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exceedingly; and held on to Bidwell for support as he asked …



〃They ban all right; them men; you tank so?〃



〃Sure;〃 Bidwell answered heartily。  〃Known 'em for years。  Old sour

doughs。  When they sell a claim; they sell a claim。  They ain't no

air…dealers。〃



〃Ay tank Ay buy;〃 Ans Handerson announced; tottering back to the

two men。



But by now he was dreaming deeply; and he proclaimed he would have

the whole claim or nothing。  This was the cause of great pain to

Hootchinoo Bill。  He orated grandly against the 〃hawgishness〃 of

chechaquos and Swedes; albeit he dozed between periods; his voice

dying away to a gurgle; and his head sinking forward on his breast。

But whenever roused by a nudge from Kink or Bidwell; he never

failed to explode another volley of abuse and insult。



Ans Handerson was calm under it all。  Each insult added to the

value of the claim。  Such unamiable reluctance to sell advertised

but one thing to him; and he was aware of a great relief when

Hootchinoo Bill sank snoring to the floor; and he was free to turn

his attention to his less intractable partner。



Kink Mitchell was persuadable; though a poor mathematician。  He

wept dolefully; but was willing to sell a half…interest for two

hundred and fifty dollars or the whole claim for seven hundred and

fifty。  Ans Handerson and Bidwell laboured to clear away his

erroneous ideas concerning fractions; but their labour was vain。

He spilled tears and regrets all over the bar and on their

shoulders; which tears; however; did not wash away his opinion;

that if one half was worth two hundred and fifty; two halves were

worth three times as much。



In the end;and even Bidwell retained no more than hazy

recollections of how the night terminated;a bill of sale was

drawn up; wherein Bill Rader and Charles Mitchell yielded up all

right and title to the claim known as 24 ELDORADO; the same being

the name the creek had received from some optimistic chechaquo。



When Kink had signed; it took the united efforts of the three to

arouse Bill。  Pen in hand; he swayed long over the document; and;

each time he rocked back and forth; in Ans Handerson's eyes flashed

and faded a wondrous golden vision。  When the precious signature

was at last appended and the dust paid over; he breathed a great

sigh; and sank to sleep under a table; where he dreamed immortally

until morning。



But the day was chill and grey。  He felt bad。  His first act;

unconscious and automatic; was to feel for his sack。  Its lightness

startled him。  Then; slowly; memories of the night thronged into

his brain。  Rough voices disturbed him。  He opened his eyes and

peered out from under the table。  A couple of early risers; or;

rather; men who had been out on trail all night; were vociferating

their opinions concerning the utter and loathsome worthlessness of

Eldorado Creek。  He grew frightened; felt in his pocket; and found

the deed to 24 ELDORADO。



Ten minutes later Hootchinoo Bill and Kink Mitchell were roused

from their blankets by a wild…eyed Swede that strove to force upon

them an ink…scrawled and very blotty piece of paper。



〃Ay tank Ay take my money back;〃 he gibbered。  〃Ay tank Ay take my

money back。〃



Tears were in his eyes and throat。  They ran down his cheeks as he

knelt before them and pleaded and implored。  But Bill and Kink did

not laugh。  They might have been harder hearted。



〃First time I ever hear a man squeal over a minin' deal;〃 Bill

said。  〃An' I make free to say 'tis too onusual for me to savvy。〃



〃Same here;〃 Kink Mitchell remarked。  〃Minin' deals is like horse…

tradin'。〃



They were honest in their wonderment。  They could not conceive of

themselves raising a wail over a business transaction; so they

could not understand it in another man。



〃The poor; ornery chechaquo;〃 murmured Hootchinoo Bill; as they

watched the sorrowing Swede disappear up the trail。



〃But this ain't Too Much Gold;〃 Kink Mitchell said cheerfully。



And ere the day was out they purchased flour and bacon at

exorbitant prices with Ans Handerson's dust and crossed over the

divide in the direction of the creeks that lie between Klondike and

Indian River。



Three months later they came back over the divide in the midst of a

snow…storm and dropped down the trail to 24 ELDORADO。  It merely

chanced that the trail led them that way。  They were not looking

for the claim。  Nor could they see much through the driving white

till they set foot upon the claim itself。  And then the air

lightened; and they beheld a dump; capped by a windlass that a man

was turning。  They saw him draw a bucket of gravel from the hole

and tilt it on the edge of the dump。  Likewise they saw another;

man; strangely familiar; filling a pan with the fresh gravel。  His

hands were large; his hair wets pale yellow。  But before they

reached him; he turned with the pan and fled toward a cabin。  He

wore no hat; and the snow falling down his neck accounted for his

haste。  Bill and Kink ran after him; and came upon him in the

cabin; kneeling by the stove and washing the pan of gravel in a tub

of water。



He was too deeply engaged to notice more than that somebody had

entered the cabin。  They stood at his shoulder and looked on。  He

imparted to the pan a deft circular motion; pausing once or twice

to rake out the larger particles of gravel with his fingers。  The

water was muddy; and; with the pan buried in it; they could see

nothing of its contents。  Suddenly he lifted the pan clear and sent

the water out of it with a flirt。  A mass of yellow; like butter in

a churn; showed across the bottom。



Hootchinoo Bill swallowed。  Never in his life had he dreamed of so

rich a test…pan。



〃Kind of thick; my friend;〃 he said huskily。  〃How much might you

reckon that…all to be?〃



Ans Handerson did not look up as he replied; 〃Ay tank fafty

ounces。〃



〃You must be scrumptious rich; then; eh?〃



Still Ans Handerson kept his head down; absorbed in putting in the

fine touches which wash out the last particles of dross; though he

answered; 〃Ay tank Ay ban wort' five hundred t'ousand dollar。〃



〃Gosh!〃 said Hootchinoo Bill; and he said it reverently。



〃Yes; Bill; gosh!〃 said Kink Mitchell; and they went out softly and

closed the door。







THE ONE THOUSAND DOZEN







David Rasmunsen was a hustler; and; like many a greater man; a man

of the one idea。  Wherefore; when the clarion call of the North

rang on his ear; he conceived an adventure in eggs and bent all his

energy to its achievement。  He figured briefly and to the point;

and the adventure became iridescent…hued; splendid。  That eggs

would sell at Dawson for five dollars a dozen was a safe working

premise。  Whence it was incontrovertible that one thousand dozen

would bring; in the Golden Metropolis; five thousand dollars。



On the other hand; expense was to be considered; and he considered

it well; for he was a careful man; keenly practical; with a hard

head and a heart that imagination never warmed。  At fifteen cents a

dozen; the initial cost of his thousand dozen would be one hundred

and fifty dollars; a mere bagatelle in face of the enormous profit。

And suppose; just suppose; to be wildly extravagant for once; that

transportation for himself and eggs should run up eight hundred and

fifty more; he would still have four thousand clear cash and clean

when the last egg was disposed of and the last dust had rippled

into his sack



〃You see; Alma;〃he figured it over with his wife; the cosy

dining…room submerged in a sea of maps; government surveys; guide…

books; and Alaskan itineraries;〃you see; expenses don't really

begin till you make Dyeafifty dollars'll cover it with a first…

class passage thrown in。  Now from Dyea to Lake Linderman; Indian

packers take your goods over for twelve cents a pound; twelve

dollars a hundred; or one hundred and twenty dollars a thousand。

Say I have fifteen hundred pounds; it'll cost one hundred and

eighty dollarscall it two hundred and be safe。  I am creditably

informed by a Klondiker just come out that I can buy a boat for

three hundred。  But the same man says I'm sure to get a couple of

passengers for one hundred and fifty each; which will give me the

boat for nothing; and; further; they can help me manage it。  And 。

。 。 that's all; I put my eggs ashore from the boat at Dawson。  Now

let me see how much is that?〃



〃Fifty dollars from San Francisco to Dyea; two hundred from Dyea to

Linderman; passengers pay for the boattwo hundred and fifty all

told;〃 she summed up swiftly。



〃And a hundred for my clothes and personal outfit;〃 he went on

happily; 〃that leaves a margin of five hundred for emergencies。

And what possible emergencies can arise?〃



Alma shrugged her shoulders and elevated her brows。  If that vast

Northland was capable of swallowing up a man and a thousand dozen

eggs; surely there was ro

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