessity. But -in the inland parts of Australia, where rain seldom falls, and where no -pestilence taints the atmosphere, the sky alone usually forms the -traveller's roof. Many times have I gone to sleep in the great silent -interior with only my coat for a pillow, and coaxed myself into slumber -while watching for the advent of a favourite star, or tracing the -gradual course of the Southern Cross. - -To me the stars of the south have a peculiar significance. When I gazed -at them, even while divided from civilisation by over a thousand miles -of dreary arid sand plains, I felt comforted, for though compass and -sextant may fail, the stars will still show the way. - -I recall our evenings spent at the Five-Mile Camp with deepest pleasure. -There only did I meet and talk with the typical men of the West, and the -simple, true-hearted, restless spirits of the Island Continent who have -pushed the outposts of their country far into the desert. It was my one -experience of a Western Australian mining camp, and afterwards, during -our weary wanderings in the far interior, we often longed for the -company of the generous-minded men who used to gather round our fire and -review their early experiences with such vivid effect. - -Emu Bill, I have already mentioned, but there were several others whom -we came to know during the later days of our sojourn at the golden flat, -and they had all their own peculiar characteristics, with a sterling -honesty of purpose as the keynote of their lives. - -"Old Tom," I remember, possessed an interest in the claim next to ours; -not much of an interest it was, either, for he was too old a man to have -come in nearly first in the rush. He had simply been promised a -percentage of returns in No. 8 for doing all the work thereon; and as at -first the presence of gold there was much doubted, it was no great -generosity on the part of the owner of the lot to promise slight reward -and no wages for labour done. Yet for once Old Tom scored in a bargain, -and his labours were not, as he cheerfully said they had ever been, -wholly vain. - -Old Tom must have been a splendid specimen of manhood in his day; now he -was nearly seventy years of age, and his bent shoulders detracted -somewhat from his great stature, while his slightly-bowed legs--whose -deviation from the perpendicular, he insisted, had been caused by much -walking--gave to him a more frail appearance than was justified. - -His knowledge of his own country was extensive, but he had fallen into -the strange belief that the world began at Australia, and that Europe, -Asia, and other portions of the globe were merely remote colonies or -dependencies of his own land. "I hiv walked all over Australia, mates," -he used to say; "I know the world well." - -"You ought to see London, Tom," I said, one night, after he had been -recounting his travelling experiences; but he shook his head. - -"It's too far to walk," he replied sadly; "Old Tom's walking days are -nearly over. But," and he brightened considerably, "I've heard tell that -Lunnon is full o' people, an' there wouldn't be no room for an old man -like me to peg his claim." - -It was one of his fixed ideas that the whole world was but a goldfield -on which all men had to try their luck. And the sea had its terrors for -him, as it has for nearly all bushmen, although most of them get -accustomed to it sooner or later. With Old Tom it would be never. "I -went on a ship once," he admitted, "when I was a young 'un, an' the -mem'ry o't will never leave me." He shuddered at the recollection of his -sufferings. "I kin walk 'bout as fast as a ship, anyway," he added with -much satisfaction, "an' a hundred miles more or less don't make much -difference when Old Tom is on the wallaby." - -At another time, when news of Kitchener's brilliant successes in the -Soudan had reached us, I read out to him from an old home newspaper -details of the capture of Omdurman. There were many around the fire that -night, and all listened eagerly to the thrilling narrative except Old -Tom; he gazed listlessly into the glowing fire, and smoked his pipe -unmoved. - -"Have you no interest in these things, Tom?" I asked. - -"It's a long time since I've been in the Eastern Colonies," he answered -slowly, "an' I hiv lost my bearin's among them names. Soudan is in -Queensland, isn't it? Or mebbe it is west'ard in Noo South Wales?" Poor -Old Tom! he had fought the aborigines times without number, and taken -his life in his hands on many a lone trail, yet he would have been -surprised had anyone said that he was more than usually venturesome. He -knew no fear, and acted his weary part in life nobly and well. - -[Illustration: NUGGETY DICK AND SILENT TED.] - -"Silent Ted" was another of our camp-fire comrades; he was, as his name -implied, not a talkative individual. Long years spent in the bush had -served to dry up the vials of his speech. Yet he was not morose or -taciturn by nature; he simply seemed too tired to give expression to his -thoughts. His eyes were ever fixed and emotionless as the desert -sands--sure evidence of the bushman who has lived in the dreary -wilderness beyond the Darling. He had been a long time in striking gold, -and we all thought his shaft was likely to prove a duffer; but despite -our gloomy prophecies he joined our evening circle night after night, -and smoked his pipe cheerful as usual, though that was not saying much. - -"I forgot to tell you, mates," he broke out one evening, to our great -surprise, "that I struck bottom yesterday." - -He meant to say more, but his mouth closed with a click in spite of -himself, and in reply to our congratulations he handed round for -examination two fine specimens of alluvial gold which he had taken from -his first day's tests, and when they had been inspected by the community -and returned to him, he passed them on to his neighbour with a sigh; he -had apparently already forgotten their existence. - -The devil-may-care fossicker, also, was well represented, and his -species rejoiced in cognomens so euphonious and varied that I could -never remember the correct titles to bestow upon their several owners, -and only realised my mistakes when greeted with reproachful glances. -Among our acquaintances were, "Dead Broke Sam," a proverbially -unfortunate miner in a perpetual state of pecuniary embarrassment; -"Lucky Dave," who always "came out on top;" "Happy Jack," who seemed to -find much cause for merriment in his rather commonplace existence; and -"Nuggety Dick," who at all times could unearth one or two specimens from -some secret place in his meagre wardrobe, and describe minutely where -they had been obtained--usually some place comprehensively indicated as -"away out back." - -These gaunt, bearded men had many strange stories to tell, and in the -ruddy firelight they would trace on the sand intricate charts emblematic -of their wanderings. They were those whose roving natures compelled -them to follow up every gold rush, with the firm belief that -extraordinary fortune would one day crown their efforts. "It's a durned -hard life, boys," Dead Broke Sam, who worked with Old Tom on similar -terms of remuneration, would often say, looking round for the -sympathetic chorus that was always forthcoming, "but if we doesn't peg -out, we is bound to strike it some day." - -There is no blasphemy in the speech of the Australian miner. The most -rugged-looking fossicker is gentle as a lamb, save when undue -presumption on the part of some new chum, or "furriner," arouses his -ire, and then he makes things hum generally; but his forcible words are -merely forcible, and perhaps "picturesque," but nothing more; the inane -profanity of the Yankee fortune-seeker finds no exponent in the -Australian back-blocker. - -Many were the tales "pitched" on these long starlit nights, and -narratives of adventure in search of gold, and hairbreadth escapes from -the aborigines succeeded each other until the evening was far spent, and -the Southern Cross had sunk beyond the horizon. Then we would disperse -with a monosyllabic "night, boys," all round, and seek our separate -sandy couches. - -My comrades, Mac and Stewart, were shining satellites at these meetings, -and weird stories from the Pampas plains and the Klondike valley formed -at intervals a pleasing change--from the miners' point of view--to the -accounts of gold-finds, and rushes, and hostile natives, so fluently -described by Nuggety Dick and Co. And now and then a whaling anecdote -would lend zest to the gathering, faithfully told by Stewart with much -dramatic effect; he was, indeed, a past master at the art, and never -failed to hold his audience spellbound. - -Emu Bill, though recognised by all as the most experienced miner -present, rarely condescended to spin a yarn, and he listened to his -_confrères'_ tales with ill-concealed impatience, but showed a decided -liking for my two warriors' romances. One evening, however, he broke his -reserve and proceeded to give a rambling survey of his wanderings, and -as he warmed to his subject his eyes began to glow, and his gestures -became eloquent and impassioned. - -"Yes, boys," said he, winding up a _resumé_ of his exploits in various -parts of Australia, "I calc'late I hev had a fair-sized experience o' -gold mining in my time, an' as ye may guess, I hevn't allus come out -right end up, nuther, else I shouldn't be here. Thank the Lord! I've -struck something at last." - -"I'm wi' ye thar, mate," grunted Old Tom in sympathy. "I guess this is -Old Tom's last rise." - -Then a silence fell over the little assembly, during which Emu Bill drew -fanciful diagrams in the sand with an improvised camp poker, and Silent -Ted almost went to sleep. The rest of us gazed at Emu Bill with a show -of interest, expecting him to proceed with his reminiscences, and soon -he started again. - -"Yes, boys, I've had my disappintments, as we've all had, I opine, but I -had an un-common disappintment at the time o' the Kalgoorlie Rush----" - -"Kalgoorlie Rush, Bill?" I exclaimed. "Were you in that?" - -"Wur I in that?" he echoed dismally. "I wur, an' I wurn't, which is not -mebbe a very plain statement, but you kin jedge fur yourself if you care -to hear my yarn." - -"Let her go, Bill," said Nuggety Dick. - -"I'm listenin' wi' vera great interest," Mac spoke slowly. "Ye've been a -man o' pairts, Emoo." - -After sundry expressions of approval had been elicited, Bill again -picked up the thread of his narrative. - -"You've heard o' old Hannan, of course," he began, "the diskiverer o' -Kalgoorlie? The diskiverer o' Kalgoorlie!" he repeated, mimicking a -general expression often heard on the fields. "Well, boys, I kin tell -you how Kalgoorlie was diskivered.... Pat Hannan an' me had been mates -for a considerable time. We walked from South'ron Cross together afore -the railway, an' we 'specked around Coolgardie camp wi' fairish success. -There was no township at Coolgardie then, boys, though that jumped up -quick enough. One day we thought we'd jine a party as was going out -eastward to 'speck for gold furrer back in the nigger country; an' after -gettin' our water-bags filled an' provisions for a month rolled up in -our swags, we all cleared out. In two days we camped at Kalgoorlie well. -You know where that is, boys; but there was nary a shanty within -twenty-five miles of it then, nothin' but sand an' black boys, an' hosts -o' nigs. But we never thought o' lookin' for gold there, worse luck; at -least, none o' the rest did; but old Hannan had a skirmish round' an' -reported nary sign o't, so we struck camp at oncet. But jest as we wur -movin' off, Hannan comes to me with a twist on his mug an' snickers, -'Bill, me bhoy, phwat can I do? Me water-bag's bust!' Now that wur a -ser'us matter, for we needed all the water we could carry, not knowin' -when another well might turn up, so I voted we shid all camp again until -Pat's water-bag had been repaired, an' the rest o' the boys of course -agreed, unan'mous. But that wouldn't suit old Hannan, 'Ye'd better go -on, boys,' said he, 'an' I'll come after yez in half an hour.' So we -went on; but though we went slow, and arterards waited fur half a day, -no Hannan turned up, an' we had to continue our journey without him. -Well, boys, we came back in less'n a fortnight, arter trampin' about in -the durnedest country on God's earth in search o' water an' findin' -none. We hadn't time to look fur gold, so ye kin guess we wur mighty -miserable when we drew near to the place where old Hannan's water-bag -had busted; but the appearance o' the camp sort o' mystified us, thar -wur rows an' rows o' tents, an' the ground was pegged fur miles. -'Howlin' tarnation!' I yelled at the first man we came across. 'Is this -a mir-adge, or what has we struck?' 'Nary mir-adge, mate,' said he, -'this is Hannan's Find, or Kalgoorlie if yous like that name -better.' ... An' it wur a bitter fack, boys. Old Hannan must -have notised an outcrop somewheres around, an' being allfired afeared -that we, his mates, might get too much benefit, he had ripped the -water-bag on purpose so as to get an excoose fur waitin' behind. Then, -of course, he had gone back to Coolgardie an' got the Government -diskivery reward, which otherwise would have been divided atween us. But -we got nothin', boys, nary cent, an' nary square inch o' ground. The -camp had been rushed when we wur sufferin' howlin' terrors out back.... -There's wan favour I'd ask of you, boys, don't none of you start 'God -blessin'' old Hannan for diskivering Kalgoorlie in my hearing. I can't -stand it, boys, an' you know why." - -Bill ceased, and a murmur of sympathy ran round the little group. The -Kalgoorlie rush was fresh in the minds of nearly all present, many of -whom had taken part in it. Every one knew Hannan, but who better than -his one-time partner? and if his tale showed the much-honoured finder of -Kalgoorlie in a less favourable light than that in which he was usually -regarded, no one doubted Emu Bill's version of the story; yet it was -hard to dispel from the mind the glamour of romance associated with the -event from the first. One more illustration of the difference between -the real and the ideal, but it seems almost a pity to destroy the -illusions, they lend so much colour and interest to otherwise sordid -episodes. - -The night was unusually dark, fleeting clouds constantly obscured the -feeble light of a slender crescent moon, and the myriad stars glimmered -fitfully. Our fire was the only cheerful object in the darkness, and it -blazed and crackled, lighting up the weather-beaten faces of the circle -around it, and illuminating our tent in the background. For a long time -no one spoke, every man seemed gloomily affected by Bill's story, and -with chins resting on their hands they gazed into the vortex of the -flaming logs long and earnestly. - -Then a familiar voice interrupted their reveries. "When Stewart an' me -discovered Gold Bottom Creek----" - -"Go slow, Mac," I objected wearily; "it's getting late and we'd better -turn in." - -"It is wearin' on fur midnight," grunted Dead Broke Sam, surveying the -heavens for the position of his favourite reckoning star. - -"What was your last battery returns, mate?" asked Emu Bill, turning to -me with a revival of practical interest. - -"Fifty tons for 150 ounces," I replied. - -"Not too bad," commented Nuggety Dick. - -"I'm 20 tons fur 60 ounces," said my interrogator, "which is the same -ratio. I guess Nos. 6 and 7 are the best properties on the Five Mile." - -"I'm 25 for 51," announced Happy Jack cheerfully. - -"Thank the Lord, we've all got somethin'," Old Tom muttered devoutly, as -he rose to his feet. Then we went our several ways. - -[Illustration: HAPPY JACK AND DEAD-BROKE SAM.] - - - - -THE "SACRED" NUGGET - - -At this time much interest was aroused by the report that an -extraordinarily large nugget had been found within a few miles of -Kanowna, an outlying township, but as the days passed and no -confirmation of the rumour was forthcoming, the miners throughout the -whole district decided to hold a court of inquiry and elicit the facts, -or at least the foundations on which the panic-creating statement had -been based. As may be imagined, where gold is in question no rumour, -however wild, is allowed to die a natural death. The miners _will_ sift -and probe into the matter to the bitter end--and usually the end is -bitter indeed to those who have been too eager to join the inevitable -rush, and sink the almost equally inevitable duffer shafts. - -In the present case, however, the sifting process was speedily fruitful -of results. Tangible evidence was obtained that two men had been seen -early one morning carrying what seemed to be an enormous nugget in a -blanket, some little distance from the settlement. Where the men came -from with their find no one knew, and it was not likely that they would -have given the information had it been asked; but where they had gone -afterwards promised to be an equally mysterious question; they had -vanished, leaving no trace or clue. - -The warden of the district professed complete ignorance of the entire -affair, and suggested that a practical joke had been played on the -people; but this only served to make the miners unite in an outburst of -genuine indignation. Already many shafts had been sunk in the most -unlikely places by men who could ill afford to labour in vain. The mad -enthusiasm created had had dire effect. Hundreds of men were flooding -into the camp daily from every quarter; work on all the leads had ceased -in anticipation of a rush. The joke, if joke it was, was indeed a cruel -one, and its perpetrators deserved the wild denunciations that were -heaped upon them. "We'll lynch them!" roared the miners, and they meant -it; but despite the utmost searching, the nugget-carriers--whose names -were known--could not be found. - -Then just as excitement was dying out, when the people were all but -convinced that they had been hoaxed, and were preparing to return to -their various labours, confirmation of the rumour came from a most -unexpected quarter. A Roman Catholic priest publicly stated that he was -aware of the existence of the nugget, that he had been under a promise -of secrecy to the finders not to reveal its location for ten days, but -that owing to the extreme panic aroused he felt constrained to admit its -authenticity, so that one doubt might be set at rest. As for the -district in which the great find had been made, he would give full -particulars on the following Tuesday. He further gave out that the -nugget weighed something over a hundred pounds, and was a perfect -specimen of true alluvial gold. - -The state of affairs after that can be better imagined than written. -There promised to be a rush unequalled in the annals of goldfields -history. Men flocked into Kanowna in their thousands; excitement was -raised to fever heat; and the whole country seemed to await the coming -of Tuesday. - -We, on the Five Mile, did not escape the prevalent craze. Our various -properties were becoming worked out, and in any case who could resist -being influenced by the mention of such a large nugget? The gold fever -is, indeed, a rampant, raging disease which few can withstand. - -"It'll be a bonnie run," said Stewart, "bit I can haud ma ain wi' ony -man." - -"I think Phil could gie ye a sair tussle," commented Mac, "an' as fur -masel'--I alloo naebody's sooperiority." - -But it was plain to all, long before the eventful day arrived, that the -rush for the Sacred Nugget, as it was called, would be totally different -from that in which we had taken part with so much success. And little -wonder. Since Father Long's announcement, horses and bicycles and -buggies of all descriptions were being held in readiness. No one had a -notion how near or how far the rush might lead, but all seemed -determined to have the speediest means of locomotion at their disposal. -Under these circumstances my companions' running powers could avail -little, and I was not disposed to favour their desire to try their luck -in the stampede. - -"We've had enough of gold-mining, boys," I said, "and after we have -finished here I think we'll prospect further out." And the thought of -journeying into the unknown back country pleased them mightily. It had -long been my wish to explore the central parts of the great Western -Colony, and I was seriously considering the feasibility of my plans -towards that purpose when the Sacred Nugget excitement burst into -prominence, and for the time being served to demoralise my schemes. - -"I don't think we ought to trouble with any new strike about here," Phil -said wearily. The monotony of the gold-seeker's life in Western -Australia was beginning to affect even his usually buoyant nature. - -"Don't go, boys," advised Emu Bill earnestly. "I is satisfied the thing -isn't straight. Father Long or no Father Long, thar's been too much -mystery about the consarn. Thar's a ser'us hoax somewheres." - -It was a surprise to hear such advice from him. I thought of the time -when I first saw him leading the rush to Five Mile, and unconsciously I -smiled. "In spite of what you say, I believe you'll be there yourself, -Bill," I said. "I'm sure it would break your heart to be absent from -such an event." - -"I'm not deny'n' but you're right," he replied soberly. "Wi' me it's a -sort o' madness, but that don't affeck the honesty o' my remarks wan -little bit." - -"Weel," began Mac with emphasis, "if ye dinna want tae gang, ye'll no -gang. Stewart and me'll see efter that. I'll dae ye a kindness fur -aince, Emoo." - -We decided at last that Phil and I should go and view the "circus"--not -to join in it by any means, but simply that we should see, and have our -curiosity gratified; and so the matter rested. But on Tuesday morning, -when Emu Bill saw the eager throngs passing inwards in the direction of -Kanowna, his resolutions began to waver, and when the Five-Mile Flat -also began to show a deserted appearance, he came over to our tent with -a mournful countenance. - -"I is goin' with you arter all, mates," he said simply. - -"Ye're gaun tae dae naething o' the sort, Emoo," roared Mac. "Did ye no -promise tae wait wi' Stewart an' me? No, ma man, fur yer ain guid we'll -keep ye here." - -And after much eloquent argument Bill resigned himself to his fate, -almost cheerful at last to find his own views resisted so strongly. But -as Phil and I were starting out, he came to me with an eager light in -his eyes. "If you does think it's goin' to be any good," he said, -"mention my name to Tom Doyle. He'll give you anything you want. -Goodbye, boys, an'--an' good luck." And he was led away to be regaled -with stirring stories of other lands, by the masterful pair. - -The momentous announcement had been advertised to take place on Tuesday, -at 3.30 p.m., from the balcony of the Criterion Hotel, and when we -reached the township about midday we found the main thoroughfare a -jostling mass of boisterous humanity; while cyclists in hundreds, -lightly garbed as if for a great race, waited patiently in the side -street leading to the post-office, and in full view of the -much-advertised balcony. The cyclist element was composed of strangers, -for the most part, who had cycled from Kalgoorlie and other settlements -within a radius of twenty miles; hence their early arrival on the scene; -they had timed themselves to be well ahead, so as to be fully rested -before the fateful signal was given. - -As we forced our way through the crowd I could not help remarking that -the majority had been imbibing over-freely to ensure rapidity of action -later on. Indeed, it looked as if the Criterion Hotel, which formed the -centre of interest, was to be most benefited by the rush. It had not -been by any means the most popular rendezvous of the miners, but on this -day it received a huge advertisement, and profited accordingly. - -We walked to the end of the street, where the bustle was considerably -less, and here we noticed a large wooden erection bearing the sign, "Tom -Doyle, Kanowna Hotel." - -"That is the name Bill mentioned," said Phil; "he seems a fairly -important individual in his own way. Suppose we interview him, or at -least have dinner in his mansion." - -To the latter part of the suggestion I was agreeable, and so in we -went. I had met Tom Doyle on several occasions since my arrival in the -country; that gentleman was most ubiquitous in his habits, and had a -keen scent for gold, so that his lanky figure might be expected anywhere -where good prospects had recently been obtained. He was also future -mayor of the camp, and so was, as Phil had put it, quite an important -individual in his way; but how we could benefit by giving him Emu Bill's -name and compliments was more than I could understand. - -The hotel seemed to be completely empty; even the bar was deserted, -which showed an extraordinary state of matters. "If Mac and Stewart were -here," laughed Phil, "there would be a repetition of the Indian village -raid I have heard so much about." Which I fear was only too true. -However, we determined to give fair warning of our presence in the -establishment, and halloed out lustily; and at last a heavy footstep -sounded in the room above. - -"Doyle!" I cried, "Sir Thomas Doyle!" - -"Lord Doyle!" added Phil, in a voice that might have awakened the seven -sleepers. - -"Phwat the thunder'n' blazes is yez yellin' at!" roared the object of -our inquiry, suddenly appearing on the stairway. Then he noticed the -vacant bar. "Thunder'n' turf!" he muttered helplessly, "has all the shop -cleared out after that d----d nugget?" - -"Looks like it, Tom," I suggested. "Have you been asleep?" - -"Av coorse. It's me afternoon siesta I was having. I'll be in time for -the rush all right, an' don't you forget it." - -"We didn't come to warn you about that," I said. "Emu Bill of the Five -Mile said you had a few good horses----" - -[Illustration: READY FOR THE RUSH.] - -"Emoo Bill!" he howled. - -"Same man," I admitted; "do you know him?" - -"Does I know Emoo Bill? Well, I should smile. Why, me an' him were with -Hannan when that old skunk went back on us at the discovery ov -Kalgoorlie. Howly Moses! Poor owld Emoo! Horses, boys? Surely. I'm goin' -to use 'Prince' myself, but yez can have the two steeplechasers, 'Satan' -an' 'Reprieve.' I'll do that much for the Emoo; an' d----n the others -who expect the horses." - -Events had certainly developed much more rapidly than I had anticipated; -neither Phil nor myself had entertained the idea of joining in the rush. -I had mentioned Emu Bill's message idly, never dreaming it would produce -such a prompt effect. Tom Doyle was a noted sporting man in the -district, a second Harry Lorrequer in a small way, and provided he was -not drunk, he could break in even the most unruly horse when all others -had failed. - -The noise on the street was now becoming terrific; small armies of -miners bearing picks and stakes were arriving from the local diggings, -and buggies and horses were being hurriedly equipped. - -"We'll have a dhrop av the crater first," said Tom, noting the -disturbance outside, "and then we'll saddle up." - -Shortly afterwards we emerged from the hotel courtyard mounted on horses -that were the pride of the countryside. Tom rode "Prince," a -powerful-limbed, coal-black cob of sixteen hands; Phil bestrode "Satan," -a fiery Australian brumby; and I clung to "Reprieve," an impetuous -high-stepping bay. "Keep at my heels, boys," cried Tom, as he started -off at a canter, and it was at once evident that if we could keep at his -heels we should be in at the death without a doubt. It was slightly -after three o'clock, and when we reached the scene of excitement we -found the street absolutely blocked. There must have been several -thousand men packed like sardines right across the broad passage, and on -the outskirts of this vast crowd over a hundred cyclists stood ready; -beyond them still, a line of horsemen were drawn up, in numbers -exceeding a regimental squadron. - -Scores of buggies and other spidery racing contrivances were scattered -near at hand, and extended far down the side street leading towards the -post-office. It was indeed an extraordinary sight. We formed up with the -other horsemen, Tom's approach being hailed with loud cheers, for every -one knew the dare-devil Irishman. - -"You'll get a broken neck this time, Tom," cried one of his -acquaintances cheerfully. - -"I didn't know Prince was broken in to the saddle yet, Tom," said -another. - -"No more he isn't," replied Tom, "but he's broken enough for me. Stand -clear, bhoys." - -And then the black charger reared and bucked and curvetted wildly, while -its rider kicked his feet out of the stirrups and kept his seat like a -Centaur. Few of the horses present had been much used before, and they -now became restive also, and pranced dangerously. Phil and I had a bad -five minutes. We did not know the nature or temper of our mounts; and -besides, neither of us cared to place much reliance on our stirrup -leathers, they looked frayed and wofully fragile. - -"If they _go_ with yez, bhoys," advised Tom, "give 'em their heads. -They'll get tired soon enough. Thar's lots o' room in this country." - -"Oh, Lord!" groaned Phil, "what a comfortable prospect we have before -us! My back is about broken with this kicking brute already." - -The vast assembly was now becoming impatient. The stated time, 3.30, -had been reached, and as yet there was no sign of the Reverend Father -who had been the cause of the extraordinary meeting. Then just as -threats and curses were being muttered, a pale-faced young man in -clerical garb made his appearance on the balcony, and a deathlike -stillness reigned in an instant. In a few words the priest explained his -strange position, but he was rudely interrupted many times. - -"It's gettin' late. Where did the nugget come from?" the rougher spirits -roared. The young man hesitated for a moment. - -"The nugget was found on the Lake Gwinne track," he said, "at a depth of -three feet----" - -With a long, indescribable roar the multitude scattered, and the -speaker's concluding words were drowned in the din. "Hold on!" cried -Tom, as Phil and I swung round to follow the main rush, "the d----d -idiots didn't wait to hear how _far_ it was from Lake Gwinne." There was -scarcely a dozen of us left; the breaking-up had been as the melting of -summer snows. - -"And the position is two miles from the lake," repeated the young man, -wearily. Then Tom gave his horse a free rein and we followed suit. - -Lake Gwinne was a salt-crusted depression in the sand surface, about -five miles distant from the township, and in a very little frequented -vicinity. The so-called track towards it was nothing more than a winding -camel pad through the bush, and had the miners stopped to think, they -would have at once realised how insufficient was the data given. With -our additional information we were slightly better off; nevertheless I -was not at all inclined to grow enthusiastic over our chances. The -district mentioned had been very thoroughly prospected many months -before, and with little success. "I think Father Long has been hoaxed -after all," I said to Phil, as we crashed through scrub and over -ironstone gullies in the wake of the main body, which we were rapidly -overtaking. But he could not reply; his horse was clearing the brush in -great bounds, and as it had the bit between its teeth, my companion -evidently had his work cut out for him. - -A few yards ahead Tom's great charger kept up a swinging gallop, and -every now and then that jolly roysterer would turn in the saddle and -encourage us by cheery shouts. We soon passed the men who were hurrying -on foot, but the buggies and the cycles were still in front. The sand -soil throughout was so tightly packed that it formed an ideal cycle -path, but the sparse eucalypti dotting its surface were dangerous -obstacles, and made careful steering a necessity. The goldfield cyclist, -however, is a reckless individual, and rarely counts the cost of his -adventurousness. Soon we came near to the cyclist army; the spokes of -their wheels scintillated in the sunlight as they scudded over the open -patches. But one by one they dropped out, the twisted wheels showing how -they had tried conclusions with flinty boulders, or collided with one or -other of the numberless mallee stumps protruding above the ground. - -On one occasion Tom gave a warning shout, and I saw his horse take a -flying leap over a struggling cyclist who had got mixed up in the parts -of his machine. I had just time to swerve my steed to avoid a calamity, -and then we crashed on again at a mad gallop, evading the bicycles as -best we could, and sometimes clearing those which had come to grief at a -bound. It was in truth a wild and desperate race. - -When the last of the cyclists had been left behind, and the swaying, -dust-enshrouded buggies and one or two solitary horsemen were still in -front, Tom turned again. - -"Let her go now, bhoys," he said, "there's a clear field ahead. Whoop -la! Tally ho!" - -For the remainder of that gallop I had little time to view my -surroundings; I dug my heels into "Reprieve's" flanks, and he stretched -out his long neck and shot forward like an arrow from the bow. Buggies -and miscellaneous vehicles were overtaken and left in the rear. Various -horsemen would sometimes range alongside for a trial of speed, but -"Reprieve" outdistanced them all. - -"It's Doyle's 'Reprieve,'" one of the disgusted riders cried; "an' -there's 'Satan,' an', fire an' brimstone! here's Doyle hissel'." - -Tom's weight was beginning to tell on his noble animal, which had given -the lead to my horse who carried the lightest load; but with scarcely a -dozen lengths between us we thundered past the foremost racing buggy, -and were quickly dashing down towards Lake Gwinne, whose sands now -shimmered in the near distance. We were first in the rush after all. - -Suddenly we came upon a recently-excavated shaft with a dismantled -windlass lying near, and with one accord we drew up and dismounted. - -"If this is where the Sacred Nugget came out of, it looks d----d bad -that no one is about," growled Tom, throwing the reins of his horse over -a mulga sapling and looking around doubtfully. It was clearly the -vicinity indicated by Father Long, and we lost no time in marking off -our lots in the direction we considered most promising. We had barely -taken these preliminary precautions when horsemen and buggies began to -arrive in mixed order, and in a short time the ground all the way down -to the lake was swarming with excited goldseekers. - -"I'm blest if I like the look o' things at all, at all," mused Tom, and -I was inclined to take a similar view of matters, for a more -barren-looking stretch of country would have been hard to find. Then, -again, by examining the strata exposed in the abandoned shaft we could -form a fair estimate of the nature of the supposed gold-bearing -formation; and after Phil and I had made a minute survey of all -indications shown, we came to the conclusion that our ground, acquired -after such a hard ride, was practically worthless and not likely to -repay even the labour of sinking in it. - -The hundreds of others who had pegged out beyond us were not so quickly -convinced, and they announced their intention of sinking to bedrock if -they "busted" in the attempt. About an hour after our arrival at the -Sacred Nugget Patch, Phil and I started back for the Five-Mile Flat, -satisfied to have taken part in so strange a rush, yet quite certain -that the Sacred Nugget had been unearthed in some other district, or -that the entire concern had been a stupendous hoax. Tom Doyle decided to -camp on the so-called "Patch" all night, without any special reason for -doing so beyond holding the ground in case some fool might want to buy -it for flotation purposes, as had been done often before with useless -properties. - -When we reached home that evening we were tired indeed, and in spite of -ourselves we felt rather disappointed at the unsuccessful issue of the -much-advertised stampede. - -"Ye've had a gran' time," said Mac regretfully, when Phil told of how he -and "Satan" came in first after a most desperate race. - -"I'm glad I didn't go with you," said Bill. "I hope I can resist -temptation in the way o' rushes until I is ready to sail back homeward." - -"It would certainly be better," I allowed, "than to give up a proved -property for a miserable sham." - -As it happened, the famous rush had indeed proved but a worthless -demonstration. Not a grain of gold was discovered near the Sacred Patch; -and after much labour had been expended there, the disgusted miners -abandoned their shafts in a body. - -[Illustration: A BREAKDOWN IN THE RUSH.] - -The mystery connected with the alleged nugget was never explained. Every -bank in the Colony denied having seen it, and its supposed finders did -not again appear on the fields. Father Long must have been cruelly -victimised, of that there was no doubt, for no one could for a moment -believe that he had perjured himself. He was justly known as a -thoroughly honourable man and a conscientious teacher. Even the most -suspicious mind could not accuse him in any way. And he, the unfortunate -dupe of a pair of unscrupulous rogues, did not long survive the severe -shock given to an already feeble system. He died some months later, and -with him went the secret, if any, of the Great Sacred Nugget. - - - - -INTO THE "NEVER NEVER" LAND - - -A few weeks after the Sacred Nugget rush had taken place we lowered our -flag at the Five-Mile Flat, having come to an end of the auriferous -workings within our boundaries. I had meanwhile succeeded in purchasing -from an Afghan trader two powerful camels and five horses, with the -intention of using them on our projected inland expedition. The horses, -I feared, would prove of little service, but for the early part of the -journey they might relieve the camels somewhat by carrying the various -tinned foodstuffs necessary for a long sojourn in the desert. These -"various" stores vary but little notwithstanding their distinguishing -labels, and the bushman's vocabulary, always expressive, contains for -them a general title, namely, "tinned dog." - -Tinned dog and flour are, indeed, the sum total of the Australian -explorer's needs. The traveller in the great "Never Never" land is not -an epicure by any means, and should he be burdened by over-ĉsthetic -tastes they quickly vanish when "snake sausage" or "bardie pie" has -appeared on his _menu_ for some days! - -Phil had decided to accompany us, and as he had shared our fortunes -since our entry into the country, I was by no means loath to accept of -his services, knowing him to be a highly trustworthy comrade, and an -invaluable addition to our little party he proved. - -It was hard to say goodbye to our old associates of the camp fire; I -knew they would not remain much longer at the same diggings, which were -showing signs of playing out in almost every claim, and it was not -likely we should ever meet again. - -Old Tom was much affected; he had been our near neighbour so long, and -under the happiest circumstances of his wandering life, so he said, and -now we were going back into the "Never Never" country, and would never -see him more. I was not quite certain whether Old Tom meant that we -should most probably leave our bones in the central deserts, or whether -his words were due to an extreme sentimentalism on his part, but I -preferred to believe the latter. - -"We'll call and see you at Adelaide some of these times, Tom," I said, -while Stewart and Mac were bidding him an affectionate farewell, but he -only shook his head mournfully, and would not be comforted. - -As for Emu Bill, he had considerable faith in our enterprise, and would, -I believe, have come with us had I said the word. He was, however, a -true specimen of the independent bushman, and unwilling to demonstrate -his wishes. - -"Durn it all, boys," said he with vigour, "I is not an old man yet, an' -tho' I knows you aire a big enuff party without me to get through the -mallee country, I guess I'll coast it round to Derby in time to jine you -in a Leopolds trip." - -"I thought you were going home after this rise, Bill," I said -quizzically, not surprised to find his early resolutions wavering. - -"I'll mebbe see you 'cross the Leopolds first," he replied gravely. "I -calc'late I knows that bit o' kintry better'n any white man." - -"Goodbye, boys," roared Nuggety Dick and his satellites, waving their -shovels from their distant claims, and the echoes were taken up from -end to end of the lead, for where I was wholly unknown Mac and Stewart -had endeared themselves by devices peculiar to that crafty pair. It was -pleasant to receive such a genial send-off, and though I am not as a -rule affected by farewell greetings, yet on this occasion I felt -strangely moved. The camels and horses stood ready, laden with the great -water-bags and unwieldy mining machinery, and Phil was stroking the mane -of one of the horses in listless fashion. - -"It's a fairly long trip for you to start on, Phil," I said, noting the -far-away expression on his usually bright face. - -"I was thinking of _other_ things," he answered quietly. - -"Gee up, Misery!" cried Mac, cracking his long whip. - -"Gee up, Slavery!" echoed Stewart. And we started out, heading N.N.E., -bound for the land where the pelican builds its nest. - -For the first few miles we crossed the gridiron-like tracks connecting -the numerous camps and settlements lying out from the main township of -Kalgoorlie; but soon these signs of civilisation vanished, and in the -early afternoon our course lay over a wildering scrubland, with -iron-shot sand-patches here and there among the stunted shrubs. The -camels, which we had named "Slavery" and "Misery," led the trail. They -were, indeed, wiry animals, and as I paced beside them, noting their -almost ludicrously leisurely tread, I could not help remarking on the -vast amount of latent power indicated in every movement of their -rubber-like bodies. "Slavery" was a patient and gentle animal, and -marched along meekly under his load of full seven hundred pounds, but -"Misery" soon displayed a somewhat fiery temper, and before our first -day's journey was completed we were compelled to adopt stern measures -with the recalcitrant brute. - -The horses formed a sad-looking line behind the sturdier beasts of -burden, and they would cheerfully have forced along at a speedier rate -than the progress of the camels allowed. Among them were two -high-spirited animals, which we named "Sir John" and "Reprieve," while -the three others we dubbed simply "Sin," "Sand," and "Sorrow." - -We camped that evening just twelve miles from our starting-point, and -yet it seemed as if we were already beyond the reach of civilisation. -Not a trace of a white man's presence was visible anywhere, and for the -first night we missed the crashing rattle of the ever-working batteries. -A deathlike stillness filled the air, broken only by the startled scream -of the carrion crow or the weird double note of the mopoke. - -"There's any amount of room for prospecting here," hazarded Phil, gazing -around, after the horses and camels had been safely picketed. Which was -true; yet who could have the heart to sink a proving shaft amid such -inhospitable surroundings? - -"If we locate an outcrop, boys," I said, "we may trace it up, but -otherwise we can only test the surface sands with the dryblower." - -It was but vaguely known what kind of country lay far to eastward of us. -Many thousands of square miles had never been crossed by any traveller, -and strange rumours were often circulated among the miners of the -various outposts regarding the extraordinary riches of the vast "Never -Never" land. It was even predicted that a great inland river flowed -northwards towards the Gulf of Carpentaria; how far it flowed before -sinking in the arid sands was a matter for conjecture, but it was -confidently supposed to drain fertile valleys, and to be flanked by -noble mountain ranges rich in gold and precious gems. It was a rosy -enough picture, surely, but one which, unfortunately, no explorer had -yet succeeded in bearing out. - -"It's a gran' thing," said Mac thoughtfully, when supper was over, and -we were reclining on our blankets gazing at the stars, and listening to -the tinkling of the camel bells. "It's a vera gran' thing," he repeated, -"tae be alane aince mair, an' wi' the bonnie stars shinin' brichtly -abune----" - -"Here's a centipede!" roared Stewart, interrupting his comrade's -moralising. - -"Then pit it in yer pocket, ma man," was the calm reply; and he resumed -where he had left off: "Ay, it's a gran' thing, Phil, tae ken that ye're -traivellin' in new country, breathin' the bonnie pure air. Noo if ye had -been wi' me an' Stewart oot in Alaskie----" - -"Spin me a yarn, Mac," said Phil, drawing his blanket closer, while -Stewart started up in sheer amazement. - -Mac was visibly affected; he took his pipe from his mouth and gazed at -the camp fire blankly for some time without speaking. "Ye're a guid an' -thochtfu' man, Phil," he said at length with great earnestness, "an' -A'll gie ye a rale bonnie story...." - -I will pass but briefly over the early days of our march. Our track at -first led through the Murchison district, for I wished to make a -mid-northerly latitude before steering east; but after leaving the -Gascoyne Channel the country traversed was of the most dreary nature, -and similar to that around the more desolate southern gold camps. -Several soaks were found opportunely when the water-bags were becoming -dangerously flat, and our progress continued uneventfully for over a -week, but then the formation of the land-surface began to change rapidly -for the worse. The dwarfed eucalypti became sparser and sparser, and in -their room appeared bushy clumps of saltbush and tufts of spiky spinifex -grass. The hard ironsand soil, too, gave place to a white yielding -gravel which hindered our advance greatly. The camels, certainly, were -not seriously inconvenienced, but the staggering horses sank over the -fetlocks at each step, and stumbled forward painfully, while we -floundered alongside, almost blinded by the rising iron dust which -filled our ears and nostrils. - -[Illustration: OUR LAST VIEW OF THE FIVE-MILE WORKING.] - -For two days we crossed this disheartening waste, fearing greatly for -the safety of the horses, which showed signs of collapse. No water had -been located for three days before entering upon this miserable tract, -and assuredly none promised on its parched expanse. The horses--poor -animals!--fared rather ill in consequence, for we dared not give them -much of our rapidly-diminishing fluid supply. On the morning of the -third day, however, our course led across slightly-improved country, so -that better progress was made, and our chances of finding water were -decidedly more encouraging. - -At noon we entered a belt of scrub, and soon were crashing through a -miniature forest of stunted mallee; but this state of affairs was not -destined to last, for we could see in the distance, at a slightly higher -altitude, the open plain extending back into the horizon. At this point -Phil considered the indications very favourable for water, and we -decided to make a temporary camp, and search the district thoroughly -before proceeding. We were preparing to unload the camels, when Stewart, -who had gone a little way ahead, came rushing back in great excitement. -"Niggers!" he hoarsely whispered. Looking up I saw quite an assembly of -stalwart bucks directly in our course, and scarcely two hundred yards in -front. Some bushes partially hid them from our view, and they had -evidently not yet observed us. They were well equipped with spears and -waddies; probably they were out on a hunting expedition, and, if so, it -boded well for the resources of the district. - -While we hesitated, debating on our best plan of action, they saw us, -and gave vent to a series of shrill yells, yet were apparently undecided -whether to resent our presence or escape while they might. Then a shower -of spears whizzed through the air, but fell short, and buried their -heads in the sand at our feet. We were just out of range of these -missiles, luckily enough. My companions were not disposed to tolerate -such tactics, and Mac discharged his gun, loaded with small shot, at the -hostile band. They waited no longer, but made a wild rush into the -densest part of the scrub, and were quickly lost to sight. Then we -proceeded onwards warily, whilst far in the distance the branches -crackled and broke before the fleeing horde. The scene of their stand -was littered with fragments of brushwood, and the dying embers of a fire -smouldered in the centre of a small clearing close by. All around, -shields, spears, and boomerangs lay scattered as they had been thrown -when their owners took to flight. The sight was curiously strange and -impressive. - -My usually loquacious companions had been wonderfully silent during the -last day or so, owing, perhaps, to the uninspiring nature of our -environment, but now Mac succeeded in launching into a lengthy diatribe, -in which he consigned the blacks generally to a very warm climate -indeed. - -"At the same time," said he, "we shidna forget that such inceedents -serve a vera usefu' purpose." - -"They seemed rale dacent black buddies," reflectively murmured Stewart. - -"And they entertained the laudable desire of puncturing us with 'rale -dacent' spears," Phil added shortly. - -The camels stood patiently within the clearing, with their long necks -outstretched, and their heads moving up and down with the regularity of -automatons; the horses straggled behind, gasping feebly. - -"We'd better make a halt right here, boys," I said; "the horses seem -played out completely." So while Mac and Stewart were engaged in the -work of unloading them, Phil and I made a minute survey of our -surroundings. A huge breakwind guarded the circular space, and behind it -a well-padded track led backwards into a richly-foliaged dell. Creeping -plants and luxurious ferns grew in profession around the base of a -single lime-tree which found root in the hollow, and a long wiry kind of -grass flourished abundantly under its genial shade. - -"I'll investigate the cause of such unusual vegetation," Phil said, -stepping forward. - -"Look out for snakes," I warned; then turned to assist Mac in raising -poor "Sorrow," who had rolled over on the ground, pack-saddle and all. - -"The puir beastie's feenished," Mac said sorrowfully, "an' nae wunner." - -"Here's anither ane," wailed Stewart, and I looked up to see him wildly -endeavouring to keep "Sin" from falling on the top of sundry cooking -utensils. It was plain that two at least of the horses could go no -further if fortune did not speedily favour us. - -"This is the deevil's ain countrie," groaned Mac helplessly, and for the -moment I felt utterly disheartened as I watched the poor animals -convulsively gasping on the sand. - -A shout from Phil drew my attention. "There's a spring here, boys," he -cried gleefully from the lime-tree hollow. - -It was a welcome discovery; I had almost despaired of finding water in -the vicinity. "We'll camp for the day," I said, "and give our pack train -a much-needed rest." - -The spring was a small one and beautifully clear; its waters gurgled -gently through a fissure in a white kaolin formation, and the surplus -flow was absorbed by the spreading roots of the climbing growths -mentioned. It was half hidden by an outjutting boulder, and further -cunningly screened from view by a heavy clump of overhanging grass. -Evidently the blacks were in the habit of camping here frequently; the -breakwind might have been erected for one night's shelter, but the track -towards the well had been long in use. - -"I hope our landlords do not visit us to-night," Phil remarked, as we -gazed at each other through the smoke of our camp fire some little time -later. - -"It wud be a vera onfort'nate happenin'," Mac grunted placidly, drawing -his gun closer. - -"They're mebbe cannibals," suggested Stewart uneasily. - -"We'll keep a watch in case of accident," I said; "but I don't expect -they'll give us any trouble." - -But Stewart was still uneasy. "Their spears ha' an ex-tra-or'-nar' -bluid-thirsty look," he grumbled again, examining the double-barbed -weapons he had collected, "an' I hae nae faith whitever in they -black-skinned heathen." - -However, the night passed without alarm, though we kept a careful watch -and were ready for an attack should any have been attempted. - -We continued our march next morning, and in less than half an hour had -emerged into open country, but now the surface soil was of a hard, -gravelly nature, liberally strewn with the iron pebbles so abundant in -more southerly latitudes. Straggling growths of mallee and mulga spread -everywhere, and at their roots reptiles and numberless nameless pests -seemed to abide. Black snakes writhed across our path, centipedes -squirmed over our boots, iguanas in myriads started before our -approach, and flying creatures with hard, scaly wings rose from the -shadeless branches and dashed into our faces. Flies in dense clouds -assailed us, causing indescribable torture, and the diminutive sand -insect was also extremely active, seeking into our socks and ragged -clothing despite our most stringent precautions. - -For over a week we journeyed across this dreary wilderness, nor did we -once observe a break in the horizon's even curve; the weather, -meanwhile, being of sweltering description. Then a dim haze towards the -north-east gradually outlined into a well-defined mountain range as we -advanced, and the country in general took on a more irregular -appearance. We were now nearing the line of the explorer Wells's -northward march, and I altered our course slightly in order to intersect -it at a point where a good water supply was charted, for four days had -elapsed since we had last discovered any trace of moisture. - -All that day we forced onwards wearily, the sun beating down upon us -mercilessly the while. No more desolate tract could be imagined than -that which lies in these latitudes: the motionless mallee and mulga -shrubs, the glistening beady surface over which we dragged our feet, the -quivering heat haze that so distorted our vision, and the solemn -stillness--the awful stillness of a tomb--all tended to overwhelm the -mind. A broken range of sandstone hills loomed clearly out of the haze -early in the afternoon, directly in our track, and I again shifted the -course so as to round their southern extremity. Towards the south the -sand wastes extended far as the eye could reach, but east and north many -mouldering peaks now interrupted our view. - -We found the spring without difficulty; it contained about forty gallons -of muddy water, over which a thick green scum had gathered, and it was -simply moving with animal life. Many bones of doubtful origin lay -heaped near to it; some were probably the remains of kangaroos killed by -the natives, of whom there were numerous signs in the neighbourhood, but -Phil insisted that not a few human bones were among the bleaching mass. -At the bottom of the spring the complete vertebrĉ of several snakes and -similar reptiles almost wholly covered the chalky, impervious base, but -how these came to be there was a matter beyond my comprehension. - -"Most probably," said Phil, "the natives like a snaky flavour in the -water." - -"It mak's it extra paleetable tae them, nae doot," groaned Mac with a -shudder, "but I hae nae parshiality fur crawly bastes, even when they're -deid." - -Stewart had by this time acquired a philosophical turn of mind. "What's -the guid o' growlin', Mac?" he snorted. "There's mebbe waur than that -tae come yet." - -That we were in a district favoured by the blacks was very certain, -although we had not yet observed any of the dusky savages; three or four -breakwinds sheltered a space close to the spring, and the ground was -black with burnt-out smokes and charred logs. The water, notwithstanding -its pronounced medicinal flavour, was a great improvement on the fetid -solutions of the various soaks we had encountered, and we decided to -camp by it for several days, so as to test the auriferous resources of -the surface sands, which looked rather promising, and also to give us -time to make some much-needed repairs in our tattered wardrobe. - -The results of our experiments with the supposed auriferous country -proved too insignificant for more than a passing mention here. A few -colours were obtained, but nothing to give confidence to even the most -unambitious goldseeker. Rather disconsolately we prepared to resume our -march in a more N.E. direction, and three days later we started on our -altered course. The eternal sameness of things in the Australian -interior makes daily records of progress unentertaining reading, and -though each day's travel comes back to my mind now as I write with -painful vividness, yet it but cries out in the same strain as its -predecessor and follower, "Sand, sand, everlasting sand." - -For many miserable days and weeks we struggled eastward, sometimes -deviating to the north or south in vain endeavour to escape unusually -deterrent belts of the frightful wastes now so familiar to us all. - -Sometimes we would locate a soak or claypan when least expecting such a -find, and again, we might be reduced to almost certain disaster before -the water-bags were replenished at some providential mudhole in our -course. I do not wish to enlarge upon the miseries of our journeyings; -we took these willingly on ourselves at the start, hoping for a -compensating reward in the shape of valuable knowledge; and is not -experience always priceless? Knowledge we did gain, it is true, but not -of the kind we had over-fondly anticipated; still, we had not yet -reached the planned limit of our expedition, and who knew what might -await us in the dim, shadowy mountain that stretched its cumbering -height far on the eastern horizon? - -We had sighted this landmark nearly a week before, but having been more -than usually zealous in our search for the precious metal among the -outcropping iron formations now frequently encountered, our rate of -travel had been reduced to a few miles each day. Two of the horses were -still left us; the last of the ill-fated three had succumbed from sheer -exhaustion nearly fifty miles back, but "Sir John" and "Reprieve," -though no longer the high-spirited animals they once were, still carried -their jolting burdens of tinned meats, flour, and extracts, though -their steps were daily becoming weaker, and their bright eyes clouding -in a manner that foretold the worst. The camels stubbornly paced ahead, -with the great water-bags tantalisingly lapping their tough hides, and -the miscellaneous mining implements perched on their hollow backs; they -had already served us well and nobly, and I devoutly hoped their vast -energies would bear them over the worst that lay before us. - -[Illustration: TAKING OUR POSITION.] - - - - -EL DORADO! - - -We were now close on the 125th degree of longitude, which I had marked -as the limit of our eastward course, and my faith in more northerly -latitudes was so little, indeed, that I dreaded making any change in our -direction of travel. - -"If we don't strike gold within the next couple of days," said Phil, -"there isn't much likelihood of our being overburdened with wealth at -the end of the trip." - -Mac, who was pulling the nose rope of the leading camel, at once lifted -up his voice in protest. - -"For Heaven's sake be mair pleasant wi' yer remarks, Phil," he cried. "I -was calculatin' on goin' home like a young millionaire----" - -"You'll need to calculate again, then, Mac," interrupted Phil, "for I -don't think we'll get a red cent out of the ground on this journey." - -But the complainer was not yet satisfied. - -"What's the guid o' bein' a golologist?" he demanded wrathfully. "I -thocht----" - -What he thought remained unspoken, for at that moment we heard a -scramble behind, and looking round we saw the doughty Mac and his -compatriot Stewart engaged in fierce conflict. - -"I saw it first, ye red-heided baboon," roared the former, with -remarkable fluency of expression. - -"The fact o' seeing it is naething--naething at a'," returned the other -with great complacency, "It's sufficient to say that I hae got it." - -The camels, feeling the strain of guidance relaxed, had come to a halt, -and were now seemingly taking an interest in the squabble. It was a rare -thing for them to be left to their own devices, even for a moment. Time -is precious when crossing these vast salt tracts, and midday stoppages -in the blazing sun are dangerous. - -"What are you two quarrelling about now?" I asked sternly, feeling in no -gentle mood with the hinderers. Mac's face assumed an intensely -aggrieved expression, but he held his peace, and Stewart calmly -displayed a small rounded pebble between his finger and thumb, -announcing blandly that it alone was the cause of the disturbance. - -"It's a bonnie stane," said he, gazing at his treasure admiringly. - -"An' it's mine by richt," howled Mac. - -I was about to lecture the pair strongly on their foolish behaviour over -what I supposed to be an ordinary fragment of white quartz, when Phil -uttered an exclamation, and, rushing back, snatched the pebble from -Stewart's hand and proceeded to examine it closely. So eager was his -scrutiny that in a moment we were clustered round him, awaiting his -verdict with extreme interest. - -"What do you make of it?" said he at length, handing the stone to me. - -"Weather-worn quartz," I replied promptly. He shook his head. - -"We'll work it out in specific gravity later," he said, with the air of -one who was sure of his ground; "but I will bet you this half of a shirt -I am wearing that it's a genuine ruby, and there must be more of them in -the vicinity." - -"Hurroo!" yelled Mac and Stewart in unison, prancing around delightedly, -and for the moment Phil's delinquencies were forgotten in the tribute of -praise that my worthy henchmen generously accorded the "golologist." -They ended by making him a present of the fateful gem, though Mac -somewhat spoilt the effect of the gift by soliloquising rather loudly-- - -"It'll be well to propeetiate the golologist, Stewart, my man, for he's -nae sae stupid as he looks, efter a'." - -Soon after we renewed our march, much uplifted at the thought of -acquiring treasure even more valuable than gold; but though we kept a -sharp look-out on the ground surface, the early afternoon passed without -any further coloured pebbles being discovered, whereat Mac again -commenced to revile the country with his customary eloquence. - -"That ruby wis a delooshun," he asserted stoutly. "Some o' the El Dorado -fairies must ha'e put it there on purpose to deceive us, an' noo they'll -be having grand fun at oor expense." - -"Hustle along old Misery, and don't moralise," I interjected hastily. - -"Moralise?" he echoed. "Me moralise? No vera likely. I never dae such a -thing. Gee up, Meesery, an' stop winkin' at me this meenit." - -But the mention of El Dorado had aroused in Stewart a strain of -recollection, and as he paced beside his cumbrous charge he made several -ineffectual attempts to recite some ancient verses as learned in the -days of his youth. - -"I canna mind the poetry o' it," he broke out at last, "but the story -was real bonnie; it telt hoo a warrior went out to seek for El Dorado, -and--and----" Then his memory came back to him, and he chanted out -dismally-- - - "And as his strength - Failed him at length, - He met a pilgrim shadow. - 'Shadow,' said he, - 'Where can it be, - This land of El Dorado?' - - 'Over the mountains - Of the moon, - Down the valley of the Shadow, - Ride, boldly ride,' - The Shade replied, - 'If you seek for El Dorado.'" - -"Which is," grunted Mac, "which is, metaphorically speaking, preceesely -what we are doing. Gee up, Meesery, and dinna look sae weary-like." - -"Our specimen must have been shed from that mountain," I repeated, when -we lay down in our blankets at night. - -The morning dawned clear and beautifully calm. The sky was cloudless, -save where in the east a billowy sea of gold marked where the sun had -risen. The leafless branches of the mulga shrubs growing near quivered -in the rising rays, and the long sand-track ahead sparkled as the waters -of a gilded ocean. But now, through the dispelling haze the firm outline -of a precipitous mountain became clearly visible only a few miles ahead. -In our eager search on the preceding afternoon we had not observed the -nearness of the welcome sentinel, or probably it was that the darkening -sky in the early evening had shut it from our view. There was certainly -no doubt about its presence now, and we hailed it right gladly as we -watched it loom out of the dissolving mists. - -"It's mebbe a mirage," suggested Stewart apprehensively. - -"Nary miradge," retorted Mac; "it's El Dorado, that's what it is. Just -what we were looking for." - -Five minutes later I was ogling the sun with my sextant, while Phil -stood by with the trusty chronometer in his hand to note the time of my -observations. - -"125 degrees 17 minutes east longitude," he announced, after a rough -calculation, "which makes the mountain about ten miles off." - - "'Shadow,' said he, - 'Whaur can it be, - This land o' El Dorado?'" - -Stewart trolled out lustily as he set about the preparation of the -morning meal. About eight o'clock we were ready to start, which showed -unusual alacrity in our movements. The camels, too, seemed imbued with -fresh life, and allowed themselves to be loaded without their customary -protests. - -"I've never seen Meesery sae tractable," Mac said in amazement, patting -the trembling nostrils of the leading camel. "I wonder what's gaun to -happen?" - -"We're all ready," sung out Phil blithely, and I gave the usual signal -for the advance. - -"Gee up, Meesery," grunted Mac. - -"Aince mair, Slavery," implored Stewart, and we set out for the mountain -at an unusually lively pace. The forenoon passed without event, and so -speedy had been our progress that our midday halt was made amongst the -straggling timber belt which feathered the base of the mountain. We lost -no time in making ready for the ascent, and within an hour after our -arrival we had hobbled the camels and were starting out on our journey -of discovery. - -For the first half-hour we made fairly good headway through the -straggling belt of eucalypti covering the lower slopes, then we emerged -on a treeless, boulder-strewn expanse, on which the sun scintillated -with burning intensity. Over this scorched area we clambered as best we -could. The sharp rubble cut through our boots, and the glistening rocks, -hot as a fiery furnace, burnt our clutching hands. Our mountain -exploration was surely becoming less of a picnic than we had -anticipated. Directly above, a solid mass of basalt reared its head, -gaunt and bare, but when we came to the edge of the glass-like cap, we -hesitated--we might as well have attempted to cross a field of molten -metal. From this point various dry channels tore down the face of the -hill, radiating outwards into the plain. They were so silted up with -rock fragments and ironsand as to be scarcely perceptible, but Phil's -trained eye at once noted their significance. - -"Ages ago," said he, "those gullies were filled with rushing torrents, -which goes to prove that a crater lake existed on the top of the -mountain." - -He walked over to one of the ancient beds and scraped among the drift of -black sand conglomeration. At once several water-worn specimens of -quartzite were uncovered, and of these over fifty per cent bore the -characteristic markings of the ruby. - -"Fill your pockets with these, Mac," he said quietly. "They should be -worth considerably more than their weight in gold." - -Prolonged travelling in Western Australia does not tend to develop -enthusiasm, and the extraordinary find so unexpectedly made was greeted -by no extravagant manifestations of delight. Relief rather than joy was -ours at that moment, for in one important sense at least our quest -seemed surely ended. - -"If we can find water in the vicinity we'll camp at the foot of the hill -for a few days, boys," I announced with much satisfaction. "Meanwhile we -had better explore a little further, and see what the country looks like -from the summit." - -[Illustration: A NATIVE CAMP.] - -But Mac and Stewart were already busily engaged collecting specimens, -which they stowed in every nook and corner of their ragged garments. - -"Come along, you gloating misers!" cried Phil, as he and I started to -negotiate the last stiff climb. - -"There's nae time like the present," growled Mac oracularly, pursuing -his congenial task with supreme content. - -"I'm o' the same opeenion," spluttered Stewart, who had turned his mouth -into a receptacle for the finest gems in his collection. So we crawled -over the smooth climaxing dome alone. Our surprise was great when on -reaching the top we found ourselves on the edge of a small circular area -that depressed ever so slightly towards the centre, providing a space -which looked remarkably like an ordinary circus ring. This impression -was much heightened by the fact that a well-marked path seemed to have -been worn around the periphery; but through what agency this had been -done I could not well imagine. We stood surveying the odd arena, filled -with wonder. - -"It is one of Nature's strange tricks," I said, after a considerable -silence. - -Phil looked doubtful, but he did not speak. Then we made a further -discovery. The saucer-shaped hollow was graven out of a solid lava -formation, but exactly over the point of its deepest dip several -crumbling branches lay strewn. Of a certainty they had not come there of -their own accord, and at once we were overwhelmed with dire misgivings. - -"It means that there are some native tribes in the neighbourhood," said -Phil, watching me kick aside the branches with much interest. What we -saw then did not add to our bewilderment, for we had already partly -guessed the significance of the peculiar arrangement. Under the layer of -brush, a narrow, funnel-like shaft had been hid, which apparently -descended into the heart of the mouldering desert sentinel, but why this -hole had been covered was more than we could understand. While we stood -in silent contemplation of the remarkable state of affairs disclosed, -our energetic companions, having marvelled at our long absence, swarmed -up beside us, breathing heavily. - -"Nebuchadnezzar's furnace wouldna be in the same street wi' that biler," -began Mac, patting his scantily-covered knees with tender solicitude. - -"I smell nigger," howled Stewart, taking in the scene at a glance. - -"That's aye what happens when A come oot withoot my gun," sorrowfully -muttered the first arrival, moving over to the narrow crater mouth and -peering into the darkness with studied nonchalance. - -It so happened, however, that the loose pockets of his flimsy upper -garment were filled to overflowing with cherished specimens, and the -half-kneeling attitude which he assumed allowed them to escape in a -copious stream, so that they fell down into the depths. With a bellow of -rage he drew back, but not before the bulk of his treasure had -disappeared; then the air was filled with the fulness of his wrath, and -sulphurous expressions loud and deep were hurled into the Stygian gloom. - -"Calm yersel', Mac--calm yersel'," adjured Stewart soothingly. - -"Calm be d----d!" roared the afflicted one. "Hoo am I goin' to get back -my rubies?" - -This was a point which seemed unanswerable. - -"You'll get more to-morrow, Mac," I said, "but we'll have to return to -the camels now, in case the natives get a hold of them before we have -time to take precautions." - -He remained unappeased, however. - -"We'll mebbe hae to flee for oor lives afore morning," he protested -gloomily. "It's no the first time we've had to strike camp in a hurry." - -As he spoke he unwound from his waist a long coil of rope which he -usually carried in case of emergency, and, with dogged determination, -proceeded to sound the depths of the well. - -"You'd better let me gang," advised Stewart, guessing his companion's -intentions before they had been uttered; "I'm no sae bulky as you, -an'----" - -He got no further. - -"Mak' nae mair allooshuns," came the answer, with a chilling dignity. -"I'll engineer this funeral mysel'." - -Hastily fastening a fragment of rock to the end of the rope, he dropped -it into the narrow orifice and carefully noted the length of line run -out. All this time Phil and I had made little comment, never expecting -that any satisfactory bottom would be found; but great was our surprise -to see the rope become stationary when little over twenty feet had been -paid out. - -"I'm really anxious to know what is at the bottom of that hole, Mac," -said Phil; "but I hope you don't find a nice fat, healthy crocodile -awaiting you----" - -"Haud the end o' the rope, Phil, an' dinna speechify," broke out the -harassed Mac impatiently; and he wriggled his somewhat substantial form -into the vertical channel until his arms alone saved him from falling -down altogether. - -"It's a--a tight fit," he grumbled, with diminishing enthusiasm. "Noo -haud on tight, ye deevils; haud on--haud on!" - -His voice rumbled up dolorously to our ears as we lowered him gently -into the mysterious pit, until, when the lower depths were reached, the -rocky vault seemed to tremble with vague echoes. Suddenly the strain on -the rope was relaxed, and we waited expectantly for tidings from the -adventurer. - -"It's vera dark doon here," came the ghost-like voice from the -underground. "I think--I think I'll come up----" - -"What sort of bottom have you got, Mac?" I shouted. "Try and fetch up a -specimen." - -A few more inconsequent remarks issued from the pit mouth, then we could -see the dull glimmer of a match far below. Almost immediately after a -jubilant yell of triumph swelled up to the surface. - -"I've got them! I've got them!" he cried. "An' there's gold quartz here, -foreby." Then came a crash, a rumble, and a dull, heavy splash, and we -on the surface gazed on each other in dismay. - -"Let me doon! Let me doon!" wailed Stewart. "Something serious has -happened to Mac. Haud on to the rope." He let himself into the narrow -aperture with unwonted agility, and, with an unspeakable fear in our -hearts, Phil and I commenced to pay out the rope. - -"Wha the--who the----Wha's blockin' the licht?" bellowed a -well-known voice from the bowels of the earth, which had the effect of -ejecting Stewart into the outer air with a celerity astonishing to -behold. Then we breathed again. - -Apparently some ledge had first intercepted our sounding-line, and also -provided a precarious foothold for our valiant associate; but that the -true bottom had now been reached there was little room for doubt. - -"I might have guessed before," said Phil, "that the crater would have an -impervious base, and so retain any rain that might be collected." - -Judging by the snorts and puffs emitted by the individual who was in a -position to know, the shaft must have held a fair amount of liquid -contents. - -"Haul on the rope, for heaven's sake!" spluttered he. "This water would -pushion a nigger. Haul me up quick! There's snakes an' wee crocodiles -tickling me!" - -In haste we endeavoured to obey his beseeching call, but the sodden cord -was not equal to the strain, and twice the strands snapped before our -comrade's bulk was raised from the water. - -"We'd better double the line, boys," I said. "Mac must have increased in -weight during his sojourn below." - -The unfortunate victim of his own prowess groaned lugubriously from his -dank and dark prison, but found time between his grumbling to curse -right heartily the various denizens of his watery environment. - -"Be patient, Mac, be patient," counselled Stewart, rearranging the -haulage system. "Scientific exploration is not without its drawbacks, as -you should well ken by this time." He continued addressing choice words -of wisdom to his helpless compatriot while he deftly spliced the rope. -During this lull in operations I chanced to look abroad over the -sweltering plain, and at once my eyes detected the curling "smokes" of a -native camp. We had been too busily engrossed with other matters since -our arrival on the hill-top to observe the landscape on the east, and -now the nearness of a possible hostile band appalled me. Our rifles had -been left in camp, and I only carried a revolver. - -"By Jove!" said Phil, "we are going to be in a fix." Then a shout of -alarm broke from him: "There's about a dozen of the ugliest bucks I ever -saw coming right up the hill," he said feebly. I followed his gaze, and, -sure enough, I could see a number of hideously-scarred and -feather-bedecked warriors making their way through the scraggy -brushwood, scarcely a hundred yards from where we stood. With frantic -haste, we again endeavoured to rescue our companion from his awkward -predicament, but fate was surely against us. We had with our combined -efforts raised him only a few feet when the rope came in contact with -the broken ledge, and the strands parted like so many straws, so that -Mac was once more precipitated back into the slimy waters. Our plans had -now to be made quickly. - -"Go down to the camp, Stewart," I said, "and fetch a camel pack-rope and -my rifle. Phil and I will make the best of things till you come back." -Forgetful alike of the burning rock and the sharp-edged rubble, he slid -down the smooth declivity, and made a wild burst for the foot of the -hill. Almost immediately the many-barbed spears of the aborigines bore -into view from the opposite side of the dome, and we laid ourselves flat -on the curving wall and breathlessly waited events. Slowly a weird -procession filed on to the elevated platform, and continued a solemn -march around the well-trod channel which had first claimed our -attention. Round and round they circled, clashing their spears and -shields, and swaying their lithe black bodies drunken-like. Then -suddenly they broke out into a dismal chant, and quickened their step -into a half-run, ludicrous to behold. It was soon evident to us that the -warrior band had not come to level their spears against us; they never -once glanced in our direction. Their gaze was apparently fixed on the -ancient crater in which Mac lay entombed. They had come to worship the -great spirit Wangul, the dreaded "Dweller in the Waters." - -The _dénoûement_ of this interesting ceremonial was rapid and -unexpected. Just when the reeling warriors had ceased their vocal -exercise from sheer want of breath, when the ensuing silence was broken -only by the pattering of many feet on the sun-baked lava, a hoarse voice -thundered up from subterranean caverns, and at the sound the poor -nomads halted in their mad career, and gazed at each other -terror-stricken. - -"Babba, Wangul, Moori!" they cried shrilly, "Babba, Wangul, Moori!" -("The Water God speaks"). Again a sonorous echo reverberated up from the -heart of the mountain, completing their demoralisation. A moment they -hesitated, then, dashing their warlike arms to the ground, and tearing -the feathers from their hair, they fled madly back whence they had come. -Phil gave a gasp of relief, and I felt thankful beyond expression. Then -we quickly made our way through the litter of discarded weapons towards -the Wangul's home. The words that floated to our ears when we gazed into -the depths were sulphurous in the extreme. Poor Mac could not understand -why he had been so ruthlessly neglected, and his complaints were deep -and eloquent. - -"Stewart, ye red-heided deevil, are ye goin' to pu' me oot, or are ye -no?" he howled in righteous indignation, and I was glad that the -individual named, who just then came swarming over the rocks, puffing -tempestuously, had not heard the fervent malediction bestowed upon his -faithful person. He approached laden with the whole armoury of the -expedition, the perspiration streaming from his face, and his gaunt -frame trembling visibly. - -"I thought ye had been all slauchtered," he muttered, subsiding behind -his equipment, "an' I wis goin' to hae revenge." - -With the aid of the stout camel-ropes we soon raised our dripping -comrade to the surface. As he approached the light of day I noticed that -his rugged old face bore a distinctly grim expression, as if he was of -the opinion that we had been having a huge joke at his expense; but when -he heard of what had occurred, and the part he had unwittingly played -in the ceremonial, resentment gave place to mirth, and he laughed -uproariously. - -"An' here's the rubies, Stewart, my man," he said, extracting the -precious stones from some secret corner of his bedraggled wardrobe; "I -got them safe efter a', and you shall have the finest are o' the -collection for yer maist splendifferous efforts on my behalf." - -Soon after we returned to camp, but it was many days later when we said -goodbye to the lonely mountain which Mac persisted in misnaming El -Dorado. - -[Illustration: EL DORADO!] - - - - -WHERE THE PELICAN BUILDS ITS NEST - - -There is little need to recount the monotonous details of my log-book -for the many weeks that ensued. The same description applies to nearly -all the vast interior country, and we struggled over ironshot -sand-plains and through scraggy brushwood belts, with rarely a diversion -in the landscape to gladden our weary eyes. The sun shines on no more -desolate or dreary country than this great "Never Never" land of -Australia, whose grim deserts have claimed many a victim to the cause of -knowledge. The explorer's life amid the deadly solitudes is not one of -many pleasures. Rather do unpleasant possibilities for ever obtrude upon -his jaded brain until he is well-nigh distraught, or at least reduced to -a morbid state of melancholy in keeping with his miserable surroundings. -Little wonder, therefore, that disaster so often attends the traveller -in these lonely lands. The strongest will becomes weakened by the -insidious influences of the country, and the most buoyant spirit is -quickly dulled. All Nature seems to conspire against him. The stunted -mallee and mulga shrubs afford no welcome shade; they dot the -sand-wastes in endless even growths, and the eye is wearied by their -everlasting motionless presence. The saltbush clumps and spinifex -patches conceal hideous reptiles. Snakes and centipedes crawl across -the track; scaly lizards, venomous scorpions, ungainly bungarrows, and a -host of nameless pests, are always near to torture and distract. Even -the birds are imbued with a solemnity profound that adds still more to -the plenteous cares that already overwhelm the wanderer in the silent -bushland. The pelican stands owlishly in his path as if to guard from -intrusion its undiscovered home; the horrible carrion crow with its -demoralising croak is for ever circling overhead; and the mopoke's dull -monotone is as a calling from a shadowy world. - -These various influences were not without their effect upon my little -party, and we became strangely silent as we kept up our dogged march of -fifteen miles each day; and when danger threatened, as it did on more -than one occasion, we almost viewed our approaching fate with -indifference, so sodden had our mental faculties become. Eleven days -after leaving the mountain, our last horse, "Sir John," dropped quietly -to the ground, utterly exhausted, and at once the air was filled with -screaming crows, and flies in thousands began to settle on the dying -animal's heaving flank, and crowded into his ears and nostrils. I ended -the poor brute's agony with a revolver shot, and again old "Slavery" -received additional burden; then we hastened onwards, not daring to look -back. - -We were now many hundreds of miles from any outpost settlement, and with -only two camels between us and--eternity. Yet these ponderous animals -bore up bravely, seldom showing signs of weakness even when crossing the -most dismally arid wastes, and their slow but sure movement raised our -drooping spirits when our circling crow convoy became suggestively -daring. I made a course due north, determined to intersect any promising -country that might intervene in the middle latitudes, but so far our -changed route had led us full three hundred miles over the most -barren-looking desert that could possibly be imagined. - -Only once did we observe natives, and that was when under the 23rd -Parallel, in a scrubby country offering the only inducement to the poor -nomads within a hundred miles. At this place we located a local well -containing, seemingly, an unlimited supply of lime-flavoured fluid; our -perilously-flat water-bags were thankfully refilled, and our hopes rose -high at the unexpected find. But when we renewed our march the -scrub-land soon merged into the blistering plain, and our dreams of a -coming El Dorado were again rudely dashed. - -On one occasion we encountered a stretch of salt-crusted country, -evidently the bed of an ancient lake: it extended for five miles in a -N.N.E. direction, and towards its latter extremity the surface was -marshy and damp. We extracted sufficient moisture from the muddy basin -for cooking our usual allowance of rice, so that we might save what -remained of our comparatively fresh supply for more urgent needs. - -Beyond this swamp we entered upon a more broken expanse than had met our -view for many weeks. Decaying sandstone rocks reared their heads above -the gravel, and enormous dry gullies tore up the ground in all -directions. But this state of affairs did not continue with us long, -and, as if by a grim law of compensation, a belt of the most miserable -sand country soon intervened to retard our progress. Here the sand was -loose and deep, and unmixed with the usual iron gravel; and the -slightest wind blew the fine dust into our faces, almost blinding us. We -sank over the ankles at each step, and the camels slowed their already -slow march to a mere crawl, and staggered and floundered in the wavy -masses. - -Gradually the land-surface took on the appearance of a great sand-sea, -with billows rolling back in a northwesterly direction. As far as the -eye could reach, a series of gentle undulations rippled into the vast -distance. I altered the course several points to eastward, and we -traversed the disheartening obstacles at a difficult angle; but the -undulations grew more general as we advanced, until they surrounded us -in the form of seemingly endless furrows, about a hundred and fifty -yards apart, and from ten to fifteen feet in height. A sparse vegetation -of spinifex found root in the hill-crests, giving the appearance--from a -distance--of a huge cultivated and well-tended field. But on closer -acquaintance the ridges showed up miserably bare and cheerless, and -their white gleaming sand formation caused our eyes to quiver and close, -so trying was the light reflected from them. No life of any kind was -observed. Even the crows had abandoned us. We seemed to be traversing -the bed of an ocean whose waters had long since subsided. A day's march -over these hindering obstructions, however, led us into the familiar -ironshot and scrub country, which, desolate though it was, looked cool -and inviting after our experience with the sand elevations. - -More than once after this fortune favoured us opportunely by the happy -location of a soak or claypan in our course, and we grew to trust -Providence in a much greater measure than we had ever anticipated. The -weather was almost unbearably hot; a vertical sun stared down on us in -the daytime with burning intensity, and at night the air was as the -breath of Hades. We were surely paying the penalty of the pioneer to the -full. - -By this time our clothing had reached a state far beyond repair, and we -must have formed an extraordinarily dilapidated-looking quartet. Our -garments, not very lavish from the start, had been discarded in -tattered portions, and we were left with cool and scanty apparel, the -sight of which would have caused the most abandoned tramp to turn aside -in disgust. It came to be a subject of jocularity with us as we noted -the gradual disintegration of our meagre remaining sartorial glory; and -I was glad even for such an excuse to introduce the lighter vein into -our conversation. "I'll shin be able tae flee," Mac would say, ruefully -surveying his rags. "Ay, Mac, the wings are sproutin' awfu' fast," his -comrade would sorrowfully reply. "Bit it's a blessin' the weather's no -cauld," he never failed to add, with philosophical gratitude. - -We were reaching an extreme northerly latitude, with the great central -deserts behind us, and though we had been bitterly disappointed with the -non-auriferous country crossed, yet the thought of emerging safely from -the "Never Never" land for the time took the place of vain regrets and -cheered us on to fresh endeavour. We had found no El Dorado in the -blistering salt plains; the Land of Promise had eluded us completely--if -such a land existed. Our time, it is true, had been more taken up in -searching for water than prospecting for gold; still, we took occasion -to analyse samples of every probable gold-bearing patch encountered, but -always with insignificant result. - -One morning we found ourselves in the unenviable position of having but -a few pints of water left in the canvas bags, and as we had located no -soak for over a week, our immediate future seemed gloomy indeed. The -camels were for the first time showing signs of collapse; and little -wonder; they had gone eight days without a drink, and their load, since -the last of the horses had succumbed, had been unduly heavy. - -"We've got to find water to-day, boys," I said, "or something serious is -bound to happen." - -Mac chuckled dryly. "The deil aye tak's care o' his ain," he announced -with an effort at pleasantry; and Stewart cackled harshly in agreement. - -Soon after breakfast, Phil, in surveying the landscape by the aid of his -field-glasses--a very cherished possession--detected in the distance a -long, curling column of smoke, sure evidence of the aborigines' -presence, and at once our hearts became lighter and our waning strength -renewed. "There must be moisture of some sort about," I said to Phil, as -we staggered along together in the wake of the camels. "The country is -changing for the better," he replied, "yet I can scarcely imagine a -spring to exist in any such soft sand formation." The vagaries of the -interior plains had always mystified him, but he could not be brought to -reason against his geological principles. - -Mac's verdict was borne of a more practical kind of observation. "Fur -ony sake haud yer tongue aboot furmashuns, Phil," he shouted back from -his position by the side of "Slavery." "A black buddie needs a drink as -weel as a white buddie, an' we'll shin be in the land o' Goschen noo." - -"There's one thing we had best remember, boys," I said. "The natives in -these latitudes are probably very different from those in the south. -They may be cannibals, and considerably more hostile than any tribe we -have yet met." - -"Niggers!" snorted Mac and Stewart almost simultaneously, with an -indescribable inflection of contempt. Further words failed them, but I -could see that they had completely forgotten the little episode at El -Dorado. - -Towards noon we arrived at the point where the smoke had been seen, but -only a few charred logs were now in evidence, and they were scattered -about in the sand as if they had been partially burnt long previously, -and afterwards half submerged in the drifts caused by many seasons' -willie-willies. The natives had vanished in some unaccountable manner, -leaving not a trace of their recent presence in the vicinity. Far off -near the horizon a thick belt of timber stretched across our track, but -beyond that again the bare desert merged into the skyline. - -"Whaur hae the black deevils gaun to?" Mac demanded indignantly, as if a -considerable breach of etiquette had been committed by the rapid flight -of our prospective hosts. - -Then Stewart proceeded to poke among the scattered ashes, and soon -discovered several still glowing logs well sunk beneath the surface. -"Mac," said he solemnly, when we clustered round to examine his find, -"we'll hae tae ca' canny; the deevils are no defeecient in strategy, an' -it's plain they dinna want oor guid company." - -Stewart was right; the blacks must have observed our approach, and being -unwilling to meet us, had hastily decamped, first taking care to cover -up any clue that might have aroused our curiosity. "That field-glass of -yours has done good work, Phil," I said, when we turned away. "If you -had not noticed the smoke we should never have dreamed that there had -been any one here for at least a year, and goodness knows what might -have happened if we had gone to sleep in this district without keeping a -watch." - -Mac chirruped to his patient charge. "Gee up, Slavery," said he, "ye'll -get a drink the nicht." - -In spite of our most strenuous efforts, however, we were unable to reach -the timber belt that day, and darkness closed over and compelled us to -camp while we were yet a good way out in the open. For the last several -miles the camels had literally to be dragged over the ground by a -constant pressure on their nose ropes, and when we halted our weary -caravan and unloaded the suffering beasts, they sank upon their knees -breathing heavily, and made no attempt to search for anything to eat. It -was plain that, should another day pass without water being discovered, -our four-footed companions must give up the struggle, which in turn -would mean that we should all be doomed to a most unenviable fate. - -"Ma puir animile," said Mac, stroking "Slavery's" quivering nostrils, -"ye've been nine days withoot a drink, but ye'll get a' ye can tak' the -morn." - -"Slavery" seemed almost to understand the sympathetic words, and grunted -feebly in reply; then I was surprised to see him struggle to his feet -and proceed to feed on the spinifex tufts growing around. - -"He kens I'm tellin' the truth!" shouted Mac delightedly; and there was -much joy among us when "Misery," determined not to be outdone, after -several efforts succeeded in rising shakily and joining his neighbour. - -"There's life in auld 'Misery' yet," applauded Stewart with hearty -satisfaction; and the wonderful endurance shown by the dumb animals made -me somewhat ashamed of my own collapsing resolution. - -"Let's be happy, boys," counselled Phil in most lugubrious tones. "Life -is short, you know, and we'll be a long time dead." - -"If I hear ony mair o' they on-comfortable re-marks," slowly spoke Mac, -with a reproachful glance at the last speaker, "I'll sing ye the Deid -March. A lang time deid, did ye say? For ony sake, Phil, think on -something cheery." - -"All right, Mac," retorted Phil. "I'll think of the feast we're going to -have in the Hotel Cecil when we get back to civilisation." While he -spoke he unconsciously hitched in his belt another hole. - -Then Stewart's voice rasped out dismally, "There's ... nae ... place -like ... hame----" - -"Stop that concert!" I cried, while Phil squirmed in agony; but Mac had -already seized the throat of the musician in a relentless grip, and the -melancholy refrain spluttered out spasmodically to a finish. - -"Ye on-ceevilised backslider!" Mac roared in righteous wrath. "Hoo daur -ye whine aboot hame in sic a menner? Fur twa peens," he concluded, with -rising ferocity--"fur twa peens, ma man, A'd shak' yer teeth oot!" - -The half-choked culprit smiled with benign expression, "I wis makin' a -joyfu' noise," he replied calmly. "Ye're gettin' gey hard tae please, -I'm thinkin'." - -Phil laughed till the tears sprang to his eyes and traced small channels -down his unwashed face, but he stopped abruptly when Mac shoved a tin -pannikin under his chin. - -"What a sinfu' waste o' water," said the sphinx. "I raelly wunner at ye, -Phil." - -Stewart, who had been busying himself about the fire, now interrupted -again. "Supper's ready," he howled, "an' the menoo is tinned dug an' -damper, or damper an' tinned dug; wi' a puckle roasted rice fur them as -wants indee-gestion; the hale tae be washed doon wi' twa or three draps -o' dirty watter." - -"That sounds nice," I commented, at which he began again. - -"Aye an' it's vera dirty watter. It's the last in the bag, an' there's -tadpoles an' wee crocodiles swimmin' in't, an----" - -"Hold hard, Stewart," said Phil, while Mac was groping about for -something substantial to throw at his comrade's head. "Hold hard, you -grinning gorilla, and let us discover the mysterious ingredients of our -humble fare for ourselves." - -"There's an auld saying," Mac grunted complacently, "that what the eye -disna see the hert disna grieve fur. If ye'll tak' ma advice, ye'll dine -awa' back frae the firelicht." And we took his advice without demur. - -We kept a watch that night for the first time during many weeks. The -reputation of the Northern Australian natives was not such as inspired -confidence in me. I had a wholesome dread of being speared while asleep, -and these hostile savages were known to make their attacks invariably -after the sun had set, when their tired victims were probably -slumbering, unaware of the presence of danger. - -Mac volunteered for the first spell of duty, and as a preliminary he -carefully drew the small shot charges from his cherished elephant-gun, -and replaced them with ominous-looking buckshot cartridges. - -"This shid dae mair than tickle them," he grimly remarked, looking at us -as we lay stretched upon our sandy couches, and his face, lit up by the -ruddy glare of the fire, assumed an unusually malevolent expression. - -"You've got to remember, Mac," Phil warned, "that the beggars are -probably cannibals, and as you are the fattest of the party, the natural -sequence is----" - -"Say nae mair," our wary guardian interrupted with a deprecatory wave of -his hand, "Spare yer in-seen-uashuns. There's nae nigger'll get near -while I'm daein' sentry go, bit at the worst the black deevils wud never -bile me when they could get guid tender golologist." With which dark -statement he shouldered his gun and commenced to execute what looked -like a solemn ghost dance around the boundary of our camp fire's -illumination. - -[Illustration: AN EXTINCT VOLCANO WE CAMPED ON.] - -The sultry hours dragged slowly on, and the Southern Cross had set and -risen again in the eastern sky, yet not a sound reached our ears. Phil -relieved Mac at midnight, and I in turn took his place two hours later, -but the night passed without alarm. - -We had a very dry and unpalatable breakfast next morning; only a few -drops of chocolate-coloured sediment remained in the canvas bag, and -this none of us cared to swallow for a variety of reasons. So we munched -our hard damper, and chewed refractory portions of tinned dog, imagining -it to be the most luxurious fare extant, though, unfortunately our -imagination was not of a very strong order. We lost no time in making a -start, for the early hours were the coolest for travelling, and we -wished to gain the shelter of the brush before the sun had swung right -overhead. The camels were truly in a very bad state; they could scarcely -bear their usual burdens, and reeled drunken-like for several minutes -after being loaded, but seemed to recover somewhat when a few miles had -been traversed. Yet, strive as we might, we could not make speedy -progress, and it was almost noon when we drew near to the timber. The -heat was becoming very intense, and in our semi-famished condition we -suffered severely. - -"We'll camp in the most shaded part of the scrub, boys," I cried, -signing to Mac to alter "Slavery's" course more to westward. Phil now -clutched my arm excitedly. - -"Is that smoke or a light cloud-patch over the tips of these trees?" he -asked, directing my gaze towards a thick clump of lime-trees that lay -well ahead in the line of our changed route. - -I surveyed the feathery shadow indicated intently. "A native smoke, -Phil," I answered, as quietly as I could, though hope sprang up within -me at the sight. - -"What we must do, then," said Phil determinedly, "is to capture one or -two representatives of the tribe and make them lead us to water." - -"Me an' Stewart'll shin attend to that," growled Mac, hearing the -suggestion with ill-concealed delight. - -We were now entering the outskirts of the pigmy forest, and Phil and I -took the lead of our caravan with firearms ready in case of attack; -while Mac and Stewart, leading their charges warily in our tracks, -peered suspiciously into the densest shadows as they passed. The shrubs -were of much greater height than we had expected, and soon they -surrounded us in thick even growths through which we steered an erratic -course with difficulty. - -I was about to call a halt when a thick pile of withered branches, -propped against the lower heights of some half-dozen close-growing -trees, arrested my attention. "A windbreak! Go slow!" I cautioned those -in the rear; but soon we found that we were in the midst of quite a -number of these rude shelters, all of which seemed to be of very recent -erection. "There is evidently a tribe in the vicinity," I said to Phil, -who was gazing at the strange contrivances with much curiosity, and -noting how differently they were constructed from the crude -wind-barriers met during the earlier part of our journey. - -"They appear to work on some design here," he remarked thoughtfully; -"the branches are interlaced, and the construction might ultimately -evolve into a kind of hut or wigwam." - -"I am much more concerned about the whereabouts of the population," I -said, and I glanced apprehensively through the trees; then we resumed -our march. A few minutes more passed in silence as we proceeded with -ears alert for the slightest sound. - -We were, as nearly as I could guess, about midway through the forest -when Mac suddenly gave a yell of mingled joy and surprise. - -"Haud on! Haud on!" he shouted. "I see niggers richt forrit a wee bit. -Come on, Stewart, an' we'll shin catch are or twa speecimens." - -Mac's information was correct. A convenient gap in the foliage had not -been overlooked by him, and his sharp eyes had quickly taken in the view -directly ahead. His warning had scarcely been given when we crashed -through a maze of windbreaks and entered a clearing in the thicket, and -there, in the centre of the open space, fully a dozen hideously scarred -and painted warriors stood with spears and boomerangs upraised, gazing -in our direction. Mac and Stewart were now forcing past me, and it took -Phil and me all our time to restrain their ardour. We had instinctively -retired into the shelter of the brush, and none too soon, for a hail of -spears rustled through the willowy branches and stuck fast without doing -any damage. - -"Their spears may be poisoned," I said to the indignant pair. "You've -got a different sort of savage to deal with in these latitudes." - -"They'll get awa'!" Mac roared excitedly. "They'll get awa'!" - -"Let me gang," implored Stewart. "I'm that thin they couldna hit me, an' -in ony case I'm teuch eneuch tae staun ony pison." - -"Get the camels sheltered, boys," I ordered; "we'll try a policy of -conciliation in the first place." - -My aides-de-camp grumblingly led "Slavery" and "Misery" back a few -paces, and Phil examined the chambers of his Colt Navy with considerable -impatience. We were by no means hidden by the scraggy branches fringing -the open space, and that fact was impressed upon us most plainly when -several more well-directed spears glanced along the sand at our feet. -Mac fumed, and the hammers of his gun came back with an ominous double -click. "You can cover them with your cannon," I said to him, "while I -try the powers of persuasive language," and I stepped as boldly as I -could out towards the hostile band. "Babba, babba," I cried, with my -hands raised in token of peace. They gave a curious gurgle of surprise -and retreated before me as if afraid. I repeated as much of the native -jargon as I knew, with, as I thought, an exceedingly friendly -inflection. Then they recovered themselves, and came rushing towards me. -I stood irresolute for an instant, for the warriors had discarded their -spears, and I wondered for a brief space whether they were now hurrying -to tender their expressions of good-will. When they were within a dozen -yards off, however, they united in a shrill scream, and brandished in -their right hands most bloodthirsty-looking clubs which they had carried -secreted at their backs. Their intention could not now be doubted, and I -turned and fled. - -"Give them the small-shot barrel, Mac," I cried. - -"Sma' shot be d----d!" he howled in reply, and the boom of his -artillery filled my ears as he spoke. - -When the smoke cleared away I saw that the blacks had retreated to the -extreme end of the clearing, where the bulk of them stood huddled -together, groaning horribly, and making most frightful grimaces at us. - -Two feather-bedizened warriors were prancing absurdly in the middle -distance, and emitting piercing shrieks as they slowly hopped back to -rejoin their comrades. - -"I aimed low," said Mac apologetically, noting their antics with much -satisfaction, "an' I dinna see what they're makin' a' that row aboot." - -I was glad to notice that no serious injury had been done to the poor -creatures, and, judging by the activity shown by the wounded pair, they -were evidently much more frightened than hurt. - -"I don't think there is any more fight in them, boys," I said, and I -stepped forward, followed by my companions, who tugged at the -nose-ropes of the reluctant camels. A few belated missiles, flung in -half-hearted fashion, struck the ground at our feet; the blacks still -stood in our path, glaring at us sullenly. - -"Level your cannon again, Mac," I instructed, "but _don't_ fire." - -He obeyed with alacrity, just in time to check a fresh flight of spears. -The natives had already acquired a wholesome dread of the -formidable-looking breechloader. With ear-splitting yells they scattered -before our advance, and in a moment were lost to sight in the forest. - -We made a brief halt by the scene of their stand in order to search the -near vicinity for water, but not a drop of moisture could be located -anywhere around. Windbreaks were very numerous some little distance back -from the enclosure, which showed that we had practically stumbled upon a -native village. Yet it must have been only a settlement used as a -temporary camp between two known springs, unless the water resources of -the district were very cunningly hidden. - -"There must be water near at hand," said Phil. "These trees could not -grow so freshly otherwise." - -"We've missed our one chance, I fear," I answered him sadly. "We ought -to have captured one of the natives while we had the opportunity." - -"Let us go now," said he; "they cannot be very far off yet." - -"We'll gang! we'll gang!" Mac and Stewart cried clamorously together. -"We'll shin catch the deevils!" - -But I restrained them. "You are both too reckless," I explained, "and we -should probably never see you again if you lost your bearings in the -bush." I knew that my worthy henchmen would disdain to use any -stratagem, and in consequence would surely be speared by the vengeful -savages. - -"You can trust me, Mac," said Phil grimly. "I'll fetch you a specimen or -two to play with," and Mac, noting his unusual fierceness of expression, -felt comforted. - -Leaving our over-eager companions in charge of the camels, I took a -hurried bearing of our position, and dashed off with Phil in the -direction taken by the fleeing band. I could still hear the branches -crackling before their wild rush, and I hoped that the sound might guide -us in our quest. For several minutes we kept up a rapid pace, but we -quickly realised that our running powers were not equal to those of the -blacks. The blistering sand showered in our faces, and the brittle twigs -of the mallee cut us severely. The sun had now reached his meridian, and -shot his rays so fiercely upon us that we were soon compelled to reduce -our speed. We dared not allow ourselves to perspire, and so lose the -little moisture our bodies contained. Meanwhile the vague crackling of -the brushwood in the far distance became fainter and fainter, intimating -to us very plainly that our intended prisoners were far from our reach. -We were weary and hopeless, yet we mechanically continued on. Our -thoughts, as may be guessed, were the reverse of pleasant, and we did -not care to give them expression. Few would have recognised in Phil, the -fresh-faced, merry-spirited young man who had led the Five-Mile rush. -His face was now deeply bronzed, and bore the stamp of the hardships -encountered, and his firm-set mouth showed a vastly increased force of -will. - -"The beggars seem to have vanished completely," he said, when we had -travelled at least half a mile in silence. "What a tidy row of skeletons -we'll make," he added lightly. "'A rale dacent coleckshun,' as Mac would -say." - -"We'll hear Mac's remarks later," I answered, "and we're not by any -means dead yet." - -We had now reached a slight dip in the land surface, and in the -depression a well-padded native track appeared. We followed it eagerly -until it broke off into two trails, forming an acute angle. - -"You take one, I'll take the other," I said. "If you find anything -signal with your revolver, and I'll do the same, though it is more than -likely they lead to the same place." - -"All right!" he replied, and we separated. - -Hurriedly I sped along, now this way, now that, as the trail twisted and -twined in the manner peculiar to most bush tracks, and I seemed to have -entered a maze. Then I came to a point where it divided and subdivided, -and I hesitated, wondering which branch to follow. I went down on my -knees and closely examined the sand at the junction, and after a careful -scrutiny I was rewarded by distinguishing the imprint of an aboriginal's -ungainly foot at the entrance to one of the offshoots, and I hastened -along the course indicated, half stooping and sometimes kneeling, in my -extreme anxiety to keep on the pad, which could only be traced with the -utmost difficulty. - -Gaily-plumaged birds now surrounded me, chattering noisily, and their -presence imbued me with hope. There, indeed, must be water near, if I -could only find it. My guiding path led me several hundred yards over a -sand and gravel surface, through which a stray blade of wiry grass -peeped here and there; but gradually the grasses grew closer, and their -trampled appearance showed me that some one had only recently crossed -that way. I was brought to a halt abruptly. The track had come to an -end, and I stood at the edge of a small circular space, in the centre of -which a tall lime-tree stretched high above the stunted shrubs -adjoining. - -The significance of the sight was not altogether lost on me. I had -usually found lime-trees and water in close proximity, but here no -welcome spring gladdened my eyes, the circle was bare and -parched-looking, except on the far-away side, where a rank clump of -spinifex lined the gaunt stems of the mallee. I was bitterly -disappointed. - -"Looks like a circus-ring," I said to myself. "Probably used for holding -grand corroborees." I turned away in disgust, and sat down in the sand, -heedless alike of snakes, scorpions, or other crawling things. I was -trying to consider what our immediate future must be, and my deductions -were not cheering. Then I wondered where Phil had gone, and whether his -quest had been more successful than mine; but I had heard no signal, -therefore, I reasoned, he would be in a somewhat similar plight to -myself, or perhaps he had already rejoined Mac and Stewart. I continued -my musings in a calmly-resigned state of mind, but was suddenly aroused -to alertness; the faint sound of rustling branches reached my ears. I -got up speedily and looked all round, but nothing could be seen, and I -blamed my too eager fancy for the alarm. Glancing at the sun, and taking -a rough compass bearing, I prepared to return to my companions by a -direct route through the bush. But again the peculiar sound attracted my -attention. My fancy had not deceived me this time, and I surveyed the -open space closely, but nothing met my anxious gaze. Then, just as I was -leaving the scene, the secret of the rustling branches was revealed, and -I smiled grimly at my lack of perception. On the extreme edge of the -clearing, half hidden by the spidery tendrils of the sparse fringing -bush, two natives lay sprawling on the sand, carefully piling a heap of -twigs and spinifex grass, as if in preparation for a large fire. They -lay with their backs towards me, pursuing their work with diligence, and -as the colour of their bodies was almost similar to that of their -surroundings, they were not easily observable, as I had already proved. -I noticed with satisfaction that their weapons were strewn in the grass -some few yards out of their reach. These comprised two evil-looking -waddies and a number of double-barbed spears--a formidable collection, -truly. I examined my small S. and W. revolver with purposeful intent, -and was on the point of rushing forward when a loud crackle came from -another part of the ring. It seemed to me as if a stout branch had given -way before some other, and more impetuous, watcher than myself. More -natives might be near. I drew back into the shadow. The dusky pair were -evidently wildly alarmed; they leapt to their feet and looked about with -a startled expression, and then I recognised them as two of those who -had so stubbornly contested our advance less than an hour back. They -glared at each other terror-stricken, and pointed to the sun and the -four corners of the earth in turn, accompanying their odd gesticulations -by a stream of monosyllabic utterances. Apparently they were invoking -various gods to their aid. In the midst of this pantomime a well-known -figure burst into the enclosure from the still swaying scrub, and before -the natives could escape he clutched them both in a tight embrace, and -bore them back by almost superhuman effort. - -"Phil!" I cried in amazement, jumping forward, and relieving him of one -of his prisoners. - -"We've got them!" he shouted with fierce emotion. "Keep still, you imp -of darkness!" - -His prisoner was still struggling violently, but soon realised the -hopelessness of his efforts, and became quiescent as mine, who was -rolling his eyes at me beseechingly. - -Then we looked at each other, half in amusement half in surprise, and I -noticed that his sole upper garment, his sand-stained shirt, was torn -half across the shoulders. - -"It caught in a branch," he explained, examining the rent ruefully, "and -the noise I made in breaking loose nearly frightened the blacks away." - -"But how did you get here?" I asked, for the tracks we had followed -seemed to lead very widely apart. - -"The trails intersect, but all find their way here," he answered. -"Anyhow, I've been watching these beggars building a monument, or -something like it, for the last five minutes or so." - -"I have had my eye on them also," I said, "but I didn't dream of your -being so close. Hold my prisoner a moment," I added; "we'll see what -they have been doing." - -He promptly sat on my savage's neck, while I got up and kicked away the -pile of branches. And lo! beneath them lay disclosed a gurgling spring -of clearest water. - -I could not describe the joy that was ours at that moment. Phil simply -gasped with relief, and was not satisfied that his eyes did not deceive -him until I lifted some of the sparkling liquid in the palm of my hand -and let it trickle slowly through my fingers. The blacks remained -passive enough now, only groaning dismally at intervals. It was not -difficult to understand why they had attempted to hide the spring. As -Stewart had first surmised, they did not want our good company, and who -could blame them? There was no need to rejoin our comrades now, so we -discharged our revolvers as a signal to them to approach, and soon their -familiar voices were heard far back raised in high debate. Mac was -apparently holding forth on some pet doctrine with which Stewart -doggedly refused to coincide. They had forced their thoughts far away -from unpleasant topics; they knew how necessary it was to keep up a -semblance of cheerfulness in trying times, and for the rest they trusted -to my greater experience and Phil's superior knowledge. - -The dwarfed trees broke before the advancing train. Poor old "Slavery" -was evidently leading the trail at a harder pace than usual. - -"Come alang, 'Slavery'! Wad ye hae me pu' ye?" I heard Mac's voice -raised in pathetic entreaty, as the swaying brush about a hundred yards -back betokened their near approach. A few minutes more and "Slavery" and -"Misery" staggered into the clearing, with Mac and Stewart pulling -strenuously at their nose-ropes. The poor beasts' eyes were gleaming -strangely, and their breath came in long wheezing groans. - -"We can hang oot anither day yet," Mac shouted encouragingly immediately -he saw us, trying bravely to look cheerful. Then when he noticed the -natives on whom we were comfortably seated his astonishment was great. -"Guid heavens!" he ejaculated. "Stewart, we've got them efter a'." - -But Stewart had caught sight of the glistening water, and with a fervent -exclamation he buried his face in it and drank deeply. The camels now, -feeling the tension relieved at their nose-ropes, sank upon their knees -dead beat, and their heads drooped in the sand. Phil and I watched the -scene in silence: it was as the last act of a drama, with the proverbial -happy ending. Mac's rugged features fairly glowed when he saw the saving -spring. He strode forward, and jerked his comrade's dripping face from -the water. "Dinna mak' a beast o' yersel'," he said shortly. "Ower -muckle's bad for ye, an' it's ma turn onywey." But they found room for -two heads, and Phil said they reduced the level of the water by several -inches. - -The camels' wants now received attention. We allowed them to drink -sparingly only, as they would quickly have drained the well, which -refilled very slowly; but before the day was out they had absorbed their -full supply, and were on a fair way towards the recovery of their wonted -vigour. We camped by the spring, which we named "Warriors' Well," for -two days, during which time we were engaged filling the great -water-bags, and patching our tattered clothing so as to make a -respectable appearance when we arrived at the nearest settlement, now -less than a hundred miles distant. We fed our prisoners lavishly on -tinned dog and flour while they remained in our charge, and they seemed -to appreciate the diet hugely; yet, do what we might, they retained -their sullen demeanour, and always howled plaintively when we approached -near them. They made their escape on the morning of our departure, much -to Mac's disgust. That worthy had conceived the idea of training them to -act in the capacity of body-servants to Stewart and himself. - -"They would hae been bonnie orniments tae tak' hame tae auld Scotland," -he said regretfully. - -"We'll be bonnie-like orniments oorsels, Mac," responded Stewart, -surveying his dark-brown skin. "We'll be nigger enough like, I'm -thinkin'." - -We resumed our march with lighter hearts than we had had for many a day. -Our journey was practically completed, for our water supply would now -last until we reached comparatively sure country. It is true we had not -benefited by the expedition as I had hoped when starting, but we had -gained a hard knowledge of the country, and of our own powers of -endurance under extremely adverse circumstances, which would prove -invaluable to us in the further journeyings I was at this stage -planning. Phil had become indissolubly connected with my little party. -His worth had been demonstrated over and over again, and it was with -pleasure I heard his decision, as we drew near settled latitudes, to -throw in his lot with mine in my future travels. - -[Illustration: THE ONLY CREATURES THAT CAN EXIST IN THE N.W. INTERIOR.] - -"Ye're a man o' pairts, Phil," was Mac's unhesitating verdict, and -Stewart added, as a fitting tribute, "I'm o' the same opeenion." - -Twelve days after leaving the providentially-found spring we arrived on -the north-west coast of Australia, and there disposed of our faithful -old camels to ready purchasers. Mac's eyes were moist when he said -good-bye to the gentle "Slavery," and Stewart was loath to part with his -old charge, "Misery." As they were led away I bestowed a benediction on -the trusty servants of our dreary journey, and elicited a promise from -their new possessor that he would treat them kindly as they deserved. -About a week later we sailed for Sydney. - - - - -PART III - -PROMISCUOUS WANDERINGS - - - - -IN THE AUSTRALIAN BACK-BLOCKS - - -Australia has attracted much attention from all quarters during the last -few years, but to most people the vast interior is still a _terra -incognita_; and even on the streets of Sydney or Melbourne the -appearance of a copper-skinned back-blocker excites as much comment as -might a being from another planet. The man from "out west" cares little -for the opinion of the townsman, however; and if his carriage be not so -graceful as that of those whom he so unceremoniously jostles on the -pavements of Bourke Street or the "Block," he gets over the ground more -quickly; and if his speech be ungrammatical, it is at least expressive, -and only used when absolutely necessary. - -The back-blocks, generally, are the western division of Queensland and -New South Wales; and although in some parts of the former State the -hardy squatter has established himself well out into the great desert, -the country inside the "run" of his domain is probably unprospected, and -outside entirely unexplored. In this almost boundless tract of country, -where the bush merges into the silent desert, the back-blocker has his -home, and, indifferent to the flight of time and the struggle and -worries attending existence in the outside world, he leads a life of -untrammelled independence. - -Only occasionally does a stranger come among these sons of freedom; and -if he once sees "where the pelican builds its nest," or experiences the -strange fascination of the desert camp-fire circle, he will not soon -leave them. The new-comer may be fresh from the old home-land, an -outcast from continental Europe, or a wanderer from the crowded cities -on the Australian coast-line; but in all cases he is welcomed, and soon -he speaks in the same quaint dialect, forgets his past, and becomes a -child of fortune. - -"But how do you manage to exist? This place would not support a rabbit," -I said to an assembly of those men one evening in Queensland. I had -struck their camp while endeavouring with a companion to cycle from -Spencer Gulf to the Gulf of Carpentaria; and our surprise may be -imagined when, hundreds of miles from the nearest settlement, as we -thought, their camp-fire suddenly appeared in front of us. There were -about twelve men in the party, and, as it was just sundown, we naturally -camped beside them, and, prompted by the somewhat elaborate preparations -being made for supper, I had put my question. - -"Oh, not too bad," a tall and gaunt Queenslander answered. "We keeps a -team of our own always on the move with stores from the nearest -township." - -"But that must cost a lot of money so far out as this. How do you -earn----?" - -"We can always make tucker shootin' kangaroos and emus for their skins; -an' if any man wants a cheque bad, for a spell or anything, he can -always go shearing inside country. Of course we takes turns at opalling, -if we strikes a good show; an' if thar's any new gold discoveries, we -git there quick an' lively." - -"But you can never make a fortune at work so uncertain?" - -"Lor'! mate, but you is hard to please. Here, Charlie; you lend a hand -here; this stranger's fresh, an' I is no good pitchin'----" Charlie -stepped forward, and at once relieved his comrade of the burden of -conversation. - -[Illustration: AN EMU'S NEST.] - -"You reckons we can't make no money?" he said. "Well, I reckons ye is -wrong. How about old Tyson, the millioner? An' how about Gilgai Charlie -sitting over there?--my handle is Vic Charlie, cos' I comes from -Victoria--he made four thousan' clear outen his opal claim only last -week; an', darn it all, mate! there's Shandy Bill, that little fellow on -yer left, he made ten ounces yesterday jes' by dry-blowing in a pan----" - -"Ten ounces! of copper?" - -"No--of gold; an' Long Tom here shot one hundred and twenty-three -kangaroos at ninepence each----" - -"Did you say that your companion found gold?" - -"I reckon I did, stranger, an' what's more, we has all dropped on to -gold." - -"What! There is no gold so far west as this." - -"So we was told, mate. Them as is supposed to know, say there can be no -gold west of the ranges; but you can allow that this push knows gold -when they see it, an'--but show it to him, Shandy." Shandy instantly -detached a leather pouch from his belt, and without a word put it into -my hands. - -"That is gold without doubt," I said, handing it back; "I know by the -weight." Vic Charlie seemed surprised at my knowledge of the metal, but -he said nothing. - -"Does you know much about minerals?" inquired an elderly man who had -been listening intently to the conversation. - -"I have prospected in most countries," I answered, "and ought to know -all that is worth knowing by this time, for the experience was about all -I did get." - -"Tucker!" sang out some one. "Git table-covers for the visitors, an' -look lively." My own companion, while I was talking, had been engaged in -similar fashion in the centre of another group, and I smiled to see how -intensely interested were his listeners. _He_ was not seeking -information, I knew, but from the unconscious ejaculations which -frequently arose from his audience, I guessed that he was imparting -some; and his selections were invariably strange and wonderful. The cry -of "Tucker," however, created a diversion, and during the half-hour that -followed, all apparently had but one object in view, and being blessed -with a healthy appetite, that same object was very pleasing to me. I was -placed between a gentleman called Dead-broke Peter and one dubbed Silent -Ted. I afterwards discovered that Peter had been a member of the New -Zealand Parliament, but Long Tom introduced him simply as the best -talker in camp. I suppose it was to balance matters that the thoughtful -Tom placed Ted on my other side, for _he_ never spoke. - -"He is a first-class cook an' a most extraordinar' thinker, though," -said Tom; and as Ted's corrugated but wonderfully expressive face beamed -at the compliment, I saw that a tongue to him was quite unnecessary. The -night was very dark, and as the fitful fire-flashes lit up the -surrounding gloom and cast fantastic shadows of the squatting men on the -sands behind them, the scene was indeed weird. Towards the end of the -meal Dead-broke Peter began a conversation, at first very general in -character, and which I easily sustained without interrupting my study of -the men around; but before I realised that Peter was a man with a past, -I found myself floundering in the subject of astronomy hopelessly beyond -my depths. - -"Yes," I said, endeavouring to collect my senses, "it is wonderful how -the science has advanced, but I cannot understand how you have made the -heavens a clock." - -"Oh, that is a simple matter," he replied. "Canopus sets behind Warrego -plains at half-past nine at present; take that fact for your unit, and -then the positions of the Cross will indicate plainly, even to minutes, -the divisions of the night. But look at that poor snake crawling out of -the hollow stump beside you; that means a cyclonic disturbance is -approaching----" - -"Great Scot! That's a black snake. Look out, boys!" I cried, springing -to my feet. Ted, who had been drinking in every word spoken, quietly -reached over, and catching the wriggling creature by the tail, skilfully -swung it round his shoulder and brought its head forcibly against the -log. The snake must have been killed instantly: but its long body -quivered convulsively for a moment, and then with a sudden jerk shot -backwards and coiled tightly round Ted's arm. To my surprise, none of -his comrades troubled even to look at Ted during this performance: all, -with the exception of Peter and himself, were absorbing the words of my -very Scotch companion, who was relating with powerful dramatic effect -some peculiar experiences of his in other parts of the world. But -evidently Ted did not expect any attention, for without uttering a sound -he arose, shook his encumbrance into the fire, and sat down again, with -a look on his face that plainly said to us, "Go on! What have you -stopped for?" - -Peter politely directed my gaze to a nine-inch centipede that was -prospecting across my boots, and then launched into a discourse on -theological matters, which in time led into the supernatural, and -finally narrowed down to a discussion on the mysterious rites of the -aborigines' Bora. - -"Little Bob, that tall man sitting next your companion, has had much -experience among the natives of the north," Peter said, "and if you -could only get him to talk he could tell some marvellous tales." - -I looked over to the other side of the fire, and saw that Little Bob was -the individual who had asked the extent of my mineral knowledge. "I have -heard some tall stories of their corroborrees, Ghingis, and Bunyips," I -answered; "but no white man has ever seen anything that could not be -easily explained." - -"Think not? Perhaps you are right, but my experience leads me to think -differently. There is a Bunyip's pool seventeen miles from here--in -fact, we get our water from it; but there is not a man in this camp who -would go near it at night for--well for anything. And as for the -corroborrees, there are men here who have actually gone through a series -of them, and if you stay with us, or travel northwards, you will -probably see some for yourself." - -Peter's words interested me greatly, so, careful not to interrupt his -flow of eloquence, I soon became as silent as the gentleman on my left, -and was rewarded by hearing a most wonderful account of the dreaded -Bunyip--that strange mysterious creature, half fish and half fiend, the -very sight of which, it is said, means death to the unfortunate -beholder. I had often heard of this "dweller in the waters" from -half-caste aborigines in New South Wales, and knew that it was supposed -to live in the subterranean pools which abound throughout the Australian -interior; but I never imagined that white men could be so firmly -convinced of its existence as were my present companions. - -"It's in the Brumbie's water-hole, you can bet your life," said a -strangely deformed man, who had joined our group when the name was -mentioned. - -"How do you know? Have you seen it?" I inquired. - -"No, an' doesn't want to; but Jack Ford did." - -"And where is he?" - -"Ask Sam Wilkins. He's the only glory prospector here." - -"What has he to do with it?" - -"Lor'! stranger, if he doesn't know where Jack went, no one here does. -Jack was as fine a mate as iver I met; but whether he staked off a -claim up aloft, or pegged out in the other place, I'm darned if I knows. -He saw the Bunyip one full moon, an' croaked the next day." - -I now noticed that all the men had gathered round our little group, and -before I could further question the speaker, Long Tom broke in. "Is ye -in a hurry to git up to the Gulf country?" he said. - -"Not particularly," I answered. - -"Yer mate tells us you is a great mineralogist?" - -"Oh, no,--not great; but I know a little of the science." - -"Does ye know what that is?" Tom opened a sack as he spoke and took out -a greenish mass of something. - -"That is copper sulphide. Where did you get it?" - -"Mate, if it's any good, there's hundreds and thousands o' tons o' it -lyin' on top not mor'n fifty mile from here. But what is this?" - -"Why, that is native silver; and that conglomeration in Ted's hand is an -ironstone formation carrying gold----" - -"Say, mate," interrupted Little Bob, "does ye know what this is?" He -held in the palm of his hand a mixture resembling tea in appearance, but -which after tasting I knew could not be that substance, "Ah! ye is -bested, mate, an' I is glad," continued Bob. "I knows ye is honest now, -an' don't skite when ye doesn't know." - -"Thank you; but what is it?" - -"Pidcherie, stranger. Money can't buy it. It comes from the Mullagine -swamps; an' gold nor lead wouldn't make a black fellow part with it. -Swallow that, an' you can dance in the fire an' not feel nothin'; cut -yourself in little bits an' you'll think it fun. Only the niggers knows -what it is, an' no white men barrin' us back boys has iver got any----" - -"Time for that again, Little Bob," cried Long Tom, "The question just -now is, Will the stranger jine us? Yous can git two shares an' we does -all the work," he added, turning to me. - -"But, Mr.--that is--Peter here knows more than I do. He----" - -"Him!" snorted Tom. "Mate, he's the most onreasonable man in camp. When -he starts talking we can't stop him; an' when he is stopped, darn me if -we can start him." I turned to see how my late entertainer took these -words, but he was lying back on the sand--asleep. Finally, after much -quaint reasoning, the men persuaded us to try our luck with them, at -least for a time. "Yous can leave us when you like, if it doesn't pay," -was Tom's summing up; but as he had just told me of a sand-patch in -which tucker could be made by dry-panning, and of a "darned curious -country across the Cooper" which was on fire with opal lying on the -surface, I thought that the adventure was well worth any risk in that -direction. We were still talking when the Southern Cross dipped behind -the Grey Ranges; but before we stretched ourselves on the sand to rest -it was decided that I and three others should set out in the morning to -inspect the opal formations beyond the Cooper, and pending our report as -to its value, the others would keep up the funds by kangaroo-shooting -and dry-blowing for gold. - -Next morning with the first faint streaks of dawn we were ready. Mac and -I had our cycles, which we stripped of all their previous accoutrements, -and Kangaroo George and Gilgai Charlie rode two of the finest horses in -Queensland. - -"Be good boys," cried Long Tom, as we prepared to move off after -breakfast. - -"There is a willy-willy coming soon, so watch where you camp," warned -Dead-broke Peter; and without more ado we plunged into a clump of -gidgyas, and in a few minutes burst out on the ironshot plain. Neither -George nor Charlie was inclined to waste his wisdom on the desert air, -and even Mac found it advisable to keep his mouth closed when the fine -clouds of sand began to rise. For hours we headed due west, dining at -noon, in the open, on a piece of damper and some cold mutton, washed -down with an extremely sparing amount of muddy fluid from our -water-bags, and then going on again. Before sundown we reached a -dried-up creek, where, after scraping in the sand among the roots of a -solitary lime-tree, we found sufficient liquid for the horses, which we -then hobbled and went into camp, fully forty miles from our -starting-point. The sun was now racing down on the western horizon, and -the desert around seemed like a sea of gold. The day had been -oppressively hot, and consequently we expected that night would be kept -lively by the many pests. Nor were we mistaken. Just as our surroundings -became blurred in the shadows of night a dingo's dismal howl broke the -strange stillness, and then the blood-curdling shrieks of some -laughing-jackasses in the tree above irritated us almost beyond -endurance. The mosquitoes next joined in, sinking their sawlike suckers -deep into our sun-blistered skin; and when the mournful "morepork" added -its depressing note, the desert orchestra was completed. - -"I reckon there's a storm comin'," remarked George, as he assisted a -small death-adder into the fire. - -"For onysake let it come, then," growled Mac. "A dinna see what ye've -got to complain aboot. Da----darn it!!" - -"Is ye bit, Scottie?" inquired Charlie. "Lor'! there's a centipede on -your neck. It feels like red-hot coal, doesn't it?" he added -sympathetically. - -"No," groaned Mac; "it's a rale cooling sensation; but, here, feel for -yersel'." He poised the creature on a twig as he spoke, and skilfully -landed it on Charlie's back, and the yell that followed might have -awakened a Bunyip, had there been such a monster within five miles. - -"Shut up! darn ye, Charlie!" roared George, lifting a nicely browned -damper from the ashes; "ye has set the black fellows' ghosts off again. -Lor'! just listen to 'em." - -"Hurry up with that damper, George," I interrupted--"that is, if there's -no snakes in it." - -"There's many things worse than snakes, boss," innocently replied -George; "they is prime, if ye roast 'em an' has got any salt----" - -"Haud yer tongue, man, or A'll mak' a corroborree o' ye," roared the -hungry Mac, and I had to interfere hastily to prevent bloodshed. - -The memory of that night's tortures still haunts me. The desert was -alive with all sorts of reptiles and insects, and from my companions, as -they rolled sleeplessly in the sand, many short but heartfelt -expressions arose which I dare not repeat. At sunrise we set out again, -and all day travelled westward over country similar to that which we had -already passed, camping at night on an "Ana" branch or backwater of the -famous Cooper, and enduring another night of misery. - -"I reckon we should be near the Ghingi's opal now," said George as we -resumed our journey on the third day; "but say, boss, what's wrong with -the ole sun? or is it the willy-willy?" There certainly was reason for -George's question, for the sun as it shot up over the edge of the plains -seemed merely a dull red ball; but the gem-shot haze which danced -between showed the cause, and I realised that a cloud formed of minute -particles of sand was partly obscuring it from view. - -"We'll get across the main river and look for shelter," I said, "for -evidently this storm has been working up for some days." We crossed the -"Ana" channel and proceeded slowly, for the ground was now broken up as -if by volcanic agencies. I was anxious to see the Cooper, the great -inland sea of the early pioneers, but to my astonishment no water was -yet in evidence as far as the eye could reach; so, leading our steeds, -we picked our way over the cleft and burnt ironstone. - -"These is the Ghingi's holes," said Charlie, as we came to some -unusually large and deep chasms, "an' keep your eyes open, for there -should be opal here." - -"Whaur has that patent river got tae, I wunner," muttered Mac. "I never -had muckle faith in Australian rivers, an' I doot the nearest water-hole -in the way we're goin' is the Indian Ocean." - -"Say, boss," suddenly said George, "how far is it to the war?" - -"Oh, South Africa is about seven thousand miles from here. Are you -thinking of going?" - -"Well, some of the boys was talking that way; but none o' us knew the -country, nor if the track was to sunrise or sundown." - -"Africa is west from here, George." - -"Is ther enuff water for horses on the trail?" - -"Why, man! you cross the ocean." - -"Well, I reckon old Joy here can cross anything; but it beats me to know -how a fellow can carry tucker. I s'pose there is plenty stations on the -road, though?" I looked at George in amazement, and Mac grinned with -delight. - -"Maybe they wouldn't want us, Kangaroo," put in Charlie; "but I reckon -we can ride anything as has feet, an' shoot----" - -"Lie down flat, mates!" shouted George; "here's the willy-willy." - -I turned and saw a huge black wall gyrating wildly towards us. A roar -like that of thunder filled the air, followed by a sound as of waves -breaking upon a rocky beach. A fierce blast of back-drawn sand struck my -face, and as I threw myself down I felt as if drowning for a moment; -then a hail of stones, scrub, and sand rushed over me, tearing my -clothes to shreds, and penetrating my skin like shot, while a thick -blackness blotted out everything around. I lay still, conscious that a -deposit of sand was fast covering me; but I also felt that the -suffocating tension was already becoming less severe, and next minute a -current of moist cool air, delightfully soothing to my sand-blasted -skin, swept over the desert, and I sat up. It was still dark; but the -awful vortex had passed, and away to the west I could still hear the -indescribable rumbling sound of the flying boulders among the Ghingi -holes. - -"Is we all here?" sounded Charlie's voice close beside me, and I felt -relieved when I heard the muffled responses of my comrades, for I knew -that if caught in the centre of such a storm we had just escaped, -nothing living could withstand it. I groped for my cycle, and moistened -my throat with the damp sand that now filled the water-bag, noticing, as -some of the contents spilled down my neck, that the temperature must -have fallen considerably, for the accident caused me to shiver. - -"Ye talk aboot gaun into the Australian interior," spoke Mac dolorously, -as he in turn swallowed a mouthful, "but I'm thinkin' that a lot o' -Australia has gone into mine." - -"Never mind, Mac," I replied, as we all crawled towards each other, -"here comes the first rain we have had since leaving Adelaide, and if -the horses are all right, so are we." - -"I reckon they is O.K.," said Charlie; "they knows more than most -people, them horses." - -While he was speaking we cast off our scanty garments and revelled in -the refreshing drops; but rain in the back-blocks is worth more than its -weight in gold, and this shower only lasted about a minute, and passed -on in the wake of the willy-willy. Shortly afterwards the darkness -rolled away to the west like a huge receding screen, and near us we saw -the two horses rolling on the ground with evident enjoyment. But I did -not ask my companions how it was that our four-footed friends had -escaped so lightly, for my attention was attracted by a scintillating -streak of something on the edge of a small hole, and as my eyes became -used to the now blinding glare of the sun, I saw that the whole surface -of the desert was literally blazing with small points of colour. - -"Lor'!" exclaimed my Australian comrades simultaneously, "we has struck -the very place after all." - -"Ay, mon," said Mac wrathfully; "an' hoo did ye no' ken that afore?" - -"'Cos the opal was dead," replied George, "an' the rain has made it -'live again." - -Mac looked suspiciously at the speaker; but Charlie added that "dead" -and "live" were terms used in speaking of dull opal that could be made -to flash as if alive by the application of water. This explained why we -had not seen the gems before, and without troubling to inquire where the -Cooper had gone, or how--if Charlie and George were correct--we had got -to the other side of it, we attacked the ironstone boulders with our -small hand-picks. - -"Every gibber's got an opal heart," remarked George, smashing a large -boulder to fragments. - -"Take care, then," I warned, "or you will break it too." - -"Then how is we to do it, boss?" inquired Charlie, poising his pick in -mid-air. "Does ye think it will come out if we whistle on it?" - -I did not; nor to this day have I found how to get that opal out intact. -We tried every method that could be devised, but without success, for -each time we broke the outer casing the more brittle core was also -shattered by the blow. Patiently and laboriously we chipped the -ironstone, only to find that the gem was in powder form when we reached -it. We then tried roasting the stones, carrying them to a small clump of -stunted gidgyas for that purpose; but found then, that although the -shell broke with less hammering, the "life" of the opal was destroyed by -the heat, and a dull lump of glass-like substance was all our reward. - -For two days we wandered among the Ghingi holes trying specimens -continually, but with the same results, and at last I was convinced that -further work under the circumstances was useless. The horses were now -beginning to suffer for want of proper food, and I saw that the water -question would also trouble us as soon as the pools formed by the -willy-willy shower had evaporated. Cooper's creek as a flowing stream -had ceased to exist. Probably its waters, or all that seven years' -drought had left of them, had gone to feed that strange tide which ebbs -and flows so mysteriously under the heart of the great Lone Land; but in -its old channels we saw only dead and dying creatures of the desert, and -the banks were simply a nursery for fever germs. - -"I reckon we'll have to give it best," at length said Gilgai Charlie, -and I could see no alternative. - -"If sufficient rain came, we might be able to bring a team out," I said, -"and cart a load of boulders back to Eromango. If we could not there get -the ironstone dissolved with acid, we could at least send them to -Brisbane and get them cut." - -"That's all right, boss," spoke George, "but I reckon we might as well -look for gold nuggets droppin' from the sky as enough water for a -team." And I knew he was right. - -[Illustration: "LEICHARDT'S" TREE. - THE LAST TRACE FOUND OF THE GREAT EXPLORER WHO ATTEMPTED - TO CROSS THE INTERIOR AND WAS NEVER HEARD OF AGAIN.] - -We thought of striking across to the central ranges of South Australia -to prospect the ruby formations there, but we found, when we reached the -end of the broken ground, that our course lay through a belt of soft -sand in which our wheels sank over the rims; and having neither -sufficient water nor stores to risk walking for an unknown distance, we -were forced to abandon the attempt. On the afternoon of the third day we -started on the back track, and that night camped on the Ana pool. We -made our old camp by the "soak" the next night, and at noon, the day -following, struck the camps of those of our comrades who had gone -dry-blowing. - -"Well, mates, don't worry. It doesn't matter anyhow, for we'll git it -some day, if we doesn't peg out," was the general comment when they had -heard our story; and then the billy was boiled. - -I was much surprised to see that gold was present in the sands of the -desert; and even although the quantity was small, and only in patches -widely apart, the fact afforded much food for thought. The process of -dry-blowing adopted by the men was extremely simple, consisting of -dropping the sand from one pan raised above the head to another resting -on the ground, then reversing the positions of the pans and repeating -the operation. In action, most of the sand and other light material was -carried away or diverted by the wind; but the gold--if any--in -accordance with the law of gravitation, dropped straight. When the bulk -was thus reduced until only the precious metal and the heavier -ironstones were left, the contents were put aside, and another panful -proceeded with in the same manner. Finally the collected matter was -thrown on an improvised inclined plane that had bars of wood fastened -across its surface. In rolling down, the ironstone pebbles cleared -these ripples and fell to the ground; but the gold, being too heavy to -do likewise, was caught in the angles, and afterwards carefully removed -by the operator. The work was very slow and laborious, and often -attended with very disappointing results. "But," said Dead-broke Peter, -while explaining this to me, "we sometimes strike a patch that pays -well." - -"Can you explain why there is _any_ gold here?" I asked. "There are no -auriferous reefs which could shed it nearer than eight hundred miles, -and, according to all geologists, the entire desert is the deposit of -the ocean." - -"That may be," Peter replied, "but I have conclusive proof that there is -a gold-bearing reef not more than a quarter of a mile from where we -stand. I have no doubt that the rocks carrying it once reared themselves -above the surrounding sea; but that was--well--before our time; and now -they are too deep for us to reach." - -I suggested that if the men had some mechanical appliance which could -treat the sand in large quantities, they might do well with the surface -deposit. "Perhaps," Peter said indifferently; "but there would be too -much worry attached." And seeing that Silent Ted had dinner ready, we -changed the subject. - -Long Tom and four of the men had gone out emu-and kangaroo-shooting, and -were not expected back for a week, and knowing that neither Mac nor I -could be of any special service to the men at dry-blowing, we at length -resolved to proceed to the Gulf, as was our original intention. - -Our companions were very sorry when we announced this; but I told them -we had come out expressly to study the aborigines at home, and that when -we had done so we might come back. - -"You'll see them before you go far," said Shandy Bill. - -"An' don't go foolin' near a corroborree, Scottie," warned Little Bob; -"'cos if ye does thar will be a funeral, as sure as them currants in -that damper there is only ants." - -Dead-broke Peter was evidently qualifying for a Silent Ted reputation, -for it was only when kicked repeatedly by that individual that he roused -himself, and in effect said, "Remember, if you happen to get into -trouble, that the various corroborrees are only stages in the grand -Bora; and that the signs used in their working have a wonderful -resemblance to those of a certain society to which I see you belong." -This information was startling, to say the least of it; but Peter had -again fallen into his listless attitude, and could not be induced to say -more: so, after receiving many messages, written and verbal, to despatch -from the first settlement reached, we departed. - -Eight days later we crossed the north Cooper (here called the Thomson -river) at Jundah--it was in flood here(!)--and in another four days we -reached Winton. From this unique township we made good time northwards -through a well-watered country, which, although in the tropics, is -blessed with a pleasant climate; and while running down the Flinders -river had our first adventure with the natives. The Australian -aboriginal is believed to be the lowest form of humanity extant; but -there are many things in his philosophy of which the white man has not -dreamt. He fights with nature for his very existence, his food being the -crawling creatures of the earth and what he wrests from other animals; -and even then he is haunted with an eternal dread of devouring demons, -who--according to his belief--are for ever seeking his destruction. His -Bora is his only safeguard against these Ghingis and Bunyips; and it is -in matters pertaining to the observance of its various corroborrees -that he has achieved such triumphs over nature, and performs feats that, -to the white man, are entirely inexplicable. - -An ordinary corroborree is merely a meeting that may be summoned by the -chief or elders of any tribe; but those relating to the Bora are a -series of religious ceremonials culminating in a weird fire-test, which -all young warriors must undergo before attaining to the state of -manhood. This fire-test, with various modifications, is also practised -by the New Guineans and South Sea Islanders; but with the latter it now -seems to have degenerated into a performance for the priests alone; and -in the Fiji Isles a form of fire-walking is still observed, chiefly for -the benefit of the sensation-loving tourist. Among the Australian -aborigines, however, the working of the Bora is the chief object of -their existence, and with them the tests are very real indeed. The -fire-test is worked by a procession of aspiring natives marching round -on a path which leads through the centre of many fires. A figure in the -fanciful attire of some strange monster apparently controls the -movements of the warriors by the motion of some object which he swings -rapidly round his head, and which produces a humming sound not unlike -that of a steam-siren. The performance is followed by a warlike display -supposed to strike terror to the heart of the dreaded Bunyip, and if -that creature could see the grotesquely garbed warriors as we saw -them--hiding in the mulga scrub with our bicycles lying beside us--I -have no doubt that it would speedily take itself off to some less -dangerous-looking part of the globe. - -It is supposed that no white men have ever witnessed the higher -corroborrees; but that belief is erroneous, for during our journey -northwards we met several backblockers on the wallaby to the opal -district who were quite familiar with the entire ceremony, and some, -like little Bob, had even taken part in them, of course not willingly. - -The aborigines are very scarce now, and happily, perhaps for us, most of -our adventures with them tended more to be ludicrous than exciting, and -in due course we arrived at Normanton, the chief town in the Gulf -country. - -A month later we landed at Brisbane from the ss. _Peregrine_, and in two -days were completely tired out and disgusted with the artificialities of -city life. The Queensland contingent of the Imperial Bushmen was to -embark in the afternoon for South Africa, and we joined the cheering -throng that lined Queen Street to see the men ride past. I have seen the -Scots Greys in Edinburgh, but the men of "England's last hope" were not -like them. Their smart dresses hung loosely on their angular frames, and -their tanned faces were in vivid contrast to those of the Brisbanites. -They were all tall, and sat in their saddles in a style that was -certainly not military, and their faces wore an absent-minded -expression. I knew, however, that fever would have no effect on these -men, that they could stand any hardship, that an earthquake could not -unhorse them, and that every time those eyes with the far-away look -glanced along the rifle-barrel something would drop somewhere. A shout -from Mac interrupted my musings, and knowing that he always had some -reason for what he did, I followed him through the densely-packed crowd, -and found him in the act of hauling a trooper from his horse. - -"It's Kangaroo George!" he yelled, "an' he's dreamin'!" - -"Hallo, Scottie!" suddenly said the roused warrior; "did yous see the -nigs?" - -"Hang the niggers!" roared Mac; "it's you I want tae ken aboot. -Hoo----?" - -"I see you have got on to the South African trail after all, George," I -said, grasping his hand. - -"Close up there, men!" roared the sergeant. - -"Darn it! Dead-broke, doesn't ye see who is here?" remonstrated another -familiar voice, and next instant I was shaking hands with Sergeant -Dead-broke Peter--I never knew his other name. There was now a general -confusion owing to the men having to lead their horses down to the wharf -where the transport _Maori King_ was waiting to receive them, and by -adopting tactics not unknown nearer home Mac and I got down with the -troopers. - -"An' has ye not a word for Shandy Bill?" suddenly spoke another voice at -my side. - -"An' Sam Wilkins?" said a quiet-looking trooper. - -"An' me--Corporal Vic Charlie?" cried the one who had remonstrated with -his sergeant. - -"Is the whole camp here?" I cried surprisedly, while Mac muttered -strange words anent the results of shaving on a person's appearance. - -"No; only five," answered Vic Charlie. "Gilgai and Little Bob came down -too; but they were too old, an' they is goin' out west again to-night -when they see us away." - -"I say, boss," whispered George to me, "you knows the trail, doesn't -ye?" - -"Fairly well, George," I replied; "you see the Southern Cross all the -way." - -"Then can you give us a notion how far out our first camp is?" - -"You don't camp at all. You travel night and day--that is, unless the -propellor shaft or something else breaks." - -"Lor!" was all George's comment, but his face spoke volumes. - -[Illustration: A FAMOUS MINE IN THE GULF COUNTRY.] - -We stayed with our old comrades until the last moment arrived; and then, -in company with Gilgai Charlie and the giant Little Bob, who had joined -us on the wharf, went and dined. These two worthies were, as they said, -already "full up with the city," and when the western express left that -night it had on board four men and four cycles booked through for -Cunnamulla _en route_ to the opal fields. Twenty-eight hours afterwards -we landed at the western terminus, and taking advantage of the full moon -and the hard camel-pads leading farther west, we made sixty miles before -morning. - - - - -ON THE OPAL FIELDS OF WHITE CLIFFS - - -There are many strange places and peoples in this world, and of those -the opal fields and opal miners of White Cliffs, New South Wales, are -good examples. The opal district is situated sixty miles N.N.W. of -Wilcannia, a somewhat remarkable township on the Darling River, and the -men who make gem-hunting their profession number over two thousand. Of -this amount, less than a half belong to some branch of the Anglo-Saxon -race, the remainder being a mixture of all nationalities, of which -Germans are the most numerous. The township of White Cliffs stands in a -hollow in the centre of the "workings," but it is merely a collection of -galvanised iron drinking saloons and stores; the population living out -on their claims, some in tents, some in their horizontal excavations or -"drives"; and others with only the sky for a roof. When it is stated -that the town also contains a Warden's residence, a hospital, and a good -substantial prison--there is as yet no church--that most of the stores -are run by Chinamen, and that the Jew gem-buyers form the aristocracy, -the description of the town is complete. The fields, however, at present -extend for three miles round the town, and in all probability will -stretch further out on the great western desert when some means of -providing sufficient water for the miners is devised. But the opal has -been proved to exist in such vast quantities within the three miles -radius, that there is as yet no need for any one to go further out. - -The methods employed in searching for opal are extremely simple. -Briefly, this consists of sinking a shaft, or, if the claim happens to -be located on a slope, tunnelling into the ground until a seam of -gem-carrying matrix is encountered; from which the opal is then -separated by means of a small "gouging" pick or other tool. These layers -exist at various parallel levels from the surface down to forty feet, -but no "paying" opal has yet been struck at greater depths. It is highly -probable, however, that this is because the task of further sinking with -the primitive means of pick, spade, and windlass, the only appliances -used, becomes at this point somewhat difficult, and the men, knowing the -value of the shallower levels, prefer spending their energies on another -shaft in fresh country. The matrix in which the gem is found consists of -a hard silicious conglomeration, usually thickly impregnated with -ironstone. The opal is embedded in this material in the form of thin -sheets, which, however large they may be while in the formation, can -only be removed in divisions of about the size of a five shilling piece. - -Opal is of all colours and shades, but unfortunately for the miner a -piece of exquisitely coloured blue, green, or red stone is considered -absolutely valueless if not accompanied with the vivid scintillating -flash which denotes its "lifeness." Tons upon tons of this worthless -stuff, "Potch," as it is called, are daily thrown out of the shafts by -disgusted opallers, for in common with most things in this world, the -bad is very plentiful, in fact it is almost impossible to get away from -it; but the gem or "live" opal is correspondingly rare. Nevertheless, -fortunes are frequently made here by the merest chance, and perhaps to -a greater degree than elsewhere is a man justified by results in -believing that some day he will "send his pick through a fortune." As -said before, the miners are of nearly all the races of mankind, and many -incongruous partnerships are formed for the holding and working of a -two, three, or four men's claim; but on the whole, good fellowship rules -throughout the camps, and an American negro, a half-caste Chinaman, or a -Turk, stands by the windlass of a canny Scot, a Frenchman, or a Hindu. - -There are no disputes between capital and labour in White Cliffs, every -man is his own master, and follows out his own usually erratic -inclinations, unless sometimes when, after a lucky find, he imbibes too -much of a certain commodity falsely-labelled Scotch, and consequently -the police exercise a slight control over his movements. - -There are no surface indications to guide one in searching for opal, and -as the most experienced "gouger" knows no more where the gem may be than -the latest new chum, all work is done on chance. To such a strange state -of mind has the desert environment reduced those men of the back-blocks, -that they look upon the grim side of circumstances with indifference, -and magnify the trivialities of life into a proportion which to the -stranger suggests a land of Burlesque. But soon he, too, catches the -mysterious infection, unconsciously he is overwhelmed by the influence -of his surroundings, and he ceases to see anything remarkable either in -his own doings or in those of his fellows. An observer, while he -retained his own mental equilibrium, might see instances of this strange -perversion in almost every man in White Cliffs; but, perhaps, my own -experiences there may serve to give some fair examples. - -My claim was staked about a mile from the town on a small stretch of -rising ground which at some time in the Earth's history formed the banks -of the lake, in the old bed of which White Cliffs now stands. For -comrades I had a powerful Scotsman and two Australians, while the claims -around us were worked by an American and a native of Mauritius, known as -Black George, a German and an Englishman--the latter being termed the -"Parson," a New Zealander and a Swede, and several other single miners, -the chief being one called Satan. We were all good friends, and nightly -gathered round a common camp-fire to discuss things in general. - -Silent Ted and Emu Bill, my two Australian comrades, were perhaps the -most experienced prospectors on the field; the one had a very thoughtful -cast of countenance, and never spoke, and the other was a splendid -specimen of the Australian pioneer, but when he spoke it was chiefly in -short, crisp words, of decided colonial origin, which Mac said would -have qualified him "A1 for the position of a Clyde stevedore." Together -they had crossed the divide between the Darling River and Cooper's -Creek, and occasionally, when the moon was full, and the Southern Cross -dipping behind the Great Barrier Ranges, Bill would tell of a land where -fire-flashing opal burst through the surface sands, and shone in -dazzling streaks of every imaginable colour from every wind-swept ledge. -Ted would eagerly follow his comrade's words, and his wonderful face -would light up with genuine admiration when Bill's word-pictures were -powerfully descriptive. But he was too sympathetic, and frequently, -alas! got into trouble because of that. - -"Shut up, Ted!" Bill would suddenly cry, pausing in the middle of his -narrative. "Is it you that's tellin' this yarn or me?" - -At these rough words the silent one would slowly turn a reproachful -glance upon the speaker which said as plainly as words, "Why, Bill, I -did not speak." - -"I knows that," would come the unhesitating answer, "but your face does, -an' it's been an' got to the end of this story afore me." - -This was in a manner true, and sometimes when Bill, as Hoskins the -American said, was "long-winded in getting to the point," we had but to -look at Ted's face for the _dénoûement_. - -"But how vas it you came away unt leave all dat opal? There must be -millions there," our German friend would say when Bill's narrative was -concluded. - -"I reckon there is, Kaiser," the _raconteur_ would answer, "but the -country is full o' darned crows an' willy-willys, an' ye can't sleep no -how with the sand-flies an' snakes an' 'skeeturs. Water, did ye say? No, -there ain't none." - -However much Ted and Bill may have ignored the absence of the precious -fluid, that was the only consideration with most of their listeners, and -had there been any water, some of us, at least, would have gone out West -at once and chanced everything else. - -One evening Bill was unusually eloquent in his discourse on the -lavishness with which Nature had gifted the desert, and as all our -claims had been yielding but poor returns for the last week or so, we -paid more attention to his words than we had been in the habit of doing. - -"I wouldn't mind having a try out back," said Scottie, "if there were a -railway, or if we had fleein' machines." - -"Couldn't we go as we are?" lisped the Parson, "we may work here for -ever, and not better ourselves." - -Bill gave vent to some sarcastic remarks anent the last speaker's powers -of endurance, but otherwise made no comment. - -[Illustration: BORING FOR OPAL INDICATIONS.] - -"Bill says the surface is ironshot," continued the Parson blandly, "and, -as I saw a team come into town to-day with about two dozen bicycles for -sale, I thought----" - -"Man, ye are a thinker, Parson," cried Scottie, "I'll gang away wi' ye -the morn if ye like--that is if the machines are no ow'r dear." - -"I think we ought to get them, no matter what they cost," I remarked, -"for if we do go out they would enable us to cross right over to the -Cooper at a pinch, if they did not break down, and the ground was -passable." - -"Well, I guess I am one of the crowd that goes," announced Hoskins. - -"Unt me," cried the German. - -"I reckon we is all going," said Bill, looking round the camp-fire for -corroboration. "Int you, Satan?" - -"Of course I is," answered the individual addressed, a -corrugated-skinned specimen of humanity. "I is goin' where Scottie an' -the Parson goes; but where in tarnation is ye goin', and what for?" - -"Cooper's Creek, for opal," roared Scottie. - -"Opal," repeated Satan vacantly. Then his eyes kindled suddenly, and he -exclaimed, "Lor', I forgot to tell ye, boys, I has been haulin' the -stuff out by the sackful these last two weeks." - -"What!" yelled all in chorus, springing to their feet, and even the -stoical Ted stopped in the act of lighting his pipe to gaze at Satan. - -"It are a fact, mates," continued that gentleman apologetically, "I -reckon I has near got a waggon-load dumped out by now. Lor', what's the -racket, mates?" - -Few heard his last words, for as the full literal import of what he had -just said began to dawn on the assembly, a stampede took place down the -hill towards the shaft; but another surprise was in store. While some -were rummaging in Black George's tent for candles to explore the long -drive in Satan's claim, and others were sliding down his windlass rope, -a series of sounds broke out round our deserted fire, the fervour of -which made Hoskins say, "Hallo, boys, how is Bill not here?" - -"I is here, darn ye!" came the muffled response from the darkness; -"that's Ted that's shouting," which information made it clear to all -that Silent Ted in his excitement had placed the blazing mulga stump in -his mouth and thrown away his pipe. - -I had known Ted for a long time, but that was only the second occasion -on which I had heard the sound of his voice. A few seconds later we had -crowded into Satan's drive, and after crawling over a heap of mullock -that blocked the passage to within one foot of the roof, we found -ourselves in the chamber where, from the presence of his pick and other -implements, we knew he had recently been working. In a moment the -candles were lit, and then a cry of wonder burst from all. We were -standing in what might have been an Aladdin's palace, and the walls -danced and flashed in the gloom as if alive. The roof was simply one -blaze of ever-changing orange and green, and through the whole would -dart spasmodically a "living" flash of fiery red. Clearly Satan had -struck it, for there must have been several thousand pounds' worth of -opal exposed, whatever amount may have been hidden behind. Bill was the -first to break the silence of admiration, which had fallen over all, and -he only said one word. It was characteristic and expressive, but quite -unprintable; and slowly we filed out again and clambered up the rope to -the surface. When we got back to our camp we found Ted, Satan, and the -Swede sitting in silent meditation round the fire. Probably Ted would -have accompanied us, had it not been for the fact that he, being cook, -had to look after a mysterious compound of flour and other substances -commonly known as damper, which every evening was prepared among the -ashes. - -"Well, boy, you have struck it, an' no mistake," called out Ford, the -New Zealander, to Satan as we approached. "You're a millionaire now." - -"Get awa' frae this fire, you unceevilised heathen," roared Scottie, in -virtuous indignation. "A man that wouldna' tell his mates when he struck -a ton of opal is nae frien' o' mine; get awa' before a dae ye damage." - -"Come Scottie," began the Parson, but Mac would have none of him. - -"Don't Scottie me," he bellowed, "Ye--ye----" Then seeing the look of -pain on the face of the would-be peacemaker he calmed down and said, -"Weel, ye shouldna anger me. I'll alloo ony man to judge if----" - -"Lor', Scottie, what is ye sayin'?" interrupted Satan anxiously; "I -forgot all about the darned stuff. I has no mate, and if you will come -and help spend it you can have the half." - -"Mein Gott," cried Kaiser, "I vil be your mate for von quarter." - -"Satan," began Mac, "A'm sorry A spoke, but A can see ye're no fit to -be left alane, among so mony Germans and foreign heathen. Sell yer opal, -lad, and bank the money in Sydney. The coach leaves the morn's nicht." - -"I'll be darned if I do. I never went and left my mates yet, an' I ain't -goin' to start now," exclaimed Satan doggedly. - -And then I explained that he had already done sufficient to merit our -blessing by discovering the layer of opal at the forty-four feet level. -"It in all probability extends throughout all our claims at that depth," -I said, "so you had better go down to Sydney and dispose of yours before -the news leaks out. Otherwise there will be so much of the opal for -sale locally when we all strike it that the buyers may be frightened." - -Ultimately we convinced Satan that he should go down to the coast, for -it was evident he needed a change, and he could now well afford it. -Shortly afterwards the party broke up for the night, and soon the camps -were wrapt in slumber, each man dreaming, doubtless, of the opal he -would get on the morrow four feet beneath the floor of his lowest drive. - -In the morning the Parson, Kaiser, and Mac went over to assist Satan in -working out the opal showing in his claim, and in the evening he -departed with twenty pounds weight of first-grade opal tied securely in -sacks so as to excite no suspicion. The news of the deep-level find soon -spread, and at noon of the day following Satan's departure our little -community was the centre of a "rush," which by evening had swelled into -a great canvas settlement stretching right across the white glistening -lake-bed towards the township. - -That evening our usual camp-fire circle was increased by the addition of -over a hundred hardened fortune-seekers eager to obtain any information -as to the levels, depths, and formations of the country, which, -obviously, only we who had shafts already sunk were able to supply. - -"It are the forty-four feet level seam we has struck," Bill answered to -all inquiries, "an' it likely spreads out all over the flat there, -though I 'spects it turns into Potch before it goes far." - -"I reckon we'll chance that," was the general response, and next day the -many heaps of upturned sand that grew in proportion as we looked, showed -that the new arrivals were fast doing so. - -Meanwhile, the buyers were greatly agitated. They had heard exaggerated -reports concerning the find of the "forty-four," and had arranged among -themselves to beat down the prices of the opal to £4 an ounce. It, -therefore, surprised them to find the days passing and no one offering -to sell any opal; and one morning two of their fraternity repegged -Satan's abandoned claim, evidently with the intention of investigating -matter for themselves. As we had been endeavouring by various -subterfuges to keep this claim intact, some of us having even altered -our boundaries the better to do so, we were much chagrined at this -brilliant move on their part, but marvelled how they had come to know -that it was not legally manned. However, the claim was worked out, and -as the two new holders knew as little about the practical part of mining -for opal as we knew of the value of the gem, we consoled ourselves with -the reflection that, after all, we might be able to turn their proximity -to account. - -Thus it was that every evening a well-packed sack was carefully hoisted -from each of the shafts of the surrounding claim-holders, and a rumour -spread abroad that a new Sydney syndicate was buying opal by the ton. -Our two Hebrew friends, by dint of persistent effort, gradually -insinuated themselves into our good graces, and one day astonished us by -announcing that they were capitalists, and would purchase our claims if -the terms were reasonable. At this straightforward way of doing -business, so foreign to the nature of their compatriots, I felt that we -had greatly wronged them, and as they said, truly enough, that they did -not know what our claims contained, and that their offer was merely a -part of honest speculation, the Parson and I were much worried over -certain matters. - -"I reckon I vote for selling," said Bill one evening as we held a -meeting to consider the proposal. "The money will pay ex's for a trip -West, an' darn 'em! they're Jews anyhow." - -"A'm wi' ye, Bill," cried Mac, and one by one all signified their -approval of the sentiments expressed until only the Parson and I were -left. - -"Of course I will not vote against my partner, Kaiser," began the -Parson, "but really there is nothing in our cl----" He stopped abruptly, -for, from the shadows of our mullock-heap, stepped a stranger. There -seemed something familiar about his gait as he crossed the fire-lit -zone, and sat down on the empty kerosene tin on which Satan used to sit, -but I could not recollect whom he resembled. For a moment no one spoke; -the stranger's amazing coolness had taken our breath away. He was -dressed in, presumably, the latest style of Sydney clothing, but even in -the dim light I could see that his garments hung loosely on his person. -Evidently he had just arrived in White Cliffs, and had not yet been in a -willy-willy (sand-storm). - -"Look here, ma man, hae ye a ticket?" said Mac at length. - -"If ye is a new chum ye will get tucker in that tent there," said Bill, -"but----" - -"Lor', mates! What does ye mean? Doesn't ye not know me?" interrupted -the stranger. "I is Satan----" - -"Golly! an' so it is, but--but where's your whiskers," cried Black -George, holding a lighted match in the stranger's face. - -"Satan, ye deevil, gie's yer hand," roared Scottie, "A'm rael glad to -see ye." - -"Oh, mates, I is glad to git back, I is," began our old friend. "I -hasn't had a proper feed since I left, an' I has been disgraced. I went -to a theatre in Sydney an' there was a fight on the stage, an' because I -jumped up an' jined in socially like, the police came in an' started on -me. I couldn't fight them all, for there war' mor'n a dozen, an' next -day the judge, a very decent old gentleman, told me to git from Sydney, -for it war' full o' sharks. I gitted to Melbourne, but, oh, Lor'! mates, -don't none of you never go there----" - -[Illustration: THE BELLE OF THE BUSH. - A SALVATION ARMY CONVERT IN WHITE CLIFFS.] - -"But your opal, Satan? What did you get for it?" I broke in. - -"Oh, that darned stuff? Mates, it weren't worth much after all. There -war' two young fellows in the Wilcannia coach with me, an' they told me -that it war' no good. They war' Jews of course; but they went down all -the way with me an' took me round all the buyers in Sydney, an' none o' -them would look at it. I didn't know what to do; and I was mighty glad -when the two Jews gave me two hundred pounds for the lot. I spent the -money as quick as I could, an' here I is back again, an'---- But has ye -got no tucker?" - -For full five minutes the air was filled with the most powerful words in -at least four different languages, during which entertainment Satan -unconcernedly ate the piece of damper which Ted had handed to him. - -"I suppose you do not remember the names of your two kind friends, -Satan?" I said, passing him the tea billy. - -"No, but they both wears a chain with a most 'culiar pendant, something -like what the Parson showed us one night." - -"Ah!" I cried. "Gentlemen, our business is settled. We will sell our -claims to-morrow: we cannot refuse the kindly, disinterested offer of -Satan's two benefactors." - -"But I reckon the price has risen, hasn't it?" inquired Bill. - -"Yes," answered the Parson grimly. "Satan's opal was worth £8,000." - -Next morning the two Hebrews came out from town a full hour earlier than -usual, and without more ado the Parson, as spokesman, informed them -that having considered everything and being desirous of going out West, -we were willing to sell our joint claims for three thousand pounds in -cash. - -"But two tousant was the agreement," remonstrated one. - -"There was no agreement," replied the Parson. "Candidly I can't imagine -why you wish to have the claims, for opal seems to have fallen in the -market, but if you still desire them that sum is our price until we hear -from other possible purchasers." - -While he was speaking, Mac and Hoskins were assiduously painting the -address of a famous Sydney firm of jewellers on a well-roped candle-box, -and after eyeing them intently for a minute, Aaron ---- said-- - -"Vell den, we don't cares, we is speculative business men. No, we do not -want to see your drives. Ha, ha! we vas not built to go through -rabbit-holes. Here is de money, sign this papers all of you, an' come -and dine with us in the Australian Thirst saloon." - -The above is the history of the finding of the "forty-four" feet level, -and the selling of "Block 91." The money was equally divided among the -men interested, after which most of them pegged out fresh claims -elsewhere, but Bill, Ted, Satan, Black George, Scottie, the Parson, and -I, procured bicycles and water-bags, and started off on our Western -prospecting trip that same afternoon. It is unnecessary to repeat the -details of our journey. The country was at first a hard, sandy plain -dotted here and there with sparse growths of the ubiquitous mulga scrub, -and occasionally broken by outcrops of silver lodes; but as we advanced, -all forms of vegetation disappeared, and on the third day we found -ourselves on an undulating sea of ironshot sand bounded only by the -horizon. We had not as yet seen any signs of surface opal formations, -and of course had no intention of sinking shafts to investigate, in the -heart of such a desert. On the fourth day we calculated that we had now -reached a point one hundred and forty miles west from White Cliffs, and -that night we camped on the edge of a dry clay-pan and considered the -advisability of returning. Bill and Ted, however, persisted that we had -not yet gone far enough to see the place of which they had spoken so -often, and although I could not understand how they had managed to -travel such a distance, nor how they knew whether we had passed their -farthest-out camp or not, I had implicit faith in the correctness of -their observations. - -"I reckon we has to go 'bout thirty miles yet. We was jest a day off -here," said Bill. - -"You must have been quite close to Lake Frome then," I said. - -"Never seed it, nor knowed of it, nor don't believe there ever was any -lake in this part o' the world," replied Bill, and I wondered greatly, -seeing that Lake Frome was distinctly marked across our path on the -Government map in my possession. We had no fire that night, there being -nothing that would burn within at least a day's journey, and -consequently our supper was not of a tempting nature. - -"Well, men, I don't know that I care to be responsible for taking you -further west," I announced. "How much water is left in the bags?" - -"There war' six gallons between them all after supper," answered Satan, -"but Ted took a drink since then." - -"Let us try another day yet," advised the Parson, "we can go back over -our tracks in two days, and the opal might only be an hour ahead." - -All expressed their approval of these remarks, so soon after, we scraped -the top off the hard sand and went to sleep. The pests were unusually -energetic that night, and several times we were awakened by their -voraciousness. The Parson and Black George seemed to be affected even -more so than the others, but it must have been an exceptionally large -and active centipede that bit our dusky comrade in three places before -he could discard his garments. At any rate, his yells aroused four -evil-eyed crows from their dreams of the gorge they expected to have -soon, and a skulking dingo also started in affright, emitting as it -retreated a blood-curdling howl, that instantly brought us all to our -feet. - -"Lor'! nigger! Has ye not never been bit before?" cried Satan in a -reproving tone of voice, as he cast a sand-snake from under him. - -"Who does ye expect can sleep with you on the corroborree, Nig? Darn it! -An' you a black fellow too. I reckon you oughten 'pologise," grumbled -Bill. - -George's answer was picturesque, but three bleeding wounds on his back -showed where the venomous creature had got in its work on him. He was a -hardy piece of humanity, however, and after the Parson had lanced the -rapid swelling flesh and applied ammonia, he went to sleep again. -Shortly afterwards the Parson himself rose to his feet with an -exclamation of annoyance, and began kicking up his sandy sleeping place. - -"What's wrong?" I inquired. - -"I don't know. There seems to be a boulder or something hard under me. -Hallo! What's this--Great Scott! Opal!" - -Again the party sprang up, and as the glistening stone was rolled out on -the surface and examined by match-light, many and various were the -comments made on the poor Parson's ignorance, for the boulder which had -sought out the soft corners of his body was a mass of green copper -sulphide. - -"And has this material no value?" asked the object of the unkind -remarks. - -"None; it's worse than potch," roared Bill. "See, Scottie's got more. -Lor'! it's everywhere." - -"It is really worth a considerable amount," I said, "but the expense of -treating it properly out here would be too much for us. That is an -outcrop, and to all appearance it is one of the richest ever -discovered." - -We slept no more that night, and before sunrise started off across the -clay-pan. The surface was smooth and hard, and with the aid of a slight -breeze which arose with the sun we skimmed along at an almost incredible -pace. - -"Hallo, Ted! There's our old stakes," suddenly yelled Bill, steering for -the crest of a broken piece of ground, and following in his tracks, we -soon were standing round a broken pick-handle standing upright in the -ground and on which was inscribed: "C.B. and S.T. Pros. Claim. Corner -Peg." - -"How on earth did you manage to lead us here, Bill?" cried the Parson -wonderingly. - -"Easy enough; this is the same season as when we were out, so we jest -ran the ole sun down an' at night ye can always git the bearin's from -the Cross." - -The Parson's surprise might have been greater had he known that my -compass had been useless since the second day out, and that but for a -few haphazard observations taken, Bill had been our only guide. -Meanwhile Ted had unstrapped a pick and set to work, and before I had -fully realised that we stood on what--in the rainy season, if such a -season existed in those parts--was an island in the centre of Lake -Frome, and that it was its salt-encrusted bed we had been crossing since -morning, he handed me a piece of some scintillating substance, -inquiring, by the shape of his face, my opinion as to its value. - -"Why, that's opalised wood," I exclaimed. "But what have we struck now?" - -"The opal we told ye about, of course," grunted Bill. "The sand's blown -over it, and Ted's dug it up again; that's all." - -Truly we had encountered a marvellous formation. Great masses of fiery -and orange opal were uncovered on every side, and for a day we did -nothing but gather the best. It was evident that a forest had at one -time occupied the site of the lake, for most of the opal showed the -grains of wood throughout its structure, and many opalised leaves were -found embedded in a matrix which looked uncommonly like bark. This -latter fact was most puzzling, for the trees with bark in Australia are -few indeed. We pegged out seven prospector's claims, and after a final -look round prepared to move, our intention being to arrange for suitable -transport for stores and water, and then come back. - -"Ye talk about the effeeciency o' the steam engine," muttered Scottie, -as he examined the liquid contents of our bags, "but it's far oot o' -date now, for we've each got to run a hundred miles a day on a pint o' -water, and if onything can beat this----" - -"No doubt your remarks are the result of much study, Mac," I said, -working out an elaborate calculation on the sand, "but we are not more -than ninety miles from civilisation straight ahead, and if we care to -travel over what remains of the lake by moonlight and the ground -continues passable after that, we will strike the South Australian -railway somewhere near Beltana siding to-morrow afternoon." - -And so it proved. We reached the S.A. line on the following afternoon, -and an hour after sundown stopped the Port Augusta-bound train by -kindling a fire in the middle of the track. Thirty-six hours later we -found ourselves parading Rundle Street, Adelaide, in quest of some of -Scottie's friends who resided there. - -[Illustration: THE DINGOE OR NATIVE DOG.] - -A week later I was in Sydney, and while crossing on the _Kirribilli_ -from Circular Quay to Milsons Point I came face to face with Aaron----. - -"How vas you?" he cried effusively. - -"As usual," I replied. "How are the claims turning out?" - -"Oh, not too bad," he answered, but his flushed face told another story; -"but tell me," he continued, "who vas it bought your opal in Sydney?" - -"No one. We sent no opal to Sydney." - -"But the boxes and sacks----?" - -"Were filled with potch." - -"An'--an' the forty-four feet level is--but ah! you make mistake; I -bought five tousant pound of its opal before I saw you." - -"Yes, I know, but you bought all that ever came from that depth. It was -merely a pocket; we discovered that much two days after Satan, your old -friend, left White Cliffs. It was in his claim, probably because it -happened to be the lowest lying. We might not have sold our claims to -you but for the fact that Satan returned, and--well, you know two -hundred pounds is not fair value for five thousand." - -Aaron's rage was great, but he afterwards paid six hundred sovereigns -for the opal we had brought down from Lake Frome. We did not go back -there, a shower of rain came on and flooded the lake, and after chasing -the elusive gem over the greater part of Queensland with more or less -success, our party reformed and set out on a gold-prospecting trip to -British New Guinea. - - - - -PROSPECTING IN BRITISH NEW GUINEA - - -The life of the prospector in New Guinea is not fraught with many -pleasures, but in my experience, oftener than elsewhere, he enjoys that -exquisite sensation which attends the unexpected finding of gold, and -here the dreary monotony of life in the Australian interior is exchanged -for conditions more congenial to his wandering nature. - -British New Guinea is to most people the least-known part of our empire; -but there are few valleys in its dark interior in which the prospector -has not "chipped" some quartz formation, or "panned" some sand from the -river's bed. The British flag was first planted in Eastern New Guinea by -Captain, now Admiral, John Moresby, of H.M.S. _Basilisk_, in 1872. This -officer, whilst employed in superintending the pearl shell fisheries in -Torres Straits, learnt that adventurers, both American and French, were -contemplating expeditions and occupation of the then unknown shores of -Eastern New Guinea. - -The captain of the _Basilisk_, being aware of the great strategical -importance of these coasts to Australia, resolved to forestall any such -attempt, and fortunately succeeded in securing for England the whole of -Eastern New Guinea and its adjacent islands. Ultimately, however, a -large part of his labour was lost owing to the retrograde policy of the -times, when Germany was allowed to seize so considerable a part of -North-Eastern New Guinea without opposition. - -Samarai has now eclipsed Port Moresby as the chief port of the -possession. It is built, or rather erected, upon a small island at the -extreme south-east of the mainland, and is in direct communication with -Cooktown in Queensland and the Australian capitals. From Samarai -coasting-steamers run regularly to the mouths of the Mambare, Kumusi, -and Gira rivers on the northeastern coast, and in the upper reaches and -sources of these rivers are the great gold deposits, the origin of which -has completely baffled the mineralogist and geologist to explain. The -men there do not trouble themselves as to its origin, however, and while -the river-beds continue to yield a sure and steady quantity of gold to -the ordinary miner, and the mountain gorges or creeks provide -sensational "finds" for the more daring prospector, no one cares whether -the presence of the precious metal is in accordance with the views of -geologists or otherwise. - -"It is a fact that the bottom is on top," said an old pioneer. "But then -the outcrops are all inside the darned mountains, so we are quits." - -The township of Tamata is the most important centre of the New Guinean -goldfields, but the Yodda Valley camp rivals it closely, and it is -expected that some of the new camps at the base of Mount Albert Edward -will in time surpass them both. The fierce, unreasoning hostility of the -natives renders prospecting at any distance from the settlements an -extremely dangerous occupation, as the writer, who has had several -experiences among the cannibalistic tribes of the lower ranges, can -testify. As a rule, however, the prospector scorns all such dangers, -and if he escapes the dreaded fever, trusts to his rifle for protection -and his luck for fortune, and straightway proceeds to cut a path into -some unknown river valley. - -The famous Yodda Valley, where men at first made fifty ounces of gold -(equivalent to £180 per day), was discovered in such manner, and if the -stories of some of the prospecting parties who crossed New Guinea in all -directions were given to the world, doubtless a "rush" would set in -towards the deadly fever-swamps, unparalleled in the world's history -both for its general extent and the amount of victims. Round the -campfires at night, enveloped in their smoke to escape the many pests, -the men of the various settlements regularly gather to discuss the -latest news from the coast, and to consider the many strange reports of -"great strikes" constantly circulated by the friendly natives. -Frequently a party is organised to go and prove the truth of any such -report, and when in turn word is sent back that the chances are good, a -general exodus often takes place, all setting out for the new fields -with light hearts and high hopes. - -Miners cannot stay in New Guinea for more than one season at a time; -they are forced by repeated attacks of the various fevers to leave their -work and take a "spell" in the southern parts of Australia or New -Zealand. In my opinion lack of proper food is the prime cause of these -fevers, as it is only when the men are "run down" that the kuri-kuri -breaks out among them. The stores are floated as far as possible up the -rivers in oil-launches and whale-boats, and then transported overland to -the camps by native carriers in the employment of the diggers. The -majority of the miners are Australians; but in most prospecting parties -there is usually a Scotsman and an Irishman, and not infrequently a -German. - -In the party with which I was associated there were two typical -Australian prospectors, one German, one Irishman, and, including myself, -two Scots. We also had six native carriers and two dogs. My Scottish -comrade said that "the dugs were as guid as ony twa men"; but however -that might apply to the whites, it was at least unfair to our dusky -"boys," who were Fly River natives, and only cost one shilling each for -wages per day. We all had had experience on other goldfields, and each -man was fever-proof, which in New Guinea means impregnated with quinine. -"Doc," the Irishman, was a Dublin University man of some repute. He had -been in turn a member of a famous North Polar expedition, and an officer -in the American Philippino campaign. Mac had been everywhere, but his -accent seemed to become more pronounced the farther from home he -wandered. The two Australians, Emu Bill and Starvation Sam, were good -specimens of the wandering Anglo-Saxon. Bill was one of the pioneers of -Coolgardie, but if he were addressed by his real name, William Hambley, -he would probably not recognise it. Sam was the son of a governor of a -not unknown "'link' in our chain of Empire"; but as he adopted his -cognomen to hide his identity, and no one would dream of calling him -anything else, perhaps I will be excused from going further into his -family history. He was six feet five inches in height, had been in his -time soldier, sailor, missionary, pearler, outlaw, and mail-carrier, -from which description all Queenslanders and South Sea travellers will -immediately recognise him. Our German companion was a first-class -mineralogist and an excellent comrade--and cook; but he deeply resented -the appellation of Kaiser, which Mac bestowed upon him. - -"I am not Cherman," he would say. "I vas been as mooch English as you, -Scodie." - -"A ken that fine, Kaiser," Mac would answer. "A'm Scotch frae Dundee." - -We left Tamata with the intention of prospecting the Owen Stanley -ranges, and among the miners in general were considered to be the most -experienced and best-equipped prospecting party that ever essayed that -venture. Our journey for the first week was, allowing for the nature of -the country--uneventful. A crocodile gripped one of our carriers while -crossing the Ope River, but making a combined attack on the huge -saurian, we forced it to relax its hold, and finally, as Bill remarked, -"Ther' war one inseck less in the darned country." Another day we were -attacked by myriads of bees, and, despite our face-nets, they inflicted -much pain upon all. The New Guinean bee does not sting, in the strictest -sense of the word; it has an intense craving for salt, and, obeying some -instinct, it fastens into the skin and raises great blisters thereon by -its peculiar suction action. At lunch-time we carefully made a pile of -dry brushwood, and shook a small packet of salt over it. Instantly the -bees left us and followed the salt down through the loose heap, and then -with a chuckle of delight, and a grunt of satisfaction from Kaiser, Mac -applied a lighted match. Doc said that Mac chased the only bee that -escaped for over half a mile, but at any rate we were not troubled -further that day. - -Continuing our journey, which at first had been through the swampy and -pestilential morass formed by the Ope River's periodical overflow, we at -length crossed the "divide" between the Ope and Kumusi waters, and -travelled through a country in which brilliantly-hued creepers blazed -from the tree-tops, and luxuriant vegetation flourished everywhere. -Gaudy-plumaged parrots, cockatoos, and birds of paradise flitted -overhead, making the forest resound with their deafening chatter. -Snakes of nearly all varieties started from the dense under-growths as -we approached, and our dogs had plenty of exercise in chasing these -undesirables. They in turn were the hunted when near rivers, and many a -narrow escape Mac and his charges had from the enormous and impregnable -crocodiles that infested the banks of all streams. - -[Illustration: CROCODILE'S JAWS.] - -There were several native villages in the district which we now -traversed, but having had previous experience of the treacherous nature -and cannibalistic proclivities of most of the tribes in that quarter, we -avoided them, and altered our course when we struck a native pad or -track. We knew that our tracks must be seen, however, and nightly -expected a visit from the warriors, who, fearing only the Government -police, looked upon prospecting parties as the lawful prey allowed them -by a considerate Government. We were not disappointed. One night, when -camped near the Kumusi, and about thirty miles from the Yodda Valley -camps, the long-expected attack came, and, to Mac's intense disgust, we -did not stay to argue the point, but departed hurriedly and -ignominiously. Two days later we reached the Yodda, and camped for some -time, to try our luck and hear the latest reports from the mountains. A -day previous to our arrival a strong party had set out to prospect Mount -Scratchley, and while we were camped a famous pioneering company arrived -from the interior, and reported the discovery of vast gold deposits in -the gullies of the higher ranges. Several of the members showed some -peculiar stones which they had taken from the mountain ravines, and one -veteran, in whom Sam recognised an old comrade, hinted mysteriously that -the nuggets and slugs which they had with them came from a lava deposit -at the source of the Gira, in German territory. While Doc and I noted -that significant fact for future reference, Kaiser was more interested -in the stones. - -"Dat is vat is called zircon," he whispered to me, as he placed a pebble -on his tongue. "Gott! it is over twenty carats," he continued excitedly. -"Ask him ver it vas come from." - -"Why not ask him yourself?" I suggested jokingly, but the reproachful -look he gave me made me regret that I had spoken. Kaiser's race, in most -British colonies, is always suspected of underhand dealing. On my -inquiring of the owner where he had found the stones, he placed them in -my hands. - -"In some creeks in the back ranges," he answered. "You can have them -all. I ain't going to carry them further." - -"But look," I said, chipping the edge of one, and disclosing a -translucent mass of pale straw colour, in which a tinge of port wine -danced according to the manner in which the stone was held. - -"I don't care," he replied. "I is a gold-miner, an' I knows that every -ounce of gold is worth £3 17s. 6d.; but that is darned stuff only Jews -will buy, and I'll throw them away if you don't want them." - -I had no spare money--the prospector never has--and as he refused to -take a new Winchester rifle and my silver-mounted revolver, I did not -know what to give him in return. - -"Ye'll need all yer pop-guns where ye are goin'," he said. "I is going -down to South Aus. with my pile; but say, if ye has any fruit-salt, or -sugar, or quinine to spare, I an' the boys would be ontarnally obliged -to ye." - -I gave him a bottle of quinine tabloids, and another of saccharine, and, -as few of the miners had ever heard of the latter substance, and of -course seldom carried sugar, their delight was a treat to see. We -entertained them to dinner, and next morning they started for the -Kumusi River, _en route_ for the coast, Samarai, and Australia. At the -same time we picked up their old tracks and steered for the distant peak -of Mount Scratchley. - -Our progress was now necessarily slow, for, in addition to being in a -hostile country, through which Sir William Macgregor and his native -police was the only armed force that had ever passed, we had to carry on -prospecting operations. Three days out, our first "strike" was made. We -bridged a deep river in the usual manner, by felling a tree across from -bank to bank, and after we had crossed, Kaiser, who was an enthusiastic -botanist, descended into the channel to examine a curious growth on an -under branch. - -"Come on, Kaiser," shouted Mac; "there's nae gold doon there." - -"Bring up a sample, anyhow," Bill added, throwing him a gold-pan; and -laughingly we all passed on, leaving our inquisitive comrade to follow -at his leisure. Shortly afterwards Doc shot a wild pig, and, as all -prospectors adopt the rule of dining when opportunity offers, a halt was -called for that purpose. During cooking operations Kaiser arrived, -carrying Bill's gold-pan. Bill took the dish from his hands with the -intention of replacing it in its former position on a carrier's back; -but, to his loudly and vigorously expressed astonishment, he found that -his comrade had followed his instructions, and actually carried about -two pounds of sand from the river's bed. - -"Lor', but ye is green, Kaiser!" he remarked, preparing to throw the -sand out. - -"Haud on a wee," Mac cried, seizing his arm; "it's aye whaur ye dinna -expect to find gold that ye get it. Noo, I dinna think there's ony -there, so try it." - -Bill looked at Mac in thoughtful silence for a minute. - -"I reckon it's worth trying, anyhow," cried Sam. "Pitch it here, an' -I'll pan it." - -Bill did so, and Sam walked over to a creek near. Shortly after we were -all startled by his shout. "Did you salt" (add gold to) "this dirt, -Scottie?" he roared. - -"Get oot, man, an' no mak' a fool o' yersel'!" Mac answered, walking -over. "Hallo! Come here lads," he continued; "we've struck it!" - -In a moment six excited men were round the pan, to which Sam was still -imparting a gentle concentric motion, and, to our unbounded amazement, -every movement of the dish still increased the comet-like tail of deep -red gold in the ripple of the pan. - -"Well, I'll be jiggered!" said the two Australians simultaneously. - -"I'll be d--darned!" remarked Mac, with great feeling. - -"Mine Gott! Tree ounce stuff!" cried Kaiser. - -"Better come and have dinner," suggested Doc. - -I do not remember what I said; but even our "boys" babbled away in -unintelligible but excited language. Of course we returned to the -river--one of the Kumusi head-waters--and by sundown had tested the -sands at various points for a distance of two miles on both sides of our -bridge. Kaiser, meanwhile, had set to work with his pan, and when we -returned to our camping-ground he had about half an ounce of coarse gold -to show for his efforts. - -Next day we pegged out six prospectors' claims along both banks of the -stream, including, of course, as much of the alluvial land on either -side as our claims would allow. For several days afterwards we devoted -some time to the most promising bars and deposits; but, as we had -neither the tools nor the material for constructing sluice-boxes, our -methods were restricted to simply washing the "dirt" in our pans. On -the fourth day Mac threw down his pan, ejaculating at the same time the -most-used word in his fairly-extensive vocabulary. - -"What is the matter, Mac?" I cried, from the opposite bank. - -"I dinna see hoo I shood hae tae work like a Clyde steevedore," he -answered, "when ony man wi' the sma'est scienteefic abeelities could get -as much gold in hauf an hoor as the lot o' us can in a day." - -"Explain, Mac. Have you an idea?" - -"Ay, thousands o' them. But what's tae hinder us frae taking a wheen -split bamboos an' stringing them thegether like a sheet o' galvanised -iron----" - -"Nothing. We have our axes. But what----?" - -"Turn the affair upside down and lean it against the bank there. Some o' -us could throw the sand on tae the thing and Kaiser could keep it goin' -wi' enough water tae wash the sand awa.'" - -"But the bamboo is too smooth. The gold would be carried over the edges -with the sand." - -"Pit a hale bamboo in atween every twa split yins, an' if the gold could -rise ow'r that it wad be too licht for savin' ony way." - -"All right, Mac," I responded. "You make the affair, and if it works we -will appoint you our chief engineer." - -Mac did not answer. He knew that all his appointments merely meant so -much additional work left to him as a matter of course; and even as -things were, he never had "ony time for meeditaishun." He made his -corrugated inclined plane, however, and as all his comrades, excepting -Kaiser, laughed at his idea, he worked it himself for the first day. -That evening, as we sat in the smoke of our camp-fire, Doc remarked, -"Well, boys, I made about an ounce to-day, but I can't say that I care -much about the work." - -"I reckon I is good for an ounce too," said Bill. - -Sam was cook, Kaiser camp-guard, and I had been writing up my log, so we -had nothing to say. Mac evidently--like an Australian bushman--believed -that silence was golden, for it was only after being asked several times -that he spoke. "Ah, weel," he said reflectively, "there's some folk in -this weary world content tae work awa' frae morn till nicht for a paltry -three pounds seventeen an' saxpence worth" (one ounce of gold), "but I'm -no ane o' them." - -"Mac is home-sick," Doc laughed. - -"Has your patent turned out a duffer?" inquired Sam. - -"I reckon Scottie is keeping back his gold from his mates," said Bill -aggrievedly. - -"How much did you get, Mac?" I interrupted soothingly, for Mac had been -my companion in many a journey, and I understood his nature well. - -"I dinna ken," he answered, handing me a fair-sized pouch; "aboot hauf a -pun', I think." - -"What!" roared the men, springing to their feet. - -"Lor, Scottie! Does ye mean----?" - -"Eight ounces exactly," I announced. "Mac has made £30 for one day's -work." - -"Scodland for ever!" shouted Kaiser from the midst of a cloud of native -tobacco-smoke, and the others echoed his sentiments. Next day all hands -assisted at Mac's machine, which showed in its construction many signs -of that gentleman's ingenuity; but it had not been designed to bear the -strain now put upon it, and after a few hours' work the bamboo ripples -fell away. However it may apply in other circumstances, it is a -recognised law among prospectors that misfortunes never come singly, -therefore we were not surprised that afternoon when the river suddenly -came down "a banker" (in flood) and carried away all our preparations -for a new machine. Doc, who was of a philosophical nature, went out -shooting when it became apparent that no further work could be done that -day. When he returned to camp I saw from his face that the last of our -misfortunes had not yet been reached. - -"The Papangis and Babagas are out," he said quietly. - -"That means----?" I said. - -"That we'd better git, quick an' lively too," interrupted Bill. - -"This creek runs into a large river about three miles down," continued -Doc, "and there is a palisaded village near the junction. I saw some -canoes drawn up on the banks, and from their design and peculiar -ornamentation I at once guessed who their owners were. There were also -some bearing the symbol of the Sizuretas; but probably they were those -taken from that tribe when the great massacre occurred. I did not see -any natives, and as I was quite close to the palisades I therefore -concluded that they did not wish to be seen, and you can all guess what -that means." - -Doc's words caused great consternation, and when our "boys" gathered -that they were in the country of the dreaded Papangi they set up a -wailing. "Papangi no good. Hims eat poor black devils. Stick head on -pouri dubus" (sorcerer's house), cried one, on whom we had bestowed the -title of King George. - -"Dinna you be frichtened, ma man," said Mac consolingly. "If ony o' the -Papangi heathens come near enough I'll gie them sic a feed o' lead that -their ghosts'll hae indegeestion." King George did not understand all -that Mac said; but he brightened up considerably at his words, and at -once began to infuse spirit into his companions. Mac was always -delighted at the prospect of a fight; but as these tribes had only a -month previously murdered and eaten most of the inhabitants of -Angerita, the chief village of the Sizuretas, and afterwards -successfully given battle to the Warden of the Northern Division and his -police, who had gone to punish them, we thought discretion the better -part of valour, and prepared to move, much to Mac's disgust. - -"Are ye gaun to rin awa' again?" he bellowed indignantly. "Let's get ma -gun, an I'll gang an' fecht them ma'sel." - -"An' your head vas look vell on pole-top, Scottie," said Kaiser as he -struck our tent. - -"We will fight if we can get a good camping-ground where they can't get -behind us," I said, and with that Mac had to be content. - -In a marvellously short space of time our carriers were loaded and -across the stream, after which we cast our bridge adrift and started up -the north bank, intending to follow the river to its source, and then -prospect for the lode from which the gold was shed. The sun had just -disappeared as we began our march. We had not stayed for supper, and -perhaps this fact had something to do with the depressing influence that -seemed to rest upon all. Animal life had suddenly become very active; -and to feel a coiling, writhing object among the feet, or to tread upon -some nameless amphibious creature, was anything but a pleasant -sensation. - -The moon shone brightly for the first two hours, and we travelled much -faster than is usual in New Guinea. Our dogs, however, seemed conscious -of some impending danger that was not yet apparent to us; and it grieved -Mac sorely to see how his dumb charges hung so closely to his person, -and how spiritless they had become. - -"I fancy we should have stayed and risked a fight," Doc said at length, -as we paused at the mouth of a narrow ravine through which the stream -rushed furiously. "Our boys will never face that." - -"Can't we get over the top?" I suggested; but Bill and Sam, who had been -reconnoitring, said our only possible course was to traverse the stream -and trust to there being no pools. This prospect was not very pleasing. -We did not know the length of the ravine, nor what animals might have -their homes in its depths, and our nerves were already at high tension. - -The moon was now obscured with banks of dark clouds that had suddenly -shot up from beneath Mount Victoria, and the birds of night, before so -noisy, were now strangely silent. The atmosphere had also become -oppressively close, and we had to throw down our loads, from sheer -physical inability to longer sustain them. - -"It's a 'buster' comin'," Sam gasped; "git up the flies--quick!" A flash -of lightning lit up the valley as he spoke, and a terrific thunder-clap -reverberated through the ravine. A minute of what felt unnatural silence -passed, during which we all struggled with our long canvas "fly," and -then the storm burst. We had got our flour-and rice-sacks under cover, -and following Kaiser's example, crawled in under the folds beside them. -The rain was the heaviest I have ever experienced, and soon we were -drenched to the skin, even through the thick canvas. Suddenly one of the -dogs started up, and instinctively fearing some new calamity, I gripped -his nostrils tightly, while Doc crawled to the edge of our covering. - -"It's them," he whispered. "They are on the other bank; Heaven help us -if we are discovered!" - -"Let me oot!" growled Mac; "I'm no gaun to be speared like a rabbit in a -hole." - -"Shut up, Mac," I remonstrated. "It's too dark for them to see, and they -cannot cross the water in any case." The patter of feet could now be -heard on the opposite bank, and an occasional Che-ep (battle-cry) -showed that we were not mistaken. In this new excitement we soon forgot -our miserable condition; and from the characteristic behaviour of the -individual members of the party, it was evident that the actual presence -of danger had dispelled the strange feeling of depression which -previously had almost unnerved us. Mac was muttering to his dogs, Bill -and Sam were--unconsciously, I believe--pouring out a torrent of -Australian bush words which, as Kaiser afterwards said, "sounded like -poedry." Kaiser himself, I knew, was munching a piece of damper, which -with thoughtful precaution he had carried from our last camp. Our boys -lay still, as if asleep. I was so engrossed in the study of my comrades -that events outside passed unnoticed until Doc's voice startled us. -"Come out, boys!" he cried; "all is clear." We crawled from under our -soaked covering, and found Doc puffing at his pipe as serenely as if he -had just risen from supper. The storm had ceased, the moon was shining -again, and the dark clouds were speeding towards the Yodda Valley. - -"Evidently our friends were surprised by the 'buster' as much as we -were," Doc said; "at any rate, they have gone home to dine on something -else." - -"That minds me that I'm hungry tae," cried Mac; "come on, Kaiser; gi'e -us a haun.'" - -By some miraculous means these two worthies got a fire kindled, and -while we dried ourselves by the blaze of the gum-logs, the "billies" -were boiled, and soon some copious draughts of thick black tea made us -feel quite recovered. When morning came the waters in the gorge had -subsided, and after a hasty breakfast we forced a passage up the stream, -and finally emerged on the wooded slopes of the mountains. - -The details of our journey from thence onwards would require too much -space to enumerate. We steered for the distant ranges, because we -wished to prospect them before the state of our stores rendered that -impossible, knowing that, if unlucky, we could always come back to the -sands of the river. We were attacked twice by hunting tribes of what -must have been the notorious Tugeris; but we were no longer inclined to -run away, and for the benefit of the gold-seeker who might come after -us, we taught them that it was dangerous to interfere with prospectors. - -One day in the middle ranges we traced up a rich gold formation, and by -the primitive method of dollying with improvised tools obtained 110 -ounces from it in three days. In this region--near the source of the -Gira--signs of gold were everywhere; but we were not equipped for -systematic mining, and could only treat the rich free ore or the -alluvial deposits. There seemed to be few natives here, and owing to the -height above sea-level the country was much healthier than in the lower -valleys. One day we came on a deserted village, in the stockaded garden -of which were cocoanut and betel palms, and the usual taro and -sweet-potatoes. The sugar-cane and tobacco-plant were also much in -evidence, showing that some civilising influence--probably that of the -missionaries--had been at work among the former inhabitants. We saw no -sign of life, however, and therefore concluded that the fierce Tugeris -had recently raided the place. - -Another day Doc and I, while climbing up the mountain-side from our -camp, found our progress suddenly barred by a steep gully that cut -transversely along the slope. Descending with difficulty into the -valley, and following up the course of an old water-channel, we found a -heterogeneous deposit of zircons, sapphires, topazes, and many other -gemstones amidst the _débris_ of an extinct blowhole. We gathered some -of what appeared to be the best, intending to find out their value at -the earliest possible opportunity. The valley formation itself would -have gladdened the heart of any geologist; from any point lower down the -mountain the slope seemed continuous, and only when at the edge of the -"breakaway" was the valley evident. - -We were now near the German boundary, and hesitated between our desires -and our duty as law-abiding prospectors. While camped on doubtful -territory an incident occurred that may serve to illustrate more than -one thing. We were satisfied with our luck so far; and therefore -light-hearted, so much so that one night Mac began to sing, and soon we -all joined him. The air was very clear on the mountains, but it struck -me that the echoes lingered strangely; and after we had turned in for -the night, volumes of sound still rose and fell on the atmosphere, -sweeter far than that produced by our own rough voices. Next night, as -we sat at supper regarding ruefully our fast-diminishing stores, we were -startled by a loud "Hallo!" "Hallo!" we shouted back, and then to our -astonishment four men and six carriers marched into our fire-lit circle. - -"It's a graun' nicht," cried one. "Hae ye onything for eatin'?" - -"Well, I'll be--Scotched!" remarked Doc, while Mac sprang to his feet -and stared at the new-comers. - -"You are just in time," I said. "What clan do you represent?" - -"Macpherson; A'm frae Laggan-side. Sandy here is a Glesga man, but Bob -an' Jim are Englishmen; they're nane the waur o' that----" - -"We heard you singing last night," interrupted Bob. "We are as hungry as -hawks--but how is the war?"... - -The new party had just come from a protracted trip in German territory, -and they told many strange tales of what they had seen in that -mysterious land. Unfortunately their stores had given out, and on -investigation we found that ours could not last more than ten days for -both parties. However, as Mr. Robert Elliot informed me, they had made -enough gold to warrant their going back again; and, pending -considerations as to the advisability of our joining forces, we all -resolved to have a "spell." - -We eventually reached the coast at Holnecote Bay; a week after we landed -at Samarai, and eight days more found us in Sydney. - -Here two Hebrew gentlemen offered Sam and Kaiser a £10 note for our -entire stock of gem-stones. In consequence of this generous offer (!) -and the fact that his great height afforded an easy means of -identification, we had to send Sam rather hurriedly to Melbourne. We -eventually restored peace, however, by selling our stones to the -afore-mentioned individuals for £80; and since then Aaron K. has -informed me that one stone alone, when cut into four parts and polished, -fetched fifty-three sovereigns. - - - - -IN THE GUM-LAND OF WANGERI - - -There is a region away in the far north of New Zealand, where sooner or -later the wanderer who knows the world by the track of his footsteps -must surely gravitate, there to mingle with kindred spirits and pursue -the even tenor of life's way for a brief space under tranquil -circumstances, digging for the Kauri-resin deposits of former ages along -the fern swamps and uplands, amassing wealth if fortune favours, but -casually content with the generous subsistence his peaceful labours at -the least will bring, until his restless nature compels him to journey -forth again on his ceaseless pilgrimage. - -My acquaintance with this odd corner of the globe was made some years -ago, when chance--fatality, the gum-diggers would call it--led me to -take a trip on a coasting steamer trading from Auckland northwards. I -had never heard of the gum-digging industry except in the vaguest way, -and curiosity had fired my interest in inverse ratio with the amount of -information gathered. But I could not help noticing that all my -inquiries on the subject were treated with scantily hidden disapproval, -and in consequence I never pressed my apparently awkward questions, -fearing that I had by accident hit on a conversational topic, which, -like that of convict history in Australia, had best be tabooed. So it -happened that when the SS. _Bulimba_ moored alongside the jetty in the -beautiful harbour of Wangeri, I stepped ashore, meaning to put in a day -or so in the picturesque little township which looked so alluring from -the water, yet wholly unaware of the fact that I had at last reached the -centre of the gum country. That was a small matter, however, on which I -was speedily enlightened. - -I had just got clear of the long wharf, and was looking about the quiet -street in which I found myself, in hopes of spying the hospitable -portals of an hotel near at hand, when four extremely ragged men emerged -from the doorway of the establishment I had at that moment decided to -patronise. Their outward appearance was bad--very bad, and though I have -foregathered with all sorts and conditions in my time, I like to choose -my company when I can. I resolved promptly to pass on to some other -house. The disreputable quartette were now hurrying towards me, and I -moved aside to give them ample room to go by. Three of the party were -engaged in animated discussion; the fourth walked a little way ahead, -his eyes fixed listlessly on the ground. He looked up as he noticed the -shadow across his path, and at once an expression of relief brightened -his weary countenance. - -"I ask your pardon, sir," he said, with quaint courtesy. "But will you -do me a small service?" - -My hand slid into my pocket involuntarily; then I recollected that I was -not in Britain, and withdrew it again carelessly. "Fire away," I said; -"what's the trouble?" - -The argumentative trio had meanwhile ceased their wordy altercations and -were staring at me eagerly. Their polite spokesman began again:-- - -"I presume you have been in the various Australian cities?"--he nodded -in the direction of my portmanteau, which I had set down in the middle -of the road, whereon were emblazoned the advertising devices of many -enterprising hotel proprietors. - -"You are certainly a lineal descendant of Sherlock Holmes," I ventured -with mild sarcasm, half wondering if in this remote settlement I had -stumbled upon an adapted version of the old, old confidence trick. - -He appeared to understand my innuendo, for he flushed up angrily, then -suddenly glancing at his dilapidated wardrobe, he checked a fiery -outburst and smiled feebly instead. His companions too seemed powerfully -affected by my simple remark, and their wrath did not cool down as -swiftly as I would have wished. They crowded around me threateningly, -while the vials of their speech overflowed in a tempestuous torrent of -indignant reproaches. - -"We is Ostralians," they bellowed with one voice, "we is----" - -"Calm yourselves, boys," I entreated. "You're oversensitive to be abroad -in this wicked world. I said nothing----" - -"An' don't say it again," interrupted the tallest and ugliest of the -group. "I is known as Long Ted in these parts, I is; an' I fights when -my fur is raised, I does." - -It was now my turn to feel annoyed; the aggressive nature of the party -almost confirmed me in my first doubt. - -"Suppose you stand out of the way," I suggested. "I'm not holding a -levee----" - -The leader at this stage endeavoured to throw oil on the troubled -waters. "I must apologise for bringing this trouble upon you," he said, -frowning severely on his associates. "We are not tramps, though I have -no doubt our looks are against us. We are gum-diggers out for a spell; -at least my companions are on a holiday; I--I am only going to take care -of them." - -"Then the gum-diggings are here?" I exclaimed in surprise. - -"All round about for sixty miles or more," Long Ted answered gruffly. -"English Bob is going to Melbourne with us----" - -"Sydney," interjected a voice at his elbow. - -"Adelaide," prompted another. - -English Bob quelled the rising storm with an impatient gesture. "You -promised to let a stranger decide the matter," he cried appealingly; -then turning to me he continued, "Will you be so kind as give me your -opinion on these three cities mentioned. In short, which is the finest -of the lot for a holiday?" - -A murmuring babel of sound followed his words, and the three fire-eaters -glared at me savagely, awaiting my verdict. But I had once before been -in a similar position--only once, but that was enough. I realised that -the harassed Englishman had in tow a South Australian, a citizen of New -South Wales, and a Victorian. I approached the delicate question warily. - -"Adelaide is a tidy little town," I hazarded tentatively. Long Ted's -basilisk-like eyes peered at me dangerously. - -"And Melbourne is a fine city," I continued reflectively. Long Ted -smiled, but his nearest neighbour snarled. I could venture no further. -"Not for gold or precious stones will I commit myself," I protested. "I -am a peaceable individual----" - -"Ho, ho, ho," laughed English Bob in genuine merriment, slapping me -heartily on the shoulder. "You've sized them up right away. I have never -been in Australia myself, and cannot understand why my companions should -have such diversified opinions on a simple subject. I am certainly -obliged to you for showing them my difficulty, for if you cannot tell -them what they ask, how can I?" - -"Toss for it, boys," I recommended; "it will be the safest way, and can -arouse no ill-feeling." - -"Right you are, mate," shouted Long Ted, and a twin echo of applause -intimated that all danger of immediate disturbance was at an end. I -seized my portmanteau in haste, and proceeded on my interrupted course; -but the fighting trio leisurely kept pace, Long Ted gently insinuating -the bag from my hand into his own horny palm as we walked along. - -"If you don't mind," spoke English Bob, coming up in the rear, "I'd like -to--to shout for you. We've plenty of time to catch the old _Bulimba_, -and for my own part I'm not very anxious whether she sails south without -us or not." - -I marvelled at this strange _dénoûement_, but said nothing, and together -we entered the hotel they had so recently vacated. Within the five -minutes following our advent into the gilded "saloon bar," I had become -fairly well acquainted with the vicissitudes of the gum-digger's life. -Long Ted was as exceedingly communicative as English Bob was reticent, -while the remaining pair added titbits of information now and then as -occasion demanded. - -"But what sort of men make it their special calling?" I asked at length. -"No one seemed very willing to give me any knowledge on the subject in -Auckland." - -English Bob roused himself, and looked at me curiously. "We are a -cosmopolitan lot," he answered, with just a note of sadness in his -voice; "we come from all corners of the globe; but no one makes it a -special calling unless, perhaps, a few Maoris----" - -"We is the dead-beats o' civilisation, that's what we is," put in the -garrulous Ted, with cheerful emphasis. "But say, boss, what is you goin' -to do here? Is you goin' into the gum country? Is you full up o' Sydney -and Melbourne too?" - -I evaded the pertinent allusion, not knowing exactly its true import; I -was commencing to understand why the gum-diggers were looked upon with -suspicion by their eminently respectable brethren of the towns. Yet in -spite of myself my sympathies went out to the world-wanderers who seemed -to be brought together in this land through the subtle hand of an -all-wise Providence. - -"Give me the bearings of the camps, and I'll go out right away," I said. -"Gum-digging may suit me as well as gold-digging, and I want to know -what it's like, anyhow." - -At that moment the _Bulimba's_ shrill whistle sounded out on the still -air, and Long Ted immediately grabbed his "swag" and made a bolt for the -door, a proceeding which his two Australian comrades copied with -alacrity. - -"Hold on, boys," I cried; "she won't sail for an hour yet; this is only -a warning blast. Surely you are acquainted with the habits of coasters -by this time." - -English Bob, however, had made no movement, and missing him the excited -trio came back. "I knows the old _Bulimba_," howled Ted. "Captain -Thompson would hustle the blasted barge out just on purpose. Come on, -Bob." - -The Englishman stretched himself lazily, and started to follow his -companions, who were again half-way down the street. "Goodbye, sir," he -said; "I'll see you again soon if you are to remain in the country. But -one word--don't judge by appearances on the gum-fields." - -I returned his greeting, and thanked him for his advice, "Here's the -_Auckland Express_," I said, fishing that paper from my pocket. "It is -the latest date, and will be something to read on the boat." - -He took it eagerly, and glanced casually down the open sheet; then his -face paled, and the paper dropped from his nerveless fingers. I turned -aside for a moment, and when I looked again, English Bob's countenance -was stern and hard. - -"You'd better go," I advised kindly; "the _Bulimba_ will be moving out -soon." - -He shook his head. "I have decided to stay and go back with you to the -fields," he answered with an effort. "But I'll run down to the wharf and -say good-bye to the boys." - -He was gone before I could speak another word, and wonderingly I picked -up the paper which had caused such a sudden change of programme. Only -one item appeared in the page he had scanned which could in any way be -considered of remotest private interest. But it read as follows: "Robert -Lorimer, the absconding Bank Manager of a country town in England, has -at last been traced to New Zealand. Local inquiries are being -instituted, but it is regarded as tolerably certain that the defaulter -will be found in the northern gum-land, and the police of that district -have been warned accordingly. Meanwhile the port of Auckland will be -stringently watched." - -That was all, yet viewed in the light of recent events it was amply -sufficient to suggest to me that English Bob and Robert Lorimer were one -and the same person. Still, my late interrogator as to the attractions -of Australian cities did not strike me as being such a man as the bald -news paragraph implied. His face was gentle, and contained a certain -quiet dignity, which I felt assured could belong to no criminal's -countenance. His manner, too, was distinctly in his favour. Already I -had forgotten the unprepossessing garb of the outer man. My reflections -were cut short by the dismal shriek of the _Bulimia's_ syren--sure -signal that that persevering vessel was at last under way. - -"Yes, she's off now," volunteered the bar-tender, surveying the deserted -arena beyond the counter ruefully, and making a mental calculation, I -have no doubt, as to the probable "stagger juice" capacity of his -solitary remaining customer. I disappointed him mightily by making my -way outside, and there, to my surprise, I saw English Bob approaching -with Long Ted expostulating volubly by his side. - -"Hallo, Ted!" I cried, "have you also decided to remain where an -unfeeling civilisation sent you?" - -"Of course I stays with the boss," responded that gentleman, wiping an -imaginary tear from his eye, "but my poor old swag has gone with Slim -Jim and Never Never Dan. They would have stopped too, only they couldn't -swim, an' the darned ship had moved off afore they knew we wasn't -comin'." - -"We'll go back to our old camp by the coach to-night," said English Bob. -"I'm tired of even this fringe of civilisation already. Will you come?" - -I needed no pressing. Somehow I felt that I was being drawn into the -final act of a life's drama; the damaging testimony of the _Auckland -Express_ loomed largely before my vision, but the pale sad face of the -exile awakened in me pity rather than repulsion, his silent exercise of -a superbly strong will aroused in me admiration. - -"I shall be glad to go with you," I answered. - -That night we journeyed by mail-coach out towards Wangeri, a constantly -shifting settlement forming the headquarters of the ever-roving -gum-diggers. For the early part of the route our lumbering vehicle -careered over rocky bluffs and steeps, then down into beautiful alluvial -valleys and forest glades, where silvery streams of purest water gushed -onwards to meet the sea, their winding channels, glittering in the -moon's filtering beams, showing at intervals through the wavy fronds of -the stately kauri. But soon the majestic forest lands gave place to -rolling plains of burnt soil, with occasional stretches of fern-swamp -and tea-tree dunes. - -"This is the old forest country of New Zealand," explained English Bob. -Ted had long since fallen asleep. - -"And is the gum not to be found here also?" I asked, somewhat nonplussed -to find the site of an ancient forest so bare and desolate. - -My companion gravely acquiesced. "Gum-diggers are not as a rule a -careful class," he said; "and the young timber on these flats has all -been recklessly burnt down to suit their needs." - -Long and deep channels here and there intersected the scorched wastes, -and mounds like gigantic mole-hills were abundantly evident. But in the -vague light only a blurred panorama of the true aspect of things could -be seen; which was perhaps just as well, for the New Zealand Government -has long complained about the devastating nature of the gum-seeker's -employment. They certainly do not make the desert "blossom like the -rose," but if an opposite parallel could be drawn, it would suit them -exactly. This feature of affairs was due, I was told, to the plodding -and ceaseless excavations of a number of Austrians who stormed the -country many years before, and not to the more leisurely routine pursued -by the orthodox happy-go-lucky digger. - -Once again, however, we entered a broad timber belt which extended far -along with undulating hillside forming our southern boundary at this -stage, and seemingly feathered the land for a very considerable distance -northward also. And now many twinkling lights began to shine through the -sparse foliage at the base of the tall kauri, and fleeting glimpses were -caught of groups of men standing at the doors of their "whares," -watching the coach rumble past with an odd listlessness which seemed -the more strange considering that the arrival of the mails was but a -weekly occurrence, and sometimes not even that when the rainy season was -on, and the valleys and flats alike were flooded to a dangerous depth. - -[Illustration: THE GUM-DIGGERS' SWIMMING POOL.] - -"Their interest is in their daily occupation," said English Bob, -guessing my thoughts. "The men you meet here for the most part know the -world well. This is a haven of rest for the wide earth's wanderers. Mail -day to them means little, for they receive few letters and perhaps send -less." - -"And have you travelled far, that you speak in such a strain?" I asked -chidingly. "Surely the world has not grown dim to your eyes, which have -seen fewer years than mine." - -"Years do not always bring sadness," he answered evasively, "nor does -the lack of them make one the less liable to suffer. As for my -travels--do not ask. I have----" - -"Wangeri," yelled the driver, reining up the horses with a jerk which -had the effect of propelling the slumbering Ted heavily on to the floor -of the coach. The words that issued from that valiant warrior's lips -then were sulphurous in the extreme, and the offending Jehu, hearing of -his own premeditated doom, slid hastily from his perch and vanished into -the night. There was little indeed to see at Wangeri. A small "store and -post-office" occupied the central position in a forest clearing, and -around it in a straggling ring about a dozen log huts were dully -discernible through the gloom. - -"The whares are scattered all through the forest for miles around," said -English Bob. "Wangeri is only a kind of station for the export of the -resin collected. But come along to my little wigwam; it is a bit away -from the others, but it's on a good patch, and you are welcome to try -your luck with Ted and me." - -I expressed my gratitude in, I fear, rather stinted terms, for the eerie -shadow of the great pines had a somewhat depressing influence on my -spirits. I tramped on with my new acquaintances in silence, my swag -slung picturesquely over my shoulder as in days of yore. - -"It _is_ a bit lonesome like," grumbled Long Ted, as he marched on -ahead, separating the festooning branches for our easier progress. "Can -you blame a man for being ragged after this?" he demanded irrelevantly a -few moments later, his mind apparently reverting to our first meeting. -It was clear that Long Ted's frustrated holiday was still a rankling -subject in that worthy's breast. - -The air was wonderfully cool and invigorating, despite the enclustering -thicket, and the absence of the ubiquitous mosquito made me marvel not a -little. It was the deathlike silence that hurt; it oppressed the senses -to an appalling degree, and tended to reduce one unaccustomed to forest -solitudes to an enervating state of melancholy. Had the journey been -made by daylight it might have been different, but fate ordains that the -traveller to this land should first see Nature's most dreary aspect. I -was startled from my unprofitable musings by English Bob shouting-- - -"Here we are at last. Now, Ted, make us some supper; and let us be -merry, for to-morrow we----" - -"Go out gum-digging," I prompted, sinking down in a corner of the -aptly-named wigwam with a sigh of relief. - -It was a week later. The sun was shining brightly over the sylvan slopes -of the great gum region, and tinging the nodding plumes of the stately -forest giants with a deep bronze effulgence; yet down below the -spreading branches a perpetual twilight reigned, and here, piercing and -trenching the mossy sward in search of the fossilised resin residue, the -strangely assorted waifs of the world wandered, English Bob and I had -become fast friends during our brief sojourn together. Concerning his -past I did not inquire, having already learned that the grim gum-land -swallows up many of life's tragedies; but day by day I expected a dread -_dénoûement_. The newspaper paragraph still haunted me; my mind was -filled with conflicting doubts and fears. The motley assembly who formed -our neighbours near and distant were a generous and true-hearted people, -among whom it was a pleasure to abide. The same environment affected -all, and for the time we were as one huge family, dwelling within the -encircling arm of grand old mother Nature. - -Each day we sallied out armed with spade and spear, the latter implement -being merely a long pointed stick provided with a handle for leverage, -and rarely indeed did we return to camp without a goodly store of the -amberlike deposit. The method of working was simple. By means of the -spear the spongy soil was easily penetrated, and the presence of any gum -strata localised at once, after which the spade came into play. The -value of the crude material thus brought to the surface was no mean -figure, ranging from £50 to £70 a ton. - -This morning we had been exceptionally fortunate, Long Ted spearing a -huge block of the gelatinous substance almost with his first effort, and -we were busy clearing away the covering earth when two woe-begone -individuals appeared before us. - -"Slim Jim and Never Never Dan," gasped Long Ted, gazing at the -apparitions in undisguised wonder. "Where--what--how--an' ye does have a -mighty neck to come back in them togs." - -Then I noticed that the miserable-looking pair were arrayed in -fashionable raiment, though already considerably torn by contact with -the entangling brush. - -"We didn't git no farther than Auckland," muttered Slim Jim -shamefacedly. "We didn't calc'late on goin' nowheres without the boss, -so we has come back." - -English Bob smiled. "But how have you managed to arrive at this time?" -he asked. "Surely you did not walk from Wangeri." - -"We just did," asserted Never Never Dan. "We couldn't wait on the bally -old coach, so we came right away last night----" - -"Come an' have some tucker, you heavenly twins," roared Ted, -relinquishing his shovel, his honest face glowing with pleasure at the -return of the prodigals. - -When they had departed towards the hut, English Bob looked at me -inquiringly. "Could you imagine men like these in any other country than -this?" he said. "They are just like children." - -Slowly the sun climbed up in the heavens, and we two persevered at our -work of excavation. Then gradually I became aware of the rhythmic -hoof-beats of many horses sounding faintly in the distance, and soon the -dense forest rang out with the unwonted echoes. And now the rushing of -the gum-diggers hither and thither came plainly to our ears, and a -chorus of warning cries swelled out above the prevailing din--"The -troopers are coming." - -At once the truth flashed over me that the man whose whare I shared was -the object of their search; the inevitable crisis had come at last. As -for him, he stood almost defiantly erect, with the blood alternately -surging to his cheeks, then leaving them deathly pallid. - -I laid my hand on his shoulder. "Why do you try to hide from me that -which I already know?" I said gently. "Sometimes it is possible to -help----" - -"You know?" he gasped. - -"I saw the paper," I answered simply. - -He covered his face with his hands, and his whole frame shook with a -strong man's emotion. "Do you--believe?" he asked hoarsely, without -looking at me. - -"Assuredly not," I said. - -He gave a sigh of thankfulness. "I have been tracked like a dog all over -the world," he murmured brokenly, "but I have reached the end of the -tether now." - -"But why did you run away?" I asked hurriedly. "Surely an innocent man -only courts disaster by flight." - -The troopers were now near at hand. I could hear their sergeant talking -to some of the diggers scarcely a hundred yards from where we stood. -English Bob recovered himself with an extreme effort of will. "I may -have been foolish," he said quietly, "but things looked very black -against me, and--and the disgrace would have killed my old mother." - -I did not reason further. "There may be a way of escape yet," I said, -seized with an uncontrollable impulse. "We are both very much alike. -I'll talk to the sergeant." - -"No, no!" he cried, "I cannot allow----" - -"Why, man," I interrupted impatiently, "it's your only chance. They'll -find out their mistake soon enough." - -"Good morning, boys," came a jovial voice from the timber, and its -owner, a stalwart New Zealander, bearing the emblem of his office on his -arm, rode forward alone. We responded to this cheery salutation -gloomily. - -"Why," he exclaimed, "you've struck a patch here. But I do wish you -people would be more careful and take out licences before you start to -dig. The Government is getting rather riled about your free-lance way of -working." - -"But we have licences," I remarked mildly. - -He laughed. "I'm glad of that," he said, "for I find very few of your -neighbours have thought it necessary, and my troopers seem to have the -deuce of a job in explaining matters to them." He wheeled his horse, -then reined up again suddenly, and came back. "Which of you is Robert -Lorimer?" he said directly. - -His method of procedure appeared to me unnecessarily cruel. "That's me," -I answered sharply, before my companion could speak. "But couldn't you -have asked at first?" - -He stared at me wonderingly. "Great Southern Cross, man!" he cried. -"What!" He broke off in a long low whistle, and held out his hand. "Let -me be the first to congratulate you, sir," he said. "Of course you could -not have heard, but you needn't be so hard on me for all that. But let -me tell my story," he continued, waving aside my interruptions. "I was -instructed from headquarters to come for you officially seven days ago, -but though I am a policeman I don't like the job of running any man to -earth, and I delayed until I should have to come in any case to attend -to the licence question. Only yesterday I was informed that the warrant -was off, as the notes you were accused of stealing had been found in an -old ledger, placed there, no doubt, by some careless clerk. That's all. -Good luck to you, my boy, and a safe journey home." - -He was gone in an instant. Then English Bob and I clasped hands in -silence. - - - - -WITH THE PEARLERS OF NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA - - -On the north-western shores of Australia, between Cossack township and -Port Darwin, lies a strip of coastline which has not yet received much -attention from the outside world. This is the pearling-grounds of the -Nor'-West, and the lordly pioneers who rule there hope that their -preserves may long continue to be neglected by the check-suited -globe-trotter. The headquarters of the pearling industry is at Broome, -the landing station of one of the Australian cable systems. Broome, when -the fleet is in port, has a population of about 1,500, which is made up -of 200 white men, 800 Malays, 100 Japanese, and the same number of what -are termed Manilamen, the remainder being a heterogeneous lot of -aborigines, coolies, Kanakas, and specimens of almost every other race -on earth. When the pearlers are out, however, the town is practically -deserted. - -Dampier was the first European to skirt this coast, but it was long -after his advent that it became famous for its pearl-shell deposits, -although, even before the great explorer's time, it was probably known -to the aborigines, who until recently were in the habit of gathering for -food the bivalves that the monsoon storms threw up on the beach. But -since the days of Dampier many changes have occurred on these desolate -shores, and it is even doubtful if the coast has the same configuration -now as it had then. While the eastern states of Australia were still -struggling for existence, the fierce Malay pirates reigned here, and -indeed it is only lately that it has been freed from all suspicion in -that respect, although the pirates may not always have been the Malays. -The early sea-rovers were not long in finding out that it would pay them -to give some attention to the treasures of the sea, and it is probably -owing to their efforts that Roebuck Bay and the Ninety-Mile beach came -into prominence as pearling-grounds. From that time up to about twenty -years ago these individuals worked the shores and shallows by various -methods peculiar to themselves, the chief consisting of forcing the -unfortunate aborigines to dive for the shells while they merely -extracted the pearls. - -This system ceased suddenly so far as the power of the Malays was -concerned; for towards the end of the 'Seventies some colonial -adventurers sailed up the coast from Fremantle, and although little is -officially known as to what then transpired, pearling shortly afterwards -became a recognised profession among our colonial cousins. Some of those -pioneers are still engaged in the trade, and many strange stories are -told of their doings before the light of civilisation, in the shape of -telegraphic communication, was let in upon their coast. - -At present, taken as they stand, the pearlers of the Nor'-West are one -of the wealthiest bodies of men in the world. They are certainly one of -the most daring and most hospitable, and do not hesitate to share their -wealth with any unlucky comrades. The methods in vogue now are much -different from those employed twenty years ago. Beach-combing and -enforced labour have given place to specially-designed luggers, -profit-sharing systems, and the most modern diving-dresses, although -among the South Pacific Islands beach-combing is still another name for -piracy and slave-raiding. Strangely enough, the pearls do not now form -the chief support of the industry. Nevertheless, some are frequently -found worth £100 and upwards, and many of a value of £10, while from -that sum downwards to 1s. for a thousand the pearls are very plentiful. -The shell, however, is now the backbone of the industry. It is valued at -from £100 to £180 per ton, and finds ready sale through Singapore -agencies of London firms at anything between those prices. - -The pearler of the present day is a Briton in every sense of the word, -and takes great care to impress that fact upon all who visit his domain. -He usually owns the lugger he commands, but in some cases he has only a -share in it and its profits, the real owner being a speculative -gentleman who resides in his schooner and pays only occasional visits to -the various luggers under his flag. In some of these deputy-managed -craft the only qualification necessary to obtain the position of skipper -or commander is that of being a white man and not a German; but when the -master pearler goes to the British port of Singapore he is invariably -forced to "come down a bit," and do his business with the prosperous and -well-satisfied sons of the Fatherland. - -Pearling is chiefly carried on in what are termed "proved grounds"; but -if a good haul be made at any time the pearler is not averse to -prospecting for new grounds (waters). As a rule the commander is the -only white man on board the lugger. The crew is composed of Malays and -coolies, but the diver is always an intelligent Manilaman or Filipino, -who receives a small commission on the results of his work. The depth at -which the shell is found is now about sixteen fathoms. Of course -shallower ledges are still worked, but it is considered that they are -almost exhausted, and few pearlers waste time over them. In working, -the diver is lowered over the gunwale by means of a winch, or in some -cases dropped over unceremoniously by two of the Malay crew, and another -two pump air down to him. - -These people are always quarrelling among themselves, and consequently -the diver runs many risks he does not at the time know of, unless he -guesses what is happening above when he experiences the sensations -attending the stoppage of his air supply. He is accustomed to such -trifles, however, and being more or less a fatalist, probably wonders -what the men at the pumps are quarrelling about, and in a disinterested -sort of way speculates on which of his two pumpsmen will prove the -weaker, and accordingly feed the sharks with him. Notwithstanding the -uncertainty of life, he gathers all the shells within his limited range -of vision, and when--if not too late--the men aloft stop fighting, he is -hauled to the gunwale, where he is relieved of his spoil and dropped -over again. - -The shells are found in patches, and when one deposit is exhausted--or -perhaps before, for the vessel is drifting all the time--the diver moves -on to the next, crashing through dense forests of coral and other -strange submarine growths _en route_, and frequently having to cut the -fearful coiling creepers from his person. Often, too, he is precipitated -into a deep, dark chasm of unknown extent. In such moments the diver's -sole idea is to preserve his balance, for he is really but a -feather-weight in the water at the sixteen-fathom level, and in due time -he is safely hauled across the gulf, when, if he has not retained a -vertical position, or if his line has not been kept taut overhead, he is -dragged head-first through any vegetation or oozy slime that may lie in -his path. When he regains his equilibrium, he once more turns his -attention to the oyster-beds. - -[Illustration: READY TO GO DOWN.] - -Meanwhile the lugger drifts erratically over the surface of the ocean. -An evil-eyed Malay may be asleep by the tiller, and the white commander -will likewise be serenely indifferent to his surroundings, unless the -thought strikes him that the quality of the last case of whisky he had -was not in accordance with the labels on the bottles or the price he -paid, in which event he will probably be making things lively among the -crew, and the profits of the trip will increase in proportion. Every -fifteen minutes or so the diver comes up for a "blow." If the shells are -plentiful he may send them up in a net between times; but, as a rule, -there are a few yards separating the shells of any size, and it is not -often that he cannot bring them all aloft with him. A "blow" to this -individual means being suspended over the gunwale with his helmet -unscrewed for such time as the lugger may take to sail to the next known -patch, after which he is allowed to drop again. - -When a full cargo of shell has been obtained, the lugger's course is -shaped towards Broome, where the molluscs are opened in sheds erected -for the purpose. In the cases of the pearlers who possess several -luggers a schooner is sent round periodically to collect the shell from -the smaller craft, thus saving the latter a journey which they are ill -able to accomplish, owing to their peculiar design and extremely small -freeboard. The process of opening is sometimes carried on while the -schooner sails for Broome; but, as most of the pearler kings make their -homes on board these vessels now, and do not care to suffer the -attending unpleasantness, the system is fast dying out, and the -schooner, in turn, discharges at the Broome opening-sheds. - -The methods of opening are many. In the early days the shells were torn -apart with a knife or any other convenient weapon, and if no pearls -rewarded a brief search, the carcass of the oyster was scooped out and -left to rot on the sand until a merciful monsoon tide caused its -removal. Lately, however, the pearlers have copied the plan of the -Chinese beachcombers of the Archipelago, and a simpler system could not -well be devised. The shells are laid on a slightly-inclined bench, at -the lowest edge of which is a carefully-constructed ledge containing -some water in the angle formed. After two days in this position the -oyster "gapes" and "spits out" the pearl--if any--which, of course, -rolls down the bench until it is caught in the angle, from where it is -gathered by the attendant Japanese or coolies. The number of pearls -obtained in this way is about 30 per cent. greater than was formerly the -case by the forcible method, and it is therefore evident that the hasty -pearlers must have lost a considerable amount through their carelessness -and the incompleteness of their method of extraction. As said before, -the pearls do not now form the chief part of the business; nevertheless -there are usually a fair number in the shells discharged from one -schooner. When the pearls have been collected the molluscs are cleaned -out from the shells and either buried or otherwise destroyed, their late -casings being stored to await shipment. The chief opening establishments -are owned by a London syndicate of jewellers, who employ in their -service as many aborigines, coolies, and Japanese as may care to offer -themselves. This syndicate is always willing to purchase "on chance" any -shipment of shell that may come into port, and have a large fleet of -their own luggers constantly on the waters during the season. As might -be expected, this organised company is not liked by the independent -pearlers, who--rightly or not--imagine that a monopoly of the trade is -the real object in view. To such an extent is this rivalry carried that, -notwithstanding the fact that Messrs. S. & Co. have special facilities -for shipping, and will pay full Singapore prices for all shells sold to -them, the pearlers, unless temporarily financially embarrassed, will -have nothing to do with them, and prefer to pay the expense of shipping -their own shell to Singapore by some of the Holt Line of steamers, which -call regularly in at Broome for that purpose while _en route_ from -Fremantle to the great Oriental metropolis. - -During the monsoon season the pearling fleet shelters in Roebuck Bay, on -the shores of which Broome stands, and then that wicked and -evil-smelling township wakens up from its sleep. Its drinking saloons -are crowded with black, yellow, and white humanity; the joss-houses are -filled with maddened nondescripts; and the far-seeing abilities and -correct judgment of the man who designed the prison to hold the entire -population becomes apparent. Unfortunately there are some renegade -whites who run gambling-hells; but, in justice to Britons at large, it -should be stated that these men are mostly mongrel foreigners. The -master pearlers, as a rule, do not frequent these places, preferring the -narrower but healthier confines of their own vessels to that of the -filthy, mosquito-infested town; but if any do go ashore, they all meet -in a saloon owned by a gentleman with a very Highland name and dusky -countenance, or in the cable-house, where fortunes may be gambled away -in a night. These men are indifferent to this matter. Money, to most of -them, has no attractions, and if they were denied the excitement of -being alternately worth a fair fortune and without a sixpence in their -possession they would probably die of _ennui_. But some of the -pearlers--indeed, the majority--are made of sterner stuff; they still -retain memories of lands where green vegetation and flowing streams of -crystal water take the place of hideous mangrove swamps and parching -deserts, and their efforts are all made in the hope that some day the -results will enable them to return to those lands. These men only come -into Broome when in need of stores, and, after landing their crews, -spend the "off" season in some of the numerous bays and inlets farther -north, occasionally finding rich patches in those sheltered sounds -capable of being worked at all seasons. - -It matters little on this coast what the original temperament of any -person may have been, the influence of his surroundings soon has its -effect upon him and makes him like his fellows. With the pearlers this -takes the form of a feeling of reckless indifference, and a stranger -suddenly thrown among them sees much to interest and amuse him in the -incongruities brought about by this state of affairs. - -When I visited this quarter I was not aware that there was any special -industry carried on; in fact, I did not even know that a township -existed between Roebourne and Derby until one evening the SS. _Nemesis_ -sailed into Roebuck Bay, and the skipper calmly announced that I would -require to go ashore and await the next steamer, as he was going no -farther. I was booked to London, _viâ_ Singapore, but I had expected to -be dumped ashore somewhere, as the _Nemesis_ was not the regular -connecting steamer, and I had taken it chiefly with the desire to get -away from plague-stricken Fremantle, to which city I had come round from -Northern Queensland. - -"All right, captain," I said; "but you might give me my bearings first." - -"Go straight ahead from the jetty until you see the cable station, then -starboard hard, and you are into Roderick's Hotel. Drinks don't cost -more than a shilling there." - -"Thanks. But what is the name of the port? I presume we are still in -Australia?" - -"We are. This is Broome, the headquarters of the pearling fleet, and the -hottest hole on earth." - -"Oh, I think I'll survive till the _Australind_ comes along," I said, as -indifferently as I could; and, after seeing my baggage on shore, I -followed out the captain's directions, and finally entered a well-lit -saloon, in which the strains of a gramaphone were evidently causing much -appreciation. No one seemed to notice me as I made my way forward. All -the occupants were clustered round the gramaphone and indulging in -various comments as to the correctness of the song it was giving forth. -There were about ten men in the party, all of whom were white. Some were -garbed in the most approved London clubland fashion, while others were -very scantily clad indeed; but the careless manner in which handfuls of -sovereigns were occasionally flung down on the counter showed that money -at least was not much of a consideration with any of them. - -"Hallo, boys! here's a stranger," suddenly cried one, seeing me looking -on interestedly, and instantly a general move was made in my direction. - -"Name it, boss," spoke the bar-tender, coming forward; "that is, if you -is not an S----'s man." - -"What will happen if I am?" I inquired, slightly curious to know what an -S----'s man was. - -"You'll get fired; that's all----" - -"Shut up, Bob," reproved a tall, broad-shouldered man. "This is the -master-pearlers' club," he continued, addressing me, "and as a stranger -you are very welcome to whatever it affords." - -"Thank you, but I understood that this was Roderick's Hotel?" - -"Same thing," laughed several of the men. "Who sent you here?" - -"Captain Lawrence of the _Nemesis_." - -"Then it's all O.K. He is one of us," said the first speaker. "You will -be my guest to-night, after which we will consider what is best to do -with you." - -"Gently there; I am a Britisher, and quite able to look after myself." - -"You can bet, my boy, that we're all coloured red here, but of course if -you don't wish----" - -"You are needing a spell south, Wilcox," interrupted another gentleman. -"You don't give the stranger half a chance. We are pearlers," he -continued, turning to me. "This is the off season, and as hell is let -loose in this town when the fleet is at home, we arrange to look after -any white stranger that may be cast upon these shores. Listen! There's -the Malays' infernal racket starting now. I shouldn't wonder but they -will have a fight with the aborigines before morning." - -"I see I have made a mistake, then, gentlemen," I said, "in coming here, -but I assure you that it was not from choice I came." - -"Oh, don't let that trouble you. We are very glad to have you. But you -can now understand why we reserve this hotel for our own use. We don't -all necessarily make beasts of ourselves, although you see us here. Some -of us, it is true, have a failing that way, and there are others over in -the cable shanty now going it pretty stiff; we therefore make it a point -that a dozen of us come here every night to look after any of the boys -who may take more stagger-juice than they can carry; but allow me to -introduce the company. This is Alf Chambers. Here is Sam -Wilcox--Moore--Macpherson--Edward Wilson, commonly known as Dandy -Dick--Will Biddles--Gordon, of G.B. diving-dress fame, and, the finest -gentleman on the Australian coast, Gentleman James----" - -"What about yourself, Cap?" spoke the last-named, waving his hand -deprecatingly at the compliment. - -"Me? Oh, I forgot. I am Biddles. You may have heard of me down in -Perth?" - -"I believe I have," I answered. "You are the man whom the American -skipper mistook for a pirate, and who, up in King Sound----" - -"I see you have my history all right, lad; but there goes the -dinner-gong, so come along and sample Broome fare." - -In the company of the light-hearted pearlers the time passed very -quickly. It transpired that I had known in Queensland some of their -comrades who had drifted down country from the Gulf pearling-grounds, -and being well accustomed to meeting all sorts of people, I readily -grasped the little peculiarities of my hosts, and soon became on the -best of terms with them all. - -"I think we'll go now, boys," said Wilcox, some time about midnight. -"You fellows that are sober can see after the other boys, and we two -will get aboard the _Thetis_." - -"Why, don't you stay here?" I cried. - -"Not likely. There wouldn't be an ounce of blood left in us by morning. -The mosquitoes here are A 1; but can you swim?" - -"A little. Why?" - -"Because I expect you will have to. You see we don't care to give the -mob a chance of going aboard while we are on shore; so we never use our -dinghys." - -"Oh, how about your clothes?" - -"Leave them on the jetty. I always send the cook round for them in the -morning." - -I did not answer; I recognised that I was again among a strange people. -We were now threading our way among the coolies' huts and shanties -towards the beach. The moon was shining brightly, thus enabling us to -jump over several forms which were huddled up in various positions -across our path without disturbing them. - -"These people would stick a knife in a man for his bootlaces," my -companion remarked; "but luckily they are always too drunk to stand." - -"But if you treated them fairly might there not be better results?" - -"Look here, my lad, you've still got some of the old country notions -about you. You can't treat the Malays as you do white men. They do not -understand what gratitude means. Great Southern Cross! don't you know -the history of this coast? Haven't you heard of poor Woods? He was going -to reform everything. Gave the beggars a share of the profits, and wages -besides. First thing we knew was when his Chinese cook rushed into -Roderick's one night and told some of us that Woods's crew had mutinied -because of their tinned dog being off colour--as if it ever was anything -else." - -"And what was the result?" - -"Oh, they killed Woods and threw his body into the sea, and then sailed -for Java. The cook jumped overboard and swam ashore, and that's how we -knew. The Dutchmen chased them up and sent them back from Surabaya in -chains, and we hung them." - -"These men were Malays?" - -"Yes, but the half-castes and aborigines are just as bad. Take the case -of Dr. Vines, for instance; they murdered him because he couldn't give -them what he hadn't got himself. And then there was Captain Skinner; but -you'll not sleep if I tell you any more. Yonder is my craft. Get ready." - -Wilcox discarded his coat as he spoke and plunged into the inviting -waters, and somewhat dubiously I followed; for although my garments were -of the usual Siamese silk variety, and therefore did not greatly impede -my movements, I could not help wondering what would happen if there -were any sharks about. As I struggled after Wilcox this thought kept -recurring to me in spite of all my attempts to convince myself that -there could be no such creatures there, and just when I had almost -succeeded in believing that such might somehow be the case, I suddenly -remembered that I had been watching these very monsters playing around -the _Nemesis_ all that afternoon. - -"What about sharks?" I gasped, as the stern light of the _Thetis_ shone -out ahead. - -"They're too well fed here to trouble about white men," came the reply, -and I had to satisfy myself with the hope that the sharks would be able -to distinguish without personal investigation that I was of the -fortunate colour. We reached the schooner without mishap, however, and -scrambled over its stern by means of a friendly rope, and soon after I -was asleep in what might have been a comfortable berth but for the -presence of some hundreds of other occupants of divers kinds. - -Next morning I found my baggage and the clothes I had thrown off in the -cabin beside me, and on going out on deck had my first view of Broome by -daylight. It was not much to look at. There were some tents, two or -three dozen "humpies" and "wind-breaks," and about twelve -galvanised-iron structures, of which the jail, the cable station, -Gummows' and Roderick's Hotels, were the most conspicuous. The _Nemesis_ -had sailed away south again during the night, and there was no sign of -life anywhere. During the day--by way of a treat--Wilcox and some others -took me to inspect "their prison," in which they had evidently great -pride; but I could not work up any enthusiasm over the sight of a score -of miserable wretches chained together by the ankles. - -"These are the murderers of old Smith," remarked one of my companions. -"They turned on him because he plugged one of them with a '44,' one day -when he was drunk, up in King Sound." - -"We're keeping them here until we can get an executioner," added the -jailer, "but it's spoiling the trade of the town; every one is afraid of -getting drunk, as they might then be induced to take the job on." - -I was glad when we left the place, and, eager to obtain information of a -more pleasant kind, I asked to be shown the opening sheds. - -"Well, you are a strange fellow!" was Wilcox's only comment as he led -the way thither, and as we neared the shell-strewn benches I began to -understand the meaning of his words, and signified that, after all, I -thought I would rather not go farther. - -"They do smell a bit strong," laughed my friend; "but we're not near -enough yet, and the wind is not off the proper quarter to give a Broome -appetiser. But there's Biddles semaphoring for us to dine with him in -the club; let's get along." - -Several days passed agreeably enough to me among these free-hearted -Britons; but in time I began to calculate when the next steamer would be -due. "I fear there's no steamer coming into Broome for two months, my -boy," said Captain Biddles, when I asked him, and a visit to the cable -station confirmed his fears; for, when the obliging officials there -wired to Fremantle, they received the reply that the SS. _Australind_ -would miss Broome and call instead at Derby, on the head of King Sound. - -"Then I will have to cross country to Derby," I said. "I suppose that is -easy enough; the telegraph line runs all the way?" - -"Oh, it's about as easy as going to heaven!" answered Biddles. "The -aborigines are very considerate between here and Derby--they always kill -you before they make a dinner out of you. But are you sure you can't -stay here?" - -"It is four years since I was north of the equator," I said, "and I have -a strong desire to cross it as soon as possible." - -"In that case, I suppose you will have to go. Wish I could myself." - -"Why can't you? You are rich enough now, surely?" - -"Ha, ha! Imagine old Biddles going back to civilisation! Why, man, they -would---- Well, well; never mind. Here's the boys coming. We'll see what -can be done." - -That evening I was informed that the _Bessie Fraser_ was to sail north -to King Sound in the morning with stores for George Hobart's schooners. -I could go with it, and Hobart would find some means of landing me at -Derby. This arrangement, the pearlers assured me, was not made in my -behalf, as the _Bessie Fraser_ would have to sail in any case. Thus it -came about that next morning I parted with my kindly friends, and in -company with Harry Quin, the skipper, six Malays for a crew, a Chinese -cook, and a Manilaman diver, rounded the long, sandy point and headed -northwards. - -After lunch, the captain announced his intention of having a sleep if I -didn't mind, and, thinking that he would require to be on the watch -during the night, which would certainly be stormy, I said that I could -easily pass the time looking round, and, in an endeavour to do so, soon -after entered into conversation with the cook. - -"Is it going to be rough to-night, John?" I said, by way of -introduction, watching him as he went through some mysterious -performances necessary for the preparation of our next meal. - -"Velly. Me no need make breakfast. Captain sick. No want any." - -"What! The captain sick? What do you mean?" - -"Huh! Him no sail man. Him only gole' glabber; no know nothing 'bout -sea. D----" John disappeared as he gave vent to his last exclamation, -and, turning round, I saw that Aguinili, the diver and sarang, was -approaching. - -"Good day, sir," he said, in excellent English. - -"Good day, Aguinili. You have given Ah Sing a fright." - -"He gabble gabble all day when captain not well." - -"Great Scot! What is wrong? The captain was all right half an hour ago." - -"Yes, but we are round the head now, and the monsoon is on. I come speak -with you, for to-night I have only one man to steer with me; the rest no -good. I come ask will you take helm for time to-night, else we must go -back?" - -I was certainly surprised at Aguinili's words, but, grasping their -import, I at once signified that I would willingly take a watch, and -following him aft, I was made acquainted with the little peculiarities -of the schooner in regards to her steering. - -"Malay bad man--you no trust him," remarked Aguinili. "No let them know -captain not well?" - -"Never fear!" I answered; "I have sailed with their kind before. But -call me when you want me, for I cannot navigate by the stars as you do, -so I must hunt up a chart and get out my own instruments." - -At that moment Ah Sing came aft and informed me that the captain desired -my presence, so, making my way to his stuffy cabin, I soon stood beside -him. He was lying in his bunk reading, but as I entered he cast aside -the book and said, "I say, mate, ye needn't give me away more than ye -can help." - -"Why, what's the matter?" - -"Nothing, so long as I lie on my back; but this darned motion doesn't -agree with me in any other position." - -"Do you mean to say----?" - -"That I is no sailor? You struck the bull first shot. I ain't. I is a -gold-miner, and got stranded in Broome after making a pile on the Marble -Bar fields, an' losing it down in Roebourne. Lord knows how I got here, -but old Wilcox got me this billet with Hobart, 'cause I could swear at -the nigs better than any man he knowed. I know nothing about navigation -except what a bushman knows, and here I is at sea entirely." - -"But have you never had any accidents?" - -"Oh, there have been some narrow squeaks, but that chap Aguinili is a -smart fellow; he manages somehow, and I swears at---- Lor'! but I is -bad. Oh!----" - -"You'll be all right soon," I said sympathisingly, as I left him. He was -the best example of a bluffer I had ever come across, but he had the -true grit of the sons of the Southern Cross, and as he knew nothing of -navigation, he got along wonderfully well by leaving everything to fate -and Aguinili. - -It was a very rough night, but the _Bessie Fraser_ weathered it all -right, thanks to the skilful handling of the sarang. Next evening we -entered King Sound, and by seven o'clock were safely moored alongside -the schooner _Electron_, George Hobart's headquarters. - -This gentleman was a very superior person to those usually met in such -latitudes; he was of a scientific turn of mind, and had designed many -strange appliances which were the wonder and admiration of the pearling -fraternity. - -"You have just arrived in time to witness the trial of my new dress," -were almost his first words to me; and after dinner, in answer to my -inquiry, he proceeded to explain wherein his dress differed from -others, and to point out its anticipated advantages. "Sixteen fathoms is -the greatest depth at which we can work with the old dress, you know," -he said, "and even at that a diver can only last out three seasons." - -"Well, what's the odds?" interrupted Quin; "they're cheap, ain't they? -and there's any amount where they come from." - -"That may be; but this dress is designed to give the diver a longer -lease of life, and also to enable him to stand a good two or three -fathoms more pressure. I have just got down a new G.B. dress from -Singapore, and I intend to try mine alongside it to-morrow." - -I did not then know what a G.B. dress was, but not wishing to display my -ignorance, I did not inquire, and during the evening's conversation I -gathered that it was the invention of two Glasgow engineers, who had -designed it to allow of greater depths being explored. - -In the morning all hands began to prepare for the trials, and after -breakfast Aguinili, as the most experienced diver, was lowered from the -derrick in the G.B. dress, and Jim Mackenzie, the _Electron's_ chief -officer, was also weighted and dropped over in Hobart's. - -"Isn't there a nigger handy to go down in the old dress now?" asked -Quin, kicking over a helmet. "I'll go two to one on it yet." - -"The water is too deep here," answered Hobart. "No man could bottom in -the old dress." - -"I'll go," said the intrepid Quin, "and chance it." - -"No. Hallo! Mackenzie is down. Great heavens! The pumps are not -working." Hobart sprang to the pumps, and threw the two Malay operators -across the deck, then, assisted by Quin and myself, began pumping -furiously. It was useless. The pumps were not drawing air. The -perspiration burst out over my face as I realised the position that -poor Mackenzie was in. Quin swore, and then rushed to the winch, where -the crew, in answer to Hobart's signal, were already hauling in. In less -time than it takes to tell the diver was above the surface, and in -another second his helmet was unscrewed. - -"Poor old Mac," said Quin, as the limp form was removed from its cage; -"I always reckoned that he would peg out before me." - -"Wrong again, Quin," feebly murmured Mackenzie. "You won't be mate of -the _Electron_ this trip----But I say, there's shells down there as big -as a table, and they are packed like peas." - -"Never mind them at present, Mac," spoke Hobart. "We're glad to see you -all right again; but what happened to the dress----?" - -"The dress is all right, but the beggars must have stopped pumping while -I was sinking, and when they started again I fancy the check-valve would -not work." - -"Ah! then we burst the connection on deck when we rushed to the pumps. -That means my dress won't do for twenty fathoms at any rate. Hallo! -there's Aguinili's signal. Haul away. Why, it is shell, and look at the -size." - -In answer to the diver's signal the men had hauled up his shell-net, and -when it appeared above the waters the size of the shells had drawn forth -an exclamation of surprise from all. Soon after Aguinili himself came up -laden with the spoil of the nineteen-fathom ledge, and when he was -brought on deck and his helmet removed he told a wonderful story of the -wealth of the deep deposits, which hitherto no man had seen. - -"Shell plenty. No need move away; fill net all time same place. Good -shell for pearl, I know that, for I see sea-snake feed much. I go down -again quick." - -"No, no, Aguinili," cried Hobart, handing him a glass of spirits. "We -have plenty of time for that. Have the shell been moving much?" - -"No. Shells grow there. No currents; no monsoons; deep, deep coral -bottom. No shell on sixteen-fathom bottom here." - -"Well, gentlemen," finally said Hobart, "we have seen the result of the -G.B. comes out first. I will cable to Singapore to send down some more -of them, and I will see that Gentleman James, Captain Biddies, and the -others get to know of its good points. Who knows what fortunes we may -now obtain from these deep neglected sounds." - -Two hours afterwards the _Electron_ was sailing down King Sound towards -the Indian Ocean, and on my venturing to ask where we were bound for, -Hobart informed me that he had received word from Derby that the bubonic -plague had broken out afresh in Fremantle, and it was therefore obvious -that the _Australind_ would not now call at the northern port; for if -she did so she would assuredly be quarantined at Singapore through not -having been sufficient time at sea since leaving Australian waters. - -"We are going to put you on board now," he added, "and Mackenzie is -going up to Raffles with you to see about the new dresses. Meanwhile the -men are opening the shells from the deep level, and I hope that we will -find a memento to give you of your visit to this coast." - -Early in the afternoon a long hanging cloud of black smoke became -visible away on the southern horizon, and knowing that it must be -issuing from the funnels of the _Australind_ or the Adelaide Steamship -Co.'s trader _Albany_, we steered out to investigate, and, if need be, -to intercept. It proved to be the former vessel, and in due course she -answered our signal and hove to. - -"Well, goodbye then, lad. I hope you will come back to this coast when -you are tired of the old country," were Hobart's parting words as -Mackenzie and I clambered up the sides of the _Australind_. - -"If you see a lugger cheap at Singapore you might buy it for me," cried -Quin, throwing me a miner's gold-bag; "and, I say, you might send me the -second part of the book you gave me to read when we were coming up -through the monsoon on the _Bessie_. I am darned curious to know the -wind-up." - -"And here's a pair of the deep shells; take care of them," cried Hobart, -fastening a couple into the sling in which my baggage was being hoisted. - - * * * * * - -Three days after landing at Singapore I bought a small lugger for Quin, -and sent back the balance of his money, and a complete copy of the -"Pilgrim's Progress" (which was the book requested) with Mackenzie, who -also undertook to see about the lugger going south. Four days later, -while tossing in the bay of Bengal on the SS. _Ballarat_, I began to -rearrange my belongings so that they might be readily transferred to the -connecting P. and O. mail steamer _Himalaya_ at Colombo. In doing so I -chanced to open my shells and found therein two magnificent pearls, and -a note which read: "Please accept one of the enclosed from me. The other -is from Aguinili, who has asked me to offer it to you in kind -remembrance." - - - - - The Gresham Press, - - UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED, - WOKING AND LONDON. - - - - -Siberia: - -A Record of Travel, Climbing, and Exploration. - -BY SAMUEL TURNER, F.R.G.S. - -WITH A PREFACE BY BARON HEYKING. - -_With more than 100 Illustrations, and with 2 Maps._ - -_Demy 8vo, cloth, 21/-net._ - - -The materials for this book were gathered during a journey in Siberia in -1903. Helped by over 100 merchants (Siberian, Russian, Danish and -English) the writer was able to collect much information, and observe -the present social and industrial condition of the country. The trade -and country life of the mixed races of Siberia is described, and -valuable information is given about their chief industry (dairy -produce), which goes far to dissipate the common idea that Siberia is -snow-bound, and to show that it is now one of the leading agricultural -countries in the world. - - * * * * * - -The author describes his unaccompanied climbs in the mountains which he -discovered in the Kutunski Belki range in the Altai, about 800 miles off -the Great Siberian Railway line from a point about 2,500 miles beyond -Moscow. He made a winter journey of 1,600 miles on sledge, drosky, and -horseback, 250 miles of this journey being through country which has -never been penetrated by any other European even in summer. He also -describes 40 miles of what was probably the most difficult winter -exploration that has ever been undertaken, proving that even the rigour -of a Siberian winter cannot keep a true mountaineer from scaling unknown -peaks. - - * * * * * - -The volume is elaborately illustrated from photographs by the author. - -"To the trader and to the explorer, and to many who are neither, but who -love to read books of travel and to venture in imagination into wild -places of the earth, this book is heartily to be commended. It is -lively, entertaining, instructive. It throws fresh light on the Empire -of the Czars. Above all, it is a record of British pluck."--_Scotsman._ - - -LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN. - - - - -John Chinaman at Home - -BY THE REV. E. J. HARDY, - -Author of "How to be Happy though Married"; lately Chaplain to H.M. -Forces in Hong Kong. - -_With 36 Illustrations. Demy 8vo, cloth, 10/6 net._ - - -CONTENTS. - -Hong Kong; Tientsin and Peking; Canton; On the West River; Swatow, Amoy, -Foochow; Up the Yangtze; Village Life; Topsy-turvy; Some Chinese -Characteristics; Chinese Food; Medicine and Surgery; Chinese Clothes; -Houses and Gardens; Chinese Servants; Betrothal and Marriage; Death and -Burial; Mourning; Education in China; Boys in China; Girls and Women; -Chinese Manners; Government in China; Punishments; Chinese Soldiers; The -Religions of China; Outside and Inside a Temple; New Year's Day; Monks -and Priests; Spirits; Feng shiu and other Superstitions; Missionaries; -as the Chinese See Us. - - * * * * * - -The reader will not be bored with politics or the "future of China," for -the book only treats of the common every-day things of the Chinese which -seem so peculiar to us. These are described and, when possible, -explained. Anecdotes are freely used to illustrate. - - -LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN. - - - - -_Demy 8vo, cloth, 21/-_ - -Somerset House, Past and Present - -BY RAYMOND NEEDHAM AND ALEXANDER WEBSTER. - -_With Photogravure Frontispiece and many Illustrations._ - - -This book deals with the history of Somerset House from -its foundation by the Lord Protector in 1547 to the -present day. It is as far as possible a continuous record of the -events which in times gone by gathered illustrious personages -within the walls of the old palace and made it a centre of -English social life. For two centuries Somerset House was the -home of Queens and Princesses; it was associated with the -stalwart Protestants of the Reformation and the intriguing -Catholics of the Revolution; it has passed through greater -vicissitudes than almost any other secular edifice in London. -The modern building housed the early exhibitions of the Royal -Academy of Arts, a Naval Museum, the Royal and other learned -Societies, until, within the last fifty years, it was given over to -its present occupants and the matter-of-fact romance of the -Imperial Revenue. The history includes the story of King's -College, which since its inauguration has occupied a building -erected on the eastern edge of the site, and designed to -harmonise with the main structure. The volume is illustrated -by reproductions of rare old prints and a fine series of modern -photographs. - - -LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN. - - - - -_Demy 8vo, cloth, 10/6 net._ - -The Age of the Earth, and other Geological Studies - -BY W. J. 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ELLIS. - -=The Best Plays of Thomas Dekker.= Notes by ERNEST RHYS. - -=The Best Plays of Philip Massinger.= With Critical and Biographical -Essays and Notes by ARTHUR SYMONS. 2 vols. - -=The Best Plays of Beaumont and Fletcher.= With Introduction and Notes -by T. ST LOE STRACHEY. 2 vols. - -=The Best Plays of George Chapman.= Edited by WILLIAM LYON PHELPS. - -=The Select Plays of Sir John Vanbrugh.= Edited, with an Introduction -and Notes, by A. E. H. SWAIN. - - -_THE TIMES, 20th November 1903, in a Review of a column and a quarter, -says_-- - -"Mr Fisher Unwin is re-issuing his 'Mermaid Series' of Old Dramatists in -a very attractive form. The volumes are light in the hand and will go -easily into the pocket; they are printed in clear type on thin paper; -ideal companions for the student who seeks his pleasure where the Saint -found it, 'in angulo cum libello.'" - -_THE PALL MALL GAZETTE says_-- - -"It is impossible to let the completion of this reissue go by without -congratulating every one concerned, including the reader, on the -possibility of obtaining the cream of England's dramatic literature in -this convenient form." - - -T. FISHER UNWIN, PUBLISHER, 1, ADELPHI TERRACE, LONDON, W.C. - - - - -T. FISHER UNWIN, Publisher, - -THE ADVENTURE SERIES - -POPULAR RE-ISSUE. - -_Each large crown 8vo, fully illustrated. Popular re-issue_, =3s. 6d.= -_per vol._ - - - 1. ADVENTURES OF A YOUNGER SON. By EDWARD J. TRELAWNEY. Introduction - by EDWARD GARNETT. - - 2. MADAGASCAR; or, Robert Drury's Journal during his Captivity on - that Island. Preface and Notes by Captain S. P. OLIVER, R.A. - - 3. 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KOLOKOTRONES: KLEPHT AND WARRIOR. Translated from the Greek by - Mrs. EDMONDS. Introduction by M. 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