To Win or to Die, A Tale of the Klondike Gold Craze, by George ManvilleFenn. 

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This is a tough tale about tough men. Right from the first chapter weare living with men who are fighting for survival, the enemy being asoften as not other men who would rob them. Chapter after chapter leavesthe heroes in some new desperate plight, which, when overcome, is almostat once replaced by yet another one. 

It is not a very long book, and it is very well illustrated, but it is abreathless race from one peril to the next. 

I cannot say that you should enjoy or be entertained by reading of otherpeoples' misfortunes, but the author intended that you should be soentertained, and you will be. 

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TO WIN OR TO DIE, A TALE OF THE KLONDIKE GOLD CRAZE, BY GEORGE MANVILLEFENN. 

CHAPTER ONE. 

A BREAK-DOWN. 

"It's a lie! I don't and I won't believe it. "

The speaker half whispered that, and then he shouted, "Do you hear?"

There was a pause, and then from the face of a huge white snow-cliffthere came back the word "hear. "

"Well done, echo!" cried the speaker. 

"Echo, " came back. 

"Thankye; that's quite cheering; anything's better than that horriblesilence. What do they say? When a man gets in the habit of talking tohimself it's a sign that he is going mad? Once more, it's a lie! A manwould go mad in this awful solitude if he didn't hear some one speaking. Snow, snow, snow, and rock and mountain; and ugh! how cold! Pull up, donkey! jackass! idiot! or you'll freeze to death. "

The speaker was harnessed by a looped rope to a small, well-packedsledge, after the fashion of one who tracks about along the Thames; buthow different here! No sunny river, no verdant flowing mead or hangingsummer wood, but winter, stern winter in its wildest, and the heavysledge, in answer to the tugging at the rope, now sticking fast amongstthe heaped-up stones frozen together in a mass, now suddenly glidingdown sharp slopes and tripping its owner up, so that again and again, during an awful day's tramp, he had fallen heavily. But only tostruggle up, shake the snow from his fur-lined coat, and continue hisjourney onward towards the golden land where the nuggets lay in wondrousprofusion waiting the bold adventurer's coming--heaped-up, almostfabulous riches that had lain undiscovered since the beginning of theworld. 

He, the toiler, dragging that sledge, in which were carefully packed hisgun, ammunition, spare clothes, blankets, stores, and sleeping-bag offur, had started at daylight that morning from the last outpost ofcivilisation--a miserable shanty at the top of the tremendous pass hehad surmounted with the help of the men who occupied the shanty andcalled themselves guides; and then, after repacking his sledge andtrusting to the landmarks ahead and a pocket compass, he had boldly setoff, ready to dare every peril, for he was young, sanguine, well-armed, strong, and nerved by hope and the determination to succeed. 

It was only a brave struggle over the mountains, and then down into theriver valley beyond, to leave the winter behind with its pain andmisery, and meet the welcome of the summer sunshine and--the gold. 

That morning it was winter indeed; but the adventurer's heart was warm, and the way through the mountains was plain, while the exertion sent theblood tingling through his veins till he glowed as the rugged miles weremastered. 

Then there was the halt and a seat on the sledge for a hasty meal uponthe tough provisions; but how delicious every mouthful was!

Then forward again, refreshed for the journey onward, to some snuglysheltered spot where he could camp for the night and sleep in his furbag, regardless of any number of degrees of frost. 

But as the afternoon wore on, the sledge seemed to grow more heavy, theway wilder and more stern, and the stoppages frequent. 

He unpacked and rested and refreshed himself. Then he grew cheery oncemore. 

"Lightens the load and me too, " he said with a laugh, as he thrust hishead through the loop and tugged at the sledge; but it did not seemlighter. It grew more heavy, and the obstacles were terrible tosurmount. 

But he knew he was in the right track through the pathless waste ofheaped-up snow. There was no mistaking that awful gorge, with the rockspiled up like Titanic walls on either side. He knew that he could notgo wrong. All he had to do was to persevere, and he plodded on. 

"Never mind if it's only yards instead of miles surmounted, " hemuttered. "They are so many yards nearer the winning post. "

At last, as he fought his way on, with his unwonted exertions beginningto tell mentally and bodily, he broke out talking wildly to fight backthe horrible sensation of depression, and was brought to a standstill, the sledge having jammed between two blocks of ice-covered rock; and hestood for some minutes gazing round hopelessly at the fast-dimmingscene, which had looked picturesque in the morning, but appeared awfulnow. 

"I ought to have had a companion, " he muttered, "if it had only been adog. "

He stood still, staring at the precipices on either side, whose chasmswere beginning to look black; then at his jammed-in sledge; and he feltthat he must drag it out and go on again, for night was coming on, andhe could not camp where he was. 

Then as he was wearily and slowly stooping down to drag the sledge back, he made a sudden bound as if electrified, tried to run, tripped, andfell heavily. 

For all at once there was a roar like thunder, a terrible rushing sound, the echoes of the mountains seemed to have been let loose, and his hairbegan to bristle, while a cold perspiration gathered on his face as helistened to the sounds dying away in rumbling whispers. 

"Away up to the right, " he said to himself as he gazed in thatdirection, realising that it was a snow-fall. Thousands of tons hadgone down somewhere out of sight; but he was safe, and giving the sledgea jerk, he set it free, guided it over the snow, and prepared foranother start. 

But that avalanche had somewhat unnerved him, for he had been lookingout for a place to camp, and it now seemed madness to think of coming toa halt there. 

"Must find a safer place, " he thought; and now fresh dangers began tosuggest themselves. Would there be wolves in these mountains?Certainly there must be bears; and dragging off one of his big furgloves, he took out and examined his revolver, before replacing it inits leather holster. He glanced, too, at his rifle in its woollen case, bound on the top of the loaded sledge. 

"Bah! how cowardly one can turn!" he muttered. "Of course, there willbe all those troubles to face. I'm fagged--that's what it is. Now, then, old fellow, gee up! I'll camp in the first sheltered nook I see;I'm sure to find one soon. Then supper in the warm bag and a goodnight's rest. Sleep? I could lie down and sleep here in the snow. Pull up! That's the way. I wonder how much gold I could drag on asledge like this?"

For quite another hour he toiled on, and perhaps got over a quarter of amile, always gazing anxiously ahead for a suitable shelter, but lookingin vain. 

Then he utterly broke down, catching his foot against a block which thedarkness hid from his fast-dimming eyes; and with a sob of misery as hesaved himself from striking his face, at the expense of a heavy wrenchto one wrist, he lay perfectly still, feeling a strange drowsy sensationcreeping over him. 

"This will not do, " he cried aloud in alarm, for he knew that giving wayto such a feeling in the snow meant resigning himself to death; and hepainfully rose to his knees, and then remained, staring wildly beforehim, wondering whether he was already dreaming. For not far away, flashing and quivering in reflections from the precipice wall on hisleft, there was a light which kept rising and falling. 

No dream, but the reflected light of a camp fire. Others, bound uponthe same mission as himself, must be close at hand; and staggering nowto his feet, he placed his gloved hands to his lips and gave forth aloud echoing "Ahoy!"

The next moment his heart beat high with joy, and the horrible perils offrost and darkness in that unsheltered place faded away intonothingness, for his hail was answered from close at hand. 

"Ahoy! Who is it?" came echoing back. 

"Help!" shouted the adventurer; and then he sank upon his sledge withheart throbbing and a strange giddiness attacking him. 

CHAPTER TWO. 

FALLEN AMONG THIEVES. 

"Hullo, there!" cried a rough voice. "Why don't you come on?" and thenext minute a couple of figures seemed to start out of the darkness. 

"I'm fagged out. Can you lend me a hand?"

"Lend you a hand? Yes, " said another voice. "Where's your mate?"

"I'm alone. "

"Alone? No pal with you?"

"No, and my sledge has stuck fast. Will you help me as far as yourfire?"

"Got a sled, hev you? All right, mate. Where's the line? Lay hold, Leggy, while I give it a hyste. That's your sort. Come on. " It seemedlike a dream, and as if all the peril and horror had passed away, as thetwo men dragged the sledge along and the adventurer staggered on besidethem, till they halted in the ruddy light of a great fire, lit at thefoot of a stupendous wall of glistening ice-covered rock. The fire ofpine-boughs crackled and flashed, and lit up the face of a third man, abig red-bearded fellow, who was kneeling down tending the embers andwatching a camp kettle slung from three sticks, the contents of whichwere beginning to steam. 

"Here we are, Beardy, " said one of the rescue party. "Comp'ny gent onhis travels. "

The kneeling man scowled at the speaker, and then put his hand behindhim as if from instinct, but dropped it as the other said:

"It's all right, Beardy. Number four's empty, isn't it? Because if itaren't, you'll have to give up your room. "

The big red-bearded man showed some prominent yellow teeth in a grin, nodded, and pushed a blazing brand under the kettle. 

"Sit down, youngster, " said the first speaker. "Maybe you'll jyne us atsupper?"

"I shall be very glad. "

"Right you are, and welcome! 'Aven't brought anything with you, Isuppose?"

"Yes, I have some cake and bacon. "

"Well done, young un. Get it out, " said the red-bearded man, and, recovered somewhat by his warm reception, the young adventurer began tounlash the load upon the sledge, the two men who had come to his aideagerly joining in, their eyes glistening as they examined the variousobjects that were set free. 

"Going yonder after the yaller stuff?" said the owner of the red beard, as they squatted round the fire. 

"Yes. "

"And all alone, too?"

The traveller nodded, and held his half-numbed hands in the warm glow, as he furtively glanced round at his companions, whose aspect was by nomeans reassuring. 

"Well, " continued the last speaker, "I dunno what Yankee Leggat thinks, and I dunno what Joey Bredge has got to say, but what I says is this. You're a-going to do what's about as silly a thing as a young man cando. "

"Why?"

"Why?" said the man fiercely; "because you're going to try and do whatno chap can do all alone. You've got a good kit and some money, Is'pose; but you don't think you're going to get to the gold stuff, doyou?"

"Of course I do. "

The man showed his yellow teeth in an unpleasant grin, and winked at hiscompanions. 

"And all alone, eh? 'Tain't to be done, lad. You'll be stuck up beforeyou yet half-way there by Injuns, or some o' they Yankee shacks yonder, stripped o' everything you've got, and set adrift, eh, Joey?"

The man addressed nodded and grunted. 

"What should you say he ought to do, Leggy?"

"Make his hay while the sun shines, " said the other. "He's tumbled intoa bit o' luck, and if he knows what he's about he'll just stop alongwith us. We don't want him, seeing as our party's made up, but we don'twant to be hard on a lad as is a bit hign'rant o' what he's got to gothrough. "

"That's so, " put in the man addressed as Joey. "You can't do it, mate. Why, if it hadn't been for us you'd ha' been a hicicle afore morning, ifthe bears and wolves hadn't tucked you up warm inside. You've got totake a good offer. Now, Beardy, bring out the tins; that soup's done bythis time. "

The traveller made no reply, but leaned a little more over the fire, wishing that he had braved the dangers of the bitter frost and snow, andfeeling that he had been too ready to break down at the first encounterwith trouble. For the more he saw of his new companions the less he, liked them, and he was not long in making up his mind what to do. 

By this time three big tin cups, which fitted one into the other, hadbeen produced, and filled from the steaming contents of the kettle. 

"We didn't expect company, " said the cook, "so two of us'll have to dowith one tin, and have it filled twice. You and me'll join, Joey, andlet squire have my tin. "

"No, thank you, " was the reply, made quietly and firmly. "I will notintrude on your good nature farther. I was a bit done up, but the firehas set me right again, and I'm quite ready to take the risks of thejourney alone. "

"Oh, that's it, is it?" said the man gruffly. 

"I'll get you to let me rest here by the fire for an hour to eat my bitof bread and meat, and then I'll camp near you and go on again as Icame. I shall manage, I daresay. "

"Are we going to stand this, mates?" cried the red-bearded man fiercely. 

"No!" came in answer, as all sprang up as if by a preconcerted signal. 

"You misunderstand me, gentlemen, " said the adventurer quietly, thoughhis heart beat fast with the knowledge that the suspicions which hadhaunted him were correct. "I am much obliged for your kindness, and Iwant to save you trouble, that is all. "

"Hear that, lads? We aren't good enough for the likes of him. Allright, then, off he goes. "

"Our company aren't good enough, eh? Then off you goes. "

"Very well, " said the young man, rising quickly; "but there is no needfor a quarrel. I will go at once, and I thank you for what you havedone. "

"But we haven't done yet, " cried the man addressed as Leggy. "Now, boys. "

There was a sudden rush, and in an instant the young fellow was seizedand thrown upon his face; then, in spite of his desperate struggles, hewas turned over, his weapon seized, and everything of value dragged fromhis pockets. 

"Quiet!" snarled the leader in the attack, "or I'll soon quiet you. "

"You dogs! You scoundrels! Help! Thieves!"

"Louder, my lad, louder. Call police: there's some over yonder inCanady. Haul off that fur coat, lads. It'll just fit me, and I'll havehis cap and gloves. That's right. Now then, my whippersnapper, off yougo!"

Set free, the young man, in spite of his bubbling rage, felt the madnessof further resistance, and the uselessness of wasting breath; so hesprang to his sledge, to begin lashing it fast with the rope. 

"Hands off there!" roared the chief scoundrel, taking aim at him. "Nowthen, run for it, and get yourself warm before we begin to shoot. "

"I'm going, " panted the victim, "but I must fasten up my traps. "

"You ain't got no traps. They're ourn, " cried the man. "We give you achance for your life, so cut at once. "

"What! Send me away like this?" cried the young man, aghast. "It'smurder! Let me have my blankets, man. "

"Run!" shouted the scoundrel, and he shook his pistol. 

"You coward!" cried the victim. 

"Run!" was roared again. 

Feeling that the gang into whose hands he had fallen probably meant tohide their crime by silencing him for ever, the victim turned and ranfor his life, and as he ran he felt a sharp pang in the arm. 

A heavy fall checked the victim's panic flight, and as he lay pantingand wet with the perspiration which had started from every pore, herealised that one of the bullets had taken effect, ploughing his leftarm, which throbbed as if being seared with a red-hot iron. 

But the bodily agony was as nothing to the mental anguish which hesuffered. Death was before him if he lay there--death in a painless, insidious form, no doubt; but still, death in all its horror to one soyoung and strong. 

He knew that he must rise and keep moving if he wished to prolong hisexistence, and he rose to his feet, raging now against the cowardlygang, and more against himself. 

"I was a fool and a coward, " he groaned. "Why didn't I fight for mylife? Great heaven! What shall I do?"

He paused for a moment, meaning to turn back and make an attack upon hisenemies. 

But, unarmed as he was, he knew it was madness, and he tramped onthrough the darkness in the faint hope of finding help, but with hisheart sinking as he grasped the fact that fate or the management of thegang had driven him onward farther into the defile, and away from theaid he might have found if he had made his way back to his morning'sstarting-place. 

Fully satisfied that death would be his portion, he struggled onaimlessly till utterly exhausted; and then he paused, breathless, to goover once more the scene by the glowing fire, and ask himself whether hehad not been to blame for displaying his distrust after the way in whichhe had been rescued. But he could only come back to his old way ofthinking--that he had fallen among thieves of the worst type, and thathe owed his life to the prompt way in which he had escaped. 

Recovering his breath somewhat, he stood listening as he gazed backthrough the darkness; but all was still. There were no signs ofpursuit, so, taking out his handkerchief, he folded it into a bandage, and with one hand and his teeth contrived to bind and tie it tightlyround his wound so as to stop the bleeding, which was beginning to causea strange sensation of faintness. 

He had been hot with exertion when he stopped, but now the feeling ofexhilaration caused by his escape died out as rapidly as the heat. Adeadly chill attacked mind and body, for his position seemed crushing. It was horrible beyond bearing, and for the moment he was ready to throwhimself down in his despair. The intense cold would, he knew, soonbring on a sensation of drowsiness, which would result in sleep, andthere would be no pain--nothing but rest from which there would be noawakening; and then--

Then the coward feeling was driven back in a brave effort--a laststruggle for life. 

The cold was intense, the darkness thicker than ever, for the sides ofthe ravine had been closing in till only a narrow strip of faintlymarked sky was visible, while at every few steps taken slowly the poorfellow stumbled over some inequality and nearly fell. 

At times he struck himself heavily, but he was beyond feeling pain, andin his desperation these hindrances acted merely as spurs to fresheffort, for he was on the way to safety. At any minute he felt that hemight catch sight of another gleam of light, the camp fire of some otheradventurer, and he knew that some of those on the way to the greatEldorado must be men who would help and even protect a fellow-creaturein his dire state of peril. 

But he knew that this intense feeling of energy could not last, that hewas rapidly growing weaker, and that ere many minutes had elapsed hewould once more stumble and fall, and this time the power to rise againwould have passed away. 

Was it too late to return to his enemies and make an appeal for hislife? he asked himself at last. They might show him mercy, and life wasso sweet. 

But as these thoughts flickered through his brain in the half deliriumfast deadening his power of thinking coherently, he once more saw thescene by the fire, and the faces of the three scoundrels stood outclearly with that relentless look, that cruel bestial glare of the eye, which told him that an appeal would but hasten his end. 

"Better fall into the hands of God than men like them, " he groaned, andsetting his teeth hard he tottered on a few yards farther, with the snowgrowing less deep, the ground more stony. 

Then the end came sooner than he expected, for his feet caught againstsomething stretched across his way, and he fell heavily, uttering a cryof horror as he struggled to his knees. 

For it was no block of stone, no tree-trunk torn from some shelf in theprecipice above; he grasped the fact in an instant that he had trippedover a sledge similar to his own, to fall headlong upon the ghastlyevidence of what was to be his own fate; for stiff and cold in theshallow snow, his fingers had come upon the body of some unfortunatetreasure-seeker, and as, half-wild with horror, he forced himself tosearch with his hands to discover whether some spark of life might yetbe burning, it was to find that whoever it was must have laid calmlydown in his exhaustion, clasping his companion to his breast to give andreceive the warmth that might save both their lives. 

Vain effort. The man's breast was still for ever, and the faithful dogthat had nestled closely with his muzzle in his master's neck was stiffand stark. 

"God help me!" groaned the adventurer, clasping his hands and lettingthem fall softly on the dead; "is this the ending of my golden dream?"

CHAPTER THREE. 

IN THE DARK. 

The horrible chill of impending death, the bright light of reason, andthe intense desire to live, roused the half-stunned adventurer toaction. 

Die? Like that? No!--when salvation was offered to him in this way. 

It was horrible, but it was for life. There, close by him, slightlypowdered with snow, was the unfortunate's sledge, and in an instant hewas tearing at the rope which bound its load to the framework. 

He could hardly believe his good fortune, for as the rope fell from thepackages the first thing he set free was a fur-lined coat, possibly onewhich the dead man was too much exhausted to assume. 

Suffering keenly from the cold, this was put on at once; and then, continuing the search, it was to find that a rifle was bound along oneside, balanced by tools on the other. Then there were blankets andstores similar, as far as he could judge, to those with which his ownsledge had been laden. 

The warmth afforded by the thick garment and the exertion increased thethrill of returning energy. For he was no longer helpless to continuehis journey. It could be no act of injustice to the dead to takepossession of the means of saving his own life; and now all thought ofgiving up without making a desperate struggle was completely gone. 

Soon after a fresh thrill of returning energy swept through him, and, turning quickly back to where the dead were lying, he knelt there, hesitating for a few moments before, with his determination increasing, he softly thrust the dog aside, and felt about the dead man's waist. 

He shuddered as his hands came in contact with the icy feeling of cold, but it was for life, and a feeling of joy shot through him, for it wasas he had hoped. In a few minutes he had unfastened a buckle, turnedthe body over slightly, and that which he sought to obtain yielded tothe steady pull he gave. 

He had drawn free the dead man's belt, bringing with it his revolver inits little holster and the pouchful of cartridges. 

That seemed to give new life to him as he buckled the belt about hiswaist. Then, taking out the pistol, he felt it in the dark, to findthat it was loaded in every chamber, and that the lock worked easily andwell. 

The pistol replaced in the belt, the young man remained thinking, withall his energy seeming to have returned. What was he to do next? Therewas food of some kind on the sledge, and he must eat. There wereblankets, and with them and the sledge for shelter he must rest andsleep. 

There was the dead man and his faithful dog, but their near presencebrought no feeling of horror. He felt that he could kneel down by thepoor fellow and offer up a prayer for His mercies, and then lie down tosleep in perfect trust of awakening at daybreak, for he was no longersuffering from exhaustion, and hardly felt the cold. 

"But not yet--not yet, " he muttered, and a faint sound broke the silenceas he stood there, his teeth grinding softly together, while his nextwords, uttered half aloud, told the direction his thoughts had taken. 

"The cowardly dogs!" he exclaimed. "Three to one, and him unarmed. Butnot now--not now. "

A brief search brought his hands in contact with a canvas satchel-bag, in which were ship's biscuits, and one of these he took. It wouldsuffice. 

Breaking it and beginning to eat, he set off at once on the back trackto execute his daring project, one which made him glow to hisfinger-tips. 

"Better go on, " he said with a mocking laugh. "Yes, but not yet. They're cowards--such scoundrels always are--and the darkness willmagnify the number of the attack. 

"Bah! talking to myself again; but I'm not going mad. I can't go onwithout letting them taste something of what they have given me. "

He tramped on slowly, but the return journey seemed less difficult, andhe wondered now that he should feel so fresh and glowing with aspreading warmth. It was as dark as ever, but he had no fear of notfinding his way; and sooner than he expected, and just as he wasfinishing the last scrap of hard biscuit, he caught sight of the faintlight of the fire from which he had been driven. 

The sight of it sent fresh vigour through his limbs, and his plan wassoon made. He would keep on till there was the risk of being heard, andthen creep closer till well within shot, and his sleeping enemies thrownup by the fire, which they had evidently made up well before settlingthemselves down for the night. 

He felt sure that at the first report they would spring up and run fortheir lives, and he meant to fire at each if he had time, and scarethem, for he felt disposed to show as much mercy as he would to a packof savage wolves. 

But matters were not to fall out exactly as he had calculated. Hetramped steadily on, with the fire growing brighter, and at last he tookout the revolver to examine it by touch once more, as he walked on moreswiftly now, meaning to go forward a hundred yards or so and thenproceed more cautiously, so as to make sure the enemy was asleep. 

All at once he stopped short, startled. 

The enemy was not asleep, for he saw a dark shadow pass before theglowing light. 

The adventurer stopped short for a few moments, but not in hesitation. It was merely to alter his plan of attack; but the next minute allplanning was cast to the winds, for there rang out on the night air awild cry for help--such an appeal as he had himself uttered so short atime before. 

The cry was repeated, sending a thrill of excitement through thelistener, and telling its own tale. To the hearer it was as plain as ifhe had been told that the gang of ruffians had waylaid anotherunfortunate, who was about to share his own fate. 

He rushed forward at once, and as he ran and stumbled he could see thata desperate struggle was going on, figures in fierce contention passingin front of and once trampling through the fire, whose embers werekicked and scattered in all directions. 

Suddenly two figures stepped aside into the full light, leaving twoothers wrestling together; and this was the opportunity needed. Theirfirst victim could see plainly that the former were enemies, andstopping short when about twenty yards away, he fired. Both turned togaze in the direction from which the flash and report had come. 

They were in time to see another flash. Another report raised theechoes, and they turned and fled. 

Then the struggle ceased, and the adventurer saw another figuredisappearing into the darkness after his two companions. 

As he dashed off the young fellow rushed up in time to seize the victim, who staggered helplessly, trampling among the burning embers, amongwhich he would have fallen but for the willing hands which dragged himaside, and lowered him down, before their owner began to kick about andscatter the fire, which hissed and smoked and steamed, as snow washeaped over, and raised a veil to hide the pair from their enemies whilethe bright light was dying out. 

The next act was to find out whether the enemy were yet in the vicinity. The adventurer advanced for some distance into the darkness, but allwas still. 

Satisfied that he could not be seen, the young man went on for somelittle distance; but it was evident that the sudden attack had done itswork, and the party had fled for their lives. 

"The question is, will they recover themselves and come back?" hemuttered. "Well, we must be on our guard. Two in the right againstthree in the wrong. Those are fair odds. _Two_ in the right! Supposeit is only one. "

He hurried back towards the scene of the encounter, guided by thefaintly glowing embers lying here and there, and the dark, blindingwood-smoke which was borne towards him by the light icy wind which camedown the defile. 

"Suppose they have killed him!"

"Who are you? But whoever you are, " came in a hoarse whisper, "if ithadn't been for you those ruffians would have settled me. "

"Thank heaven, then, I was in time. Can you help me trample out therest or this fire?"

"Hadn't we better escape? You might help me drag my sled into a placeof safety. "

"There is no place of safety near, " was the reply; "and it's cold enoughto freeze us to death. We had better stay here. "

"But we dare not light a fire; they would see us, and come and pick usoff. "

"I don't think the cowardly hounds will dare to come back. "

"But they might, and I dare not risk it. "

"Are you hurt?"

"Not seriously, but wrenched and strained in the struggle. Can youunderstand what I say? I don't know my own voice. "

"Yes, I can hear you. What is it--a cold?"

"No; I was right enough an hour ago. That red-bearded dog caught me bythe throat. He was trying to strangle me. I fired at random, and thenmy senses were going, but I heard your shots. He has quite taken awaymy voice. Where is your hand, sir?"

"Here: what do you want?"

"Just to make mine speak to it in a friendly grip. God bless you, sir!you've saved my life. I can't say more now. "

"Don't. There: we have no light to betray us now. "

CHAPTER FOUR. 

NATURE'S MISTAKE. 

"But hadn't we better go on?"

"No: warmth is everything here. The ground is hot where the fire was, and we'll camp there till morning. I saw you had a sledge. We'll dragthat to one side for shelter. "

"And there is theirs, too, " was said huskily. 

"Mine!" was the reply. "The scoundrels inveigled me into staying withthem, and I had a narrow escape. "

"Hah! Just as they served me. I saw their light and came up, and theyprofessed to be friends. I didn't like the look of them, but one can'tpick one's company out here, and a good fire was very tempting. "

"Hist!"

The warning was followed by the clicking of pistol locks, after whichthe pair listened patiently for some minutes. 

"Nothing. Here, let's get the two sledges one on either side of the hotground. One will be a shelter, the other a breastwork to fire over ifthe scoundrels come back. Besides, the breastwork will keep in theheat. We are bound to protect ourselves. "

"All right, " was the reply, in an answering whisper, and the pairdragged the two sledges into position, and then, allowing for the dankodour of the quenched wood, found that they had provided themselves witha snugly warm shelter, adding to their comfort by means of blankets anda waterproof sheet, which they spread beneath them. 

This took time, for every now and then they paused to listen or make areconnaissance in search of danger; but at last all was done, and thequestion was who should keep the first watch. 

"I'll do that, " said the last comer. "I couldn't lie down to sleep if Itried; my throat gives me so much pain. It feels swollen right up. I'll take the first watch--listen, one ought to say. Why, I can't evensee my hand. "

"It is terribly dark here in this gulch, " was the whispered reply. "Themountains run up perpendicularly on either side. But I couldn't sleepafter all I've gone through to-night. My nerves are all on the jar. I'll watch with you. "

"Listen. "

"Well, listen, then. Watch with our ears. Can you hear me when Iwhisper?"

"Oh, yes. "

"But they will not come back, I'm sure. "

"So much the better for them; but I hope that the miserable, treacheroushounds will meet their reward. So they attacked you just in the sameway?"

"Not till I told them I would not stay; and I was sorry afterwards, feeling that perhaps I had insulted them by my suspicions. Of course, Idid not know their character then. "

"No. Well, we know it now. It is a specimen, I suppose, of the scum weshall find yonder. "

"I am afraid so. "

"You are going after gold, of course?"

"Who would be here if he were not?"

"Exactly. I hope the game is going to be worth the candle. Suppose wetwo stick together. You won't try to choke me the first time you see menodding off to sleep for the sake of my sledge and stores?"

"Oh, I'll promise you that. "

"It was a startler. I was dog tired. "

"Eh?"

"I was dog tired, and dropping off in the warmth of the fire into agolden dream of being where the nuggets were piled up all around me; andI was just going to pick up one, when a great snake darted at me andcoiled itself round my throat. Then I was awake, to find it was a realdevil snake in the shape of that red-bearded ruffian. "

"That was the one the others called Beardy. But don't you talk so much:your voice is growing worse. "

"Can't help it, old fellow. I must talk. I'm so excited. Feel thecold?"

"Oh, no. I'm quite warm with the glow which comes up through the sheet. A good idea, that was, of bringing it on your sledge. "

"Yes, but it's heavy. I say, though, what an experience this is, herein the pitchy darkness. Ah! Look out!"

The pistols clicked again, for from somewhere close at hand there was afaint rustling sound, followed by a heavy thud, as if some one hadstumbled and fallen in the snow. 

The pair listened breathlessly in the black darkness, straining theireyes in the direction from whence the sound had come; but all wasperfectly still. 

They listened again minute after minute, and there was a dull throbbingsound which vibrated through them; but it was only the heavy beating oftheir own hearts. 

Then they both started violently, for there was another dull heavy thud, and some one hissed as if drawing in his breath to suppress the strongdesire to utter a cry of pain. 

It was horrible in that intense blackness to crouch there with pistolsheld ready directed towards the spot where whoever it was had fallen, for there could be no doubt whatever. There had been the fall, not manyyards from where they knelt, and they listened vainly for the rustlingthat must accompany the attempt to get up again. 

At last the faint rustling came, and the temptation to fire was almosttoo strong to be resisted. But they mastered it, and waited, bothdetermined and strung up with the desire to mete out punishment to thecowardly miscreants who sought for their own gain to destroy theirfellow-creatures. 

"Don't fire till you are sure it is they, " each of the two young menthought. "It is impossible to take aim in this darkness. "

And they waited till the rustling ended in a sort of whisper. 

Once more all was silent, and the suspense grew maddening, as theywaited minutes which seemed like hours. 

But the enemy was evidently astir, for there was another whisper, andanother--strange warning secretive whispers--and a sigh as of one inpain. 

At this one of the listeners thrust out a hand, and the other joined inan earnest grip, which told of mutual trust and determination to standby each other to the death, making them feel that the terrible emergencyhad made them, not acquaintances of an hour's length, but staunchfriends, both strong and tried. Then they loosened the warm, manlygrip, and were ready for the worst. 

For there was no longer any doubt: the enemy was close at hand, waitingthe moment for the deadly rush. The only question was whether theyshould fire at once--not with the thought of hitting, but to teach thescoundrels how thoroughly they were on the alert, and in the hope ofdriving them into taking to flight once more. 

But they doubted. A few shots had done this once, but now that themiscreants had had time to recover from their panic, would it answeragain?

Thud! thud! in front, and then a far heavier one behind them. Theycould not hold out much longer. The enemy was creeping towards them. 

At this moment there was a tremendous crack, a hissing roar, and aterrific concussion, the defenders of the tiny fort being struck downbehind their little breastwork. 

But this onslaught was not from the enemy they awaited. Theever-gathering snow from far above, loosened by the hot current of airascending from the fire, had come down in one awful charge, and themarauders' camp was buried in an instant beneath thousands of tons ofsnow. 

CHAPTER FIVE. 

HAND IN HAND. 

There was the sense of a terrible weight pressing the sufferers down, with their chests against the soft load bound upon the sledge in front;and utterly stunned, they lay for a time motionless, and almostbreathless. 

Then one began to struggle violently, striving to draw himself back, andafter a tremendous effort succeeding, to find that beneath him the snowwas loose, there being a narrow space along by the side of the sledge, and that though his breath came short he could still breathe. 

He had hardly grasped this fact when the movement on his right told of asimilar action going on, and he began to help his companion inmisfortune, who directly after crouched down beside him, pantingheavily, in the narrow space, which their efforts had, however, madewider. 

"Horrible!" panted the second at last. "An avalanche. Surely this doesnot mean death. "

There was no reply, and in the awful darkness a hand was stretched outand an arm grasped. 

"Why don't you say something?" whispered the speaker hoarsely. 

"What can I say, man? God only knows. "

"But it is only snow. We must burrow our way out. Wait a moment. Thisway is towards the open valley. "

"No, no; this. Beyond you is the wall of rock. Let me try. "

For the next ten minutes there was the sound of one struggling to getthrough the snow, and then it ended with the hoarse panting of a manlying exhausted with his efforts. 

"Let me come and try now, " came in smothered accents. 

"It is of no use. The snow was loose at first, but farther on it ispressed together hard like ice. Try your way. "

The scuffling and tearing commenced now to the right. 

"Yes; it's quite loose now, and falls down. Ah! _no good_; here is thesolid rock running up as far as I can reach. "

"I can hardly breathe. It is growing hotter every moment. "

"No; it is cooler here. I can reach right up and stand against therock. "

The speaker's companion in the terrible peril crept over the snow to hisside and rose to his feet, to find the air purer; and, like a drowningman who had raised his head for the moment above water, he drank in deepdraughts of the cold, sweet air. 

"Hah!" he gasped at last hoarsely, after reaching up as high as hecould, "the rock has saved us for the moment. The snow slopes away fromit like the roof of a shed. "

"Yes; if we had been a few feet farther from it we should have beencrushed to death. Let's try and tear a way along by the foot of therock. "

They tried hard in turn till they were utterly exhausted and laypanting; but the only result was that the loose snow beneath them becametrampled down. No, not the only result; they increased the space withinwhat was fast becoming a snow cavern, one of whose walls was the solidrocky side of the ravine. 

"Are we to die like this?"

"Is this to be the end of all our golden hopes? Oh, heaven help us!What shall we do? The air is growing hotter; we have nearly exhaustedit all, and suffocation is coming on fast. I can't, I won't die yet. Help! help! help!"

Those three last words came in a hoarse faint wail that soundedsmothered and strange. 

"Hush!" cried the other; "be a man. You are killing yourself. The airis not worse. I can breathe freely still. "

There was a horrible pause, and then, in pitiful tones: "I am fightingdown this fearful feeling of cowardice, but it is so hard--so hard todie so soon. Not twenty yet, and the bright world and all its hopefulpromise before one. How can you keep like that? Are you not afraid todie?"

"Yes, " came in a low, sad whisper; "but we must not die like this. Tellme you can breathe yet?"

"Yes, " came in the husky, grating tones; "better and better now I amstill. "

"Then there is hope. We are on the track; others will come after atime, and we may be dug out. "

"Hah! I dare not think it. I say. "

"Yes?"

"Do you think those wretches have been caught by the fall as well?"

"If they were near they must have been. "

"Yes, and we heard them. "

"No, no, " sighed the other; "those were patches of snow falling that weheard. "

There was silence then, save that twice over a soft whisper was heard, and then a low, deep sigh. 

"I say. "

"Yes?"

"I feel sure that air must come to us. I can breathe quite easilystill. "

"Yes. "

"Then we must try and bear it for a time. I'm going to believe that wemay be dug out. Shall we try to sleep, and forget our horribleposition?"

"Impossible, my lad. For me, that is. You try. "

"No; you are right. I couldn't sleep. But, yes, I can breathe betterstill. There must be air coming in from up above. Well, why don't youspeak? Say something, man. "

"I cannot talk. "

"You must--you shall, so as to keep from thinking of our being--oh, help! help! help!"

"Man, man! don't cry out in that horrible way;" and one shook the otherfiercely, till he sobbed out, "Yes; go on. I am a coward; but thethought came upon me, and seemed to crush me. "

"What thought? That we must die?"

"No, no, " groaned the other in his husky voice; "that we are buriedalive. "

Once more there was silence, during which the elder and firmer graspedthe hand of his brother in adversity. "Yes, yes, " he whispered, "it ishorrible to think of; but for our manhood's sake keep up, lad. We arenot children, to be frightened of being in the dark. "

"No; you are right. "

"Here, help me sweep away the snow from under us. No, no. Here is thewaterproof sheet. We can drag it out--yes, I can feel the sledges. Let's drag out those blankets. "

"No, no, don't stir; you may bring down the snow roof upon our heads. Imean, yes. I'll try and help you. "

They worked busily for a few minutes, and then knelt together upon whatfelt like a soft couch. 

"There's food, and the snow for water; it would be long before we shouldstarve. Why are you so silent now? Come, we must rest, and then try tocut our way out when the daylight comes. "

"The daylight!" said the other, with a mocking laugh. 

"Yes; we may see a dim dawn to show us which way to tunnel. "

"Ah, of course!"

"Could you sleep now?"

"No, no; we must talk, or I shall go off my head. That brute hurt meso, it has made me rather strange. Yes, I must talk. I say: God blessyou, old fellow! You saved my life from those wretches, and now you'rekeeping me from going mad. I say! The air is all right. "

"Yes; I can breathe freely, and I am not cold. "

"I am hot. I say, let's talk. Tell me how you came to be here. "

"Afterwards; the words would not come now. You tell me how you came. "

"Yes; it will keep off the horrors; it's like a romance, and now it doesnot seem to be true. And yet it is, and it happened just as if it wereonly yesterday. I never thought of coming out here. I was going to bea soldier. "

He spoke in a hurried, excited way, and the listener heard him draw hisbreath sharply through his teeth from time to time, as if he shiveredfrom nervous dread. 

"I was not fit for a soldier. Fate knows best. See what a coward Iam. "

"I thought you brave. "

"What!"

"For the way in which you have fought and mastered the natural dread;but go on. "

"Oh, no; it seems nonsense to talk about my troubles at a time likethis. "

"It is not. Go on, if you can without hurting yourself more. "

"I'll go on because it will hurt me more. It will give me somethingelse to think of. Can you understand my croaking whisper?"

"Oh, yes. "

"An uncle of mine brought me up after father and mother died. "

"Indeed?"

"Dear old fellow! He and aunt quite took my old people's place; andtheir boy, my cousin, always seemed like my brother. "

The listener made a quick movement. 

"What is it? Hear anything?"

"No; go on. "

"They were such happy times. I never knew what trouble was, till oneday poor uncle was brought home on a gate. His horse had thrown him. "

There was a pause, and then the speaker continued in an almost inaudiblewhisper:

"He was dead. "

The listener uttered a strange ejaculation. 

"Yes, it was horrible, wasn't it? And there was worse to come. Itnearly killed poor dear old aunt, and when she recovered a bit it was tohear the news from the lawyers. I don't quite understand how it waseven now--something about a great commercial smash--but all uncle'smoney was gone, and aunt was left penniless. "

"Great heavens!" came in a strange whisper. 

"You may well say that. Bless her! She had been accustomed to everyluxury, and we boys had had everything we wished. My word! it was aknockdown for poor old Dal. "

"Who was poor old Dal?" said the listener, almost inaudibly. 

"Cousin Dallas--Dallas Adams. I thought the poor chap would have gonemad. He was just getting ready for Cambridge. But after a bit hepulled himself together, and `Never mind, Bel, ' he said--I'm Bel, youknow; Abel Wray--`Never mind, ' he said, `now's the time for a couple ofstrong fellows like we are to show that we've got some stuff in us. Bel, ' he said, `the dear old mother must never know what it is towant. '"

It was the other's turn to draw in his breath with a low hissing sound, and the narrator's voice sounded still more husky and strange, as if hewere touched by the sympathy of his companion, as he went on:

"I said nothing to Dal, but I thought a deal about how easy it was totalk, but how hard for fellows like us to get suitable and paying work. But if I said nothing, I lay awake at nights trying to hit on some plan, till the idea came--ah! is that the snow coming down?"

"No, no! It was only I who moved. "

"But what--what are you doing? Why, you've turned over on your face. "

"Yes, yes; to rest a bit. "

"I'm trying you with all this rigmarole about a poor, unfortunatebeggar. "

"No, no!" cried the other fiercely. "Go on--go on. "

The narrator paused for a few moments. 

"Thank you, old fellow, " he whispered softly, and he felt for andgrasped the listener's hand, to press it hard. "I misjudged you. It'spleasant to find a bit of sympathy like this. I've often read howfellows in shipwrecks, and wounded men after battles, are drawn togetherand get to be like brothers, and it makes one feel how much good thereis in the world, after all. I expect you and I will manage to keepalive for a few days, old chap, and then we shall have to make up ourminds to die--like men. I won't be so cowardly any more. I feelstronger, and till we do go to sleep once and for all we'll make thebest of it, like men. "

"Yes, yes, yes! Go on--go on!"

CHAPTER SIX. 

A STRANGE MADNESS. 

It was some time, though, before the narrative was continued, and thenit was with this preface. 

"Don't laugh at me, old chap. The shock of all this has made me as weakand hysterical as a girl. I say, I'm jolly glad it's so dark. "

"Laugh at you!"

"I say, if you speak in that way I shall break down altogether. Thatfellow choked a lot of the man out of me, and then the excitement, andon the top of it this horrible burying alive--it has all been too muchfor me. "

"Go on--go on. "

"Yes, yes, I will. I told you the idea came, but I didn't say a word tomy cousin for fear he should think it mad; and as to hinting at such athing to the dear old aunt, I felt that it would half kill her. I madeup my mind that she should not know till I was gone. 

"Well, I went straight to the `Hard Nut'--that's Uncle Morgan. Wealways called him the nut that couldn't be cracked--the roughest, gruffest old fellow that ever breathed, and he looked so hard and sourat me that I wished I hadn't gone, and was silent. `Well, ' he said, `Isuppose you two boys mean to think about something besides cricket andfootball now. You've got to work, sir, work!'"

"Hah!" sighed the listener. 

"`Yes, uncle, ' I said, `and I want to begin at once. '

"`Humph!' he said. `Well, that's right. But what do you want with me?'

"`I want you to write me a cheque for a hundred pounds. '

"`Oh, ' he said, in the harsh, sneering way in which he always spoke tous boys; for he didn't approve of us being educated so long. He beganwork early, and made quite a fortune. `Oh, ' he said, `do you? Hadn't Ibetter make it five?'

"`No, ' I said. `I've thought it all out. One hundred will do exactly. '

"`What for?' he said with a snap. 

"`I'm off to Klondike. '

"`Off to Jericho!' he snarled. 

"`No, to Klondike, to make a fortune for the poor old aunt. '

"`Humph!' he grunted, `and is Dallas going with you to make the secondfool in the pair?'

"`No, uncle, ' I said; `one fool's enough for that job. Dal will stopwith his mother, I suppose, and try to keep her. I'm nobody, and I'lltake all risks and go. '

"`Yes, one fool's enough, sir, ' he said, `for a job like that. But Idon't believe there is any gold there. '

"`Oh, yes, there is, sir, ' I said. 

"`What does Dallas say?'

"`Nothing. He doesn't know, and he will not know till aunt gets myletter, and she tells him. '

"`As if the poor old woman hadn't enough to suffer without you goingoff, sir, ' he said. 

"`But I can't stop and live upon her now, uncle. '

"`Of course you can't, sir. But what about the soldiering, and thescarlet and gold lace?'

"`Good-bye to it all, sir, ' I said with a gulp, for it was an awfulknockdown to a coxcomb of a chap like I was, who had reckoned on thefine feathers and spurs and the rest of it. 

"`Humph!' he grunted, `and you think I am going to give--lend you ahundred pounds to go on such a wild goose chase?'

"`I hope so, uncle, ' I said. 

"`Hope away, then; and fill yourself with the unsatisfactory stuff, ifyou like. No, sir; if you want to go gold-digging, shoulder your swagand shovel, pick and cradle, and tramp there. '

"`How?' I said, getting riled, for the old nut seemed harder than ever. `I can't tramp across three thousand miles of ocean. I could hardlytramp over three thousand miles of land, and when I did reach thePacific, if I could, there's the long sea journey from Vancouver up toAlaska, and another tramp there. No, uncle, ' I said, `it isn't to bedone. I've gone into it all carefully, and cut it as fine as I might, it will take fifty pounds for outfit and carriage to get to Klondike. '

"`Fifty! Why, you said a hundred, ' he growled. `That's coming down. Want the other fifty to play billiards and poker?'

"`No, I don't, ' I said, speaking as sharply as he did; `I want thatfifty pounds to leave with poor old aunt. I can't and won't go andleave her penniless. '"

"Ah!" sighed the listener--almost groaned. 

"Well, wouldn't you have done the same?"

"Yes, yes. Go on--go on. "

"There isn't much more to tell. I'm pretty close to the end. What doyou think the old boy said?"

"I know--I know, " came back in a whisper. 

"That you don't, " cried the narrator, who, in spite of their horribleposition, burst out into a ringing laugh. "He just said `Bah!' and cameat me as if he were going to bundle me out of the door, for he clappedhis hands on my shoulders and shook me fiercely. Then he banged me downinto a chair, and went to one of those old, round-fronted secretarydesks, rolled up the top with a rush, took a cheque-book out of a littledrawer, dashed off a cheque, signed and blotted it, and thrust it intomy hand. 

"`There, it's open, ' he said. `You can get it cashed at the bank, andsend your aunt the fifty as soon as you're gone. Be off at once, anddon't say a word to a soul. Here; give me back that cheque. '

"I gave it back to him. 

"`Now, swear you won't tell a soul I lent you that money, nor that youare going off!'

"`I give you my word of honour, uncle. '

"`That'll do, ' he said. `Catch hold, and be off. It's a loan, mind. You bring back a couple of sacks full of nuggets, and pay me again. '

"`I will, uncle, ' I said, `if I live. '

"`If you live!' he said, staring at me. `Of course you'll live. I'mseventy, and not near done. You're not a score. Be off. '

"And I came away and never said a word. "

"But you sent the fifty pounds to your poor old aunt?"

"Why, of course I did; but I shall never pay old `Hard Nut with theSweet Kernel' his money back. God bless him, though, and I hope he'llknow the reason why before he dies. "

"God bless him! yes, " said the listener, in a deep, low voice thatsounded very strange, and as if the speaker could hardly trust himselfto speak. 

Then they lay together in the darkness and silence for a time, till AbelWray made an effort and said in his harsh, husky voice:

"There, that's all. Makes a fellow feel soft. Think it's midnightyet?"

"No, no, " was whispered. 

"I'll strike a match and see. "

"No. We want every mouthful of air to breathe, or I should have struckone long ago. "

"Of course. I never thought of it once. Sleepy?"

"No. "

"Then fair play. Tell me your story now. "

"There is no need. But tell me this; am I awake? Have you told me allthis, or have I dreamed it?"

"I've told you it all, of course. "

"Am I sane, or wandering in my head? It can't be true. I must be mad. "

"Then I am, too. Bah! as Uncle Morgan said. Come, play fair; tell mehow you came here?"

"The same way as you did, and to get gold. "

"Well, so I supposed. There, just as you like. I will not press you totell me. "

"I tell you there is no need. For your story is mine. We thought asbrothers with one brain; we made the same plan; we travelled with thesame means; we supplied the dear old aunt and mother from the sametrue-hearted source. Bel, old lad, don't you know me? It is I, Dal, and we meet like this!"

"Great heaven!" gasped Abel, in his low, husky whisper. "It has turnedhis brain. Impossible! Yes, that is it; the air is turning hot andstrange at last, and this has driven me mad. It is all a wanderingdream. "

CHAPTER SEVEN. 

FEVERED DREAMS. 

"It is _no_ wandering dream, Bel. I tell you I seem to have beeninspired to do exactly the same as you did, and I went to Uncle Morgan, who treated me just as he treated you. "

"Yes, a dream--off my head, " said Abel Wray, in his harsh whisper. 

"No, no, old fellow, " cried Dallas; "it is all true. Uncle was never sostrange to me before. It was because you had been to him first. It iswonderful. Your voice is so changed I did not know it, and in thedarkness I never saw your face. "

"Yes--delirious, " croaked Abel. "They say it is so before death. "

"Nonsense, nonsense, lad! I came back just in time to save you, and nowwe have been saved, too, from a horrible death. After a bit we shall bestronger, and shall be able to see which way to begin tunnelling our wayout to life again. Cheer up; we have got through the worst, and as soonas we are free we'll join hands and work together, so that we can showthem at home that we have not come out in vain. How are you now?"

A low rumbling utterance was the reply, and Dallas leaned towards him, feeling startled. 

"Don't you hear me?" he cried. "Why don't you answer?"

"Dear old Dal--to begin dreaming of him now, " came in a low muttering. 

"No, no; I tell you that it is all true. "

"All right, uncle, " croaked Abel. "Not an hour longer than it takes toscrape together enough. Ha, ha, ha! and I thought you so hard andbrutal to me. Eh? But you're not. It was a dreadful take in. I say!"

"Yes, yes, old fellow. What?"

"Don't say a word to dear old Dal. Let him stop and take care of aunt, and let them think I've shuffled out of the trouble. I'll show themwhen I come back. "

"Bel, old fellow, " cried Dallas, seizing his cousin's hand, "what is it?Don't talk in that wild way. "

"That's right, uncle, " croaked Abel. "We two used to laugh about youand call you the Hard Nut. So you are; but there's the sweet whitekernel inside, and I swear I'll never lie down to sleep again withoutsaying a word first for you. I say, one word, " cried the poor fellow, grasping his cousin's hand hard: "you'll do something for old Dal, uncle? I'll pay you again. I don't want to see him roughing it as Ishall out there for the gold--yes, for the gold--the rich red gold. Ah, that's cool and nice. "

For in his horror and alarm Dallas had laid a hand upon his cousin'stemples, to find them burning: but the poor fellow yielded to the gentlepressure, and slowly subsided on to the rough couch they had made, andthere he lay muttering for a time, but starting at intervals to cough, as if his injured throat troubled him with a choking sensation, till hisravings grew less frequent, and he sank into a deep sleep. 

"This is worse than all!" groaned Dallas. "Had I not enough to bear?His head is as if it were on fire. Fever--fever from his injury and theshock of all he has gone through. I thought he was talking wildlytowards the last. "

As he spoke he was conscious of a sharp throbbing pang in his shoulder, and he laid a hand upon the place that he had forgotten; while now hewoke to the fact that when he tried to think what it would be best to dofor his cousin, the effort was painful, and the sensation came back thatall this must be a feverish dream. 

He clapped his hands to his face. It and his brow were burning hot, andhe knew that he was growing confused; so much so that he rose to hisknees, then to his feet, and took a step or two, to stand wondering, forhis senses left him for a moment or two, and then a strange thing befellhim. A black veil seemed to have fallen in front of his eyes, and hewas lost, utterly lost, and he had not the least idea where he was orwhat had been taking place during the past twenty-four hours. 

He stretched out his hands and touched the compressed snow, which wasdripping with moisture; but that gave him no clue, for his mind seemedto be a perfect blank, and with a horrible feeling of despair he leanedforward to try and escape from the black darkness, when his burning browcame in contact with the icy wall of his prison, and it was like anelectric shock. 

His position came back in a flash. Self was forgotten, and he sank uponhis knees to feel for his cousin, horror-stricken now by the great dreadthat the poor fellow might die with him by his side quite unable tohelp. 

He forgot that but a short time back he was advocating a brave meetingof their fate. For since he had awakened to the fact that his boyhood'scompanion was with him, hope had arisen, and with it the determinationto wait patiently till morning and then fight their way back to thelight. Now all seemed over. Abel was terribly injured, fever hadsupervened, and he would die for want of help; while he, who wouldfreely have given his life that Abel might live, was utterly helpless, and there was that terrible sensation of being lost coming on again. 

He pressed his head against the snow, but there was no invigoratingsense of revival again--nothing but a curious, worrying feeling. Thenhe was conscious for a few moments that Abel was muttering loudly, butthe injury to his shoulder was graver than he had imagined, and thefeverish symptoms which follow a wound were increasing, so that beforelong he too had sunk into a nightmare-like sleep, conscious of nothingbut the strange, bewildering images which haunted his distempered brain;and these were divided between his vain efforts to flee from someterrible danger, and to drag the heavily laden hand-sledge between twoice-covered rocks too close together to allow it to pass. 

CHAPTER EIGHT. 

THE FIGHT FOR LIFE. 

"Yes! Yes! What is it?" Somebody had spoken in the black darkness, but it was some minutes before Dallas Adams could realise the fact thatthe words came from his own lips. 

Then he heard a faint whisper from somewhere close by, and he was thistime wide awake, and knew that he was answering that whisper. 

"Where am I? What place is this?"

The question had come to him in his sleep, and for a few moments, sofamiliar were the sounds, he felt that he must have the tubes of aphonograph to his ears, and he listening to the thin, weird, wiry tonesof his cousin's voice. 

Then, like a flash, all came back, and he knew not only that he had beenasleep, but everything that had happened some time before. 

"Bel, old lad, " he said huskily, and he winced with pain as he tried tostretch out his left hand. 

"Ah!" came again in the faint whisper, "That you, Dal?"

"Yes, yes. How are you now?"

"Then it isn't all a delirious dream?"

"No, no; we have been brought together almost miraculously. "

"Thank God--thank God!" came feebly. "I thought I had been off my head. Have I been asleep?"

"Yes, and I fell asleep too. My wound made me feverish, and we musthave been lying here ever so long in the dark. "

"Your wound, Dal?"

"Yes; I had almost forgotten it in what we had to go through, but one ofthe scoundrels shot me. It is only a scratch, but my arm seems setfast. "

"Ah! Do you think they were buried alive too?" came in an eagerwhisper. 

"Who can say, old fellow? But never mind that. How do you feel? Thinkyou can help me?"

"Tie up your wound?"

"No, no. Help me try and dig our way out. "

"I think so. My head feels a bit light, but it's my throat that isbad--all swollen up so that I can only whisper. "

"Never mind your throat so long as you can use your arms. "

"Think we can dig our way out?"

Dallas uttered a little laugh. 

"Why not?" he said. "There is a pick and shovel on my sledge. "

"Ah, yes, and on mine too. "

"We were out of heart last night, " continued Dallas, encouragingly, "andin the scare thought we were done for. But we can breathe; we shall notsuffer for want of food; the melted snow will give us drink; and once wecan determine which way to dig, what is to prevent our finding our wayto daylight again?"

"Our position, " said Abel, in his faint whisper. "Where are we to putthe snow we dig out?"

Dallas was silent for a few moments. 

"Yes, " he said at last; "that will be a difficulty, for we must not fillup this place. But never mind that for the present. We must eat anddrink now, for we shall want all our strength. Pressed snow is almostlike ice. Ah, here is the sledge--mine or yours. My head is too thickto tell which. Bel, lad, we are going to dig our way out, if it takesus a month. "

"Yes, " came rather more strongly; and the next minute Dallas Adams wasfeeling about the sledge for the tin which held the traveller's food. 

It was hard work fumbling there in the dark, for parts of the sledgewere pressed and wedged down by snow that was nearly as hard as ice; butothers were looser, and by degrees he managed to get part of the tinfree, when he started, for something touched his arm. 

"Can I help you, Dal?"

"How you made me jump, lad! I don't know. Feel strong enough?"

"I think so; but I want to work. It's horrible lying there fancying thetop of this hole is going to crumble down every time you move some ofthe snow. "

"Lay hold here, then, and let's try and drag this tin out. "

They took hold of it as well as their cramped position would allow, andtugged and tugged, feeling the tin case bend and grow more and more outof shape; but it would not come. 

"No good, " said Dallas. "I'll cut through the tin with my knife. "

"But it's looser now. Let's have one more try. "

"Very well. --Got hold?--Now then, both together. "

They gave a sudden jerk, and fell backward with the once square tin caseupon them, lying still and horrified, for there was a dull creaking andcrushing noise as if the snow was being pressed down to fill up thevacancy they had made, and then _crick, crack_, sharply; there was thesound of breaking, as portions of the sledge gave way from the weightabove. 

Abel caught his cousin's hand to squeeze it hard, fully expecting thattheir last moments had come; but after a minute's agony the soundsceased, and the prisoners breathed more freely. 

"It's all right, Bel, " said Dallas; "but it did sound rather creepy. "

"Hah!" ejaculated Abel. "I thought--"

"Yes, so did I, old fellow; but it's a mistake to think at a time likethis. We only frighten ourselves. Now then, let's see what we've got. "

"See?" said Abel bitterly. 

"Yes, with the tips of our fingers. It's all right, I tell you; ratsand mice and rabbits don't make a fuss about being in burrows. "

"They're used to it, Dal; we're not. "

"Then let's get used to it, lad. I say, suppose we were getting goldhere, instead of a biscuit-tin; we shouldn't make a fuss about beingburied. Why, it's just what we should like. "

"I suppose so, " replied Abel. 

"It's what we shall have to do, perhaps, by-and-by. This is a sort oflesson, and it will make the rest easy. "

"If we get out. "

"Get out? Pish! We shall get out soon. The sun and the rain will thawus out if we don't dig a way. Hullo! The lid's off the tin, and thebiscuits are half of them in the snow. Never mind. Set to work andeat, while I pick up all I can find. I'm hungry. Peck away, lad, andthink you're a squirrel eating your winter store. I say, who wouldthink one could be so warm and snug surrounded by snow?"

Abel made no reply, but tried to eat, as he heard the cracking andcrunching going on at his side. It was hard work, though, and he wenton slowly, for the effort to swallow was accompanied by a good deal ofpain, and he ceased long before Dallas gave up. 

"How are you getting on?" the latter said in an encouraging tone. 

"Badly. "

"Yes, they are dry; but wait till we get our gold. We'll have a banquetto make up for this. By Jove!"

"What is it?"

"I forgot about your throat. It hurts?"

"Horribly. But I can manage. "

Dallas said no more, but thought a great deal; and after placing the tinaside he turned to the sledge to try whether he could not get at theshovel bound to it somewhere, for the package was pressed all on oneside by the snow. 

After a long search he found one corner of the blade, and drawing hisbig sharp knife, he set to work chipping and digging with the point, with the result that in about an hour he dragged out the tool. 

"Now, " he said, "we can get to work turn and turn. The thing is, whereto begin, for I have not seen the slightest glimmer of light. "

"No; we must be buried very deep. "

"Say pretty deep. Which way shall we try?"

"Up by the rock, and slope upward where the air seems to come. "

"That's right. Just what I thought. And, look here, Bel, there's roomfor a couple of cartloads of snow or more about us here, and my plan isthis: one will dig upward, and of course the snow will fall down of itsown weight. As it comes down the other must keep filling thatbiscuit-tin and carrying it to the far end yonder and emptying it. "

"And bury the sledge and the food. "

"No: we can get a great deal disposed of before we come to that. Lookhere--I mean, feel here. We have plenty of room to stand up where weare. Well, that means that we can raise the floor. So long as we haveroom to lie down, that is all we want. "

"Yes, I suppose so. "

"After a while we must get out all the food we want and take it with usin the tunnel we make higher and higher as we go. "

"Yes, that sounds reasonable, " said Abel thoughtfully. "We shall bedrawing the snow down and trampling it hard beneath our feet. "

"And, I believe, be making a bigger chamber about us as we work uptowards the light. "

"Keeping close to the face of the rock, too, " said Abel, "will ensureour having one side of our sloping tunnel safe. That can never cavein. "

"Well done, engineer!" cried Dallas laughingly. "Here were we thinkinglast night of dying. Why, the very remembrance of the way in whichanimals burrow has quite cheered me up. "

"That and the thought that we may have to mine underground for ourgold, " replied Abel. "Shall I begin?"

"No; you're weak yet, and it will be easier to clear away my workings. "

Without another word the young man felt his way to the end of theirlittle hole, tapped the rock with the shovel, and then stood perfectlystill. 

"What is it?" asked Abel. 

"I was trying to make out where the air comes from, and I think I havehit it. I shall try and slope up here. "

Striking out with the shovel and trying to cut a square passage for hisascent, he worked away for the next hour, the snow yielding to hisefforts much more freely than he had anticipated; and as he worked Abeltried hard to keep up with him, filling the tin, bearing it to the otherend beyond the sledges, and piling up the snow, trampling down the loadsas he went on. 

Twice over he offered to take his cousin's place; but Dallas worked on, hour after hour, till both were compelled to give up from utterexhaustion, and they lay down now in their greatly narrowed cave to eat. 

This latter had its usual result, and almost simultaneously they fellasleep. 

How long they had been plunged in deep slumber, naturally, they couldnot tell. Night and day were the same to them; and as Dallas said, fromthe hunger they felt they might have been hibernating in a torpid statefor a week, for aught they knew. 

They ate heartily of the biscuits, Abel's throat being far less painful, and once more the dull sound of the shovel began in a hollow, muffledway. 

A couple of hours must have passed, at the end of which time so muchsnow had accumulated at the foot of the sloping shaft that Dallas wascompelled to descend and help his fellow-prisoner. 

"This will not do, " he said. "We must get out some more provisionsbefore we bury the sledges entirely. "

"There is enough biscuit to keep us alive for a couple of days, " repliedAbel. "Let us chance getting out, and not stop to encumber ourselveswith more provisions. "

"It is risky, but I fancy that I am getting nearer the air. Go up andtry yourself. "

Abel went up the sloping tunnel to the top with ease, Dallas havingclipped steps out of the ice, and after breathing hard for a few minutesthe younger man came down. 

"You must be getting nearer the top. I can breathe quite freely there. "

"Yes, and the snow is not so hard. "

"Chance it, then, and go on digging, " said Abel eagerly. "I will getthe snow away. I can manage so much more easily if I may put it downanywhere. It gets trampled with my coming and going. "

Dallas crept up to his task once more and toiled away, till, utterlyworn out, both made another meal and again slept. 

Twice over this was repeated, and all idea of time was lost; still theyworked on, cheered by the feeling that they must be nearing liberty. However, the plan arranged proved impossible in its entirety, the rockbulging out in a way which drove the miner to entirely alter thedirection of his sap. But the snow hour after hour grew softer, and thedifficulty of cutting less, till all at once, as Dallas struck with hisspade, it went through into a cavity, and a rush of cool air came intothe sloping tunnel. 

"Heavenly!" cried the worker, breathing freely now. "I'll slip down, Bel. You must come up and have a mouthful of this. "

He descended to the bottom, and Abel took the spade and went to hisplace. 

"The shovel goes through quite easily here, " he said excitedly. 

"Yes, and what is beyond?" shouted Dallas. "Can you see daylight?"

"No; all is black as ink. It must be a hole in the snow. We must getinto it, for the air comes quite pure and fresh, and that means life andhope. "

In his excitement he struck out with the shovel twice, and had drawn itback to strike again, when there was a dull heavy crack, and he felthimself borne sidewise and carried along, with the snow rising up andcovering his face. 

The next minute, as he vainly strove to get higher, the movement ceased, and he felt himself locked in the embrace of the snow, while hisbreathing stopped. 

Only for a moment, before the hardening crystal which surrounded hishead dropped away, and a rush of pure air swept over him and seemed tobring back life. 

Then the sliding movement entirely ceased, and he wildly shouted hiscousin's name. 

His voice echoed from somewhere above, telling him that, though aprisoner, he was free down to the shoulders, though his arms werepinned. 

But there was no other reply to the call, and he turned sick and faintwith the knowledge that Dallas must be once more buried deep, and farbelow. 

Around all was black darkness, and in his agony another desperate effortwas made; but the snow had moulded itself around him nearly to the neck, and he could not stir a limb. 

CHAPTER NINE. 

UNDER PRESSURE. 

The fit of delirium which once more attacked Abel Wray was merciful, inasmuch as it darkened his intellect through the long hours of thatterrible night, and he awoke at last with the level rays of the sunshowing him his position in a hollow of a tremendous waste of snow, while fifty yards away the sides of the rocky valley towered up manyhundred feet above his head. 

But it was daylight, and instead of the ravine seeming a place of horrorand darkness, the snow-covered mountains flashed gloriously in thebright sunshine, whose warm glow brought with it hope and determination, in spite of the terrible sense of imprisonment, and the inability tomove from the icy bonds. The great suffering was not bodily, butmental, and not selfish, for the constantly recurring question was, howwas it with Dallas?

But the sunshine was laden with hope. Dallas was shut in again, but hehad the tools and provisions with him, and he would be toiling hard totunnel a way out, _if_--

Yes, there was that terrible "if. " But Abel kept it back; for it wasquite possible that he might still be getting a sufficient supply of airto keep him alive. 

How to lend him help?

There was the face of the vast cliff some fifty yards away, and it wasclose up to it that they had been first buried, the fresh collapse, whenthe snow had fallen away and borne him with it, having taken him theabove distance. It was probable, then, that Dallas would not be nowvery far below the glittering surface of the snow. 

How to get at him?

Abel's first thought was to free one arm. If he could do that he mightpossibly be able to get at his knife, dragging it from the sheath at hiswaist. Then the work would be comparatively easy, for he could dig awaythe partly consolidated snow in which he was cased, and throw it fromhim. 

He set to, struggling hard, but without effect, for it seemed to himthat he was only working with his will, his muscles refusing to help;and by degrees the full truth dawned upon him, that the absence of painwas due to the fact that his body was quite benumbed, and a horriblesensation of fear came over him, with the belief that all beneath thesnow must be frozen, and that he could do absolutely nothing to save hislife. 

Even as he thought this the benumbed sensation seemed to be risingslowly towards his brain. 

"In a short time all will be over, " he groaned aloud, "and poor Dal willbe left there, buried, thinking I have escaped and have left him to hisfate. Is there no way to escape from this icy prison?"

He wrenched his head round as far as he could, first on one side, andthen on the other; but it was always the same--the narrow valley withits stupendous walls, no longer black and horrible with its unseenhorrors in the darkness of the night, but a wondrous way to a city oftowers and palaces gorgeous to behold. His eyes ached with the flashingbeauties of the scene. It was not the golden Klondike of his dreams, but a land of silver, whose turrets and spires and minarets werejewelled with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds; whose shadows were ofsapphire blue or darker amethyst; and whose rays flashed and mingledtill he was fain to close his eyes and ask himself whether what he sawwas part of some dazzling dream. 

He looked again, to see that it was no vision, but a scene of beautygrowing more and more intense as the sun rose higher. The darkness hadfled to display these wonders; there was not a chasm or gully that wasnot enlightened--everywhere save within the sufferer's darkened soul. There all was the blackness of despair. 

But black despair cannot stay for long in the breast of youth. Hopebegan to chase it away, and inanimate though the body was, the braingrew more active, offering suggestion after suggestion as to how hemight escape. 

The sun was growing hotter minute by minute, and the reflections fromthe pure white ice almost painful. Already, too, its effects werebecoming visible. 

Just where the warm rays played on the edge of a gap whose lowerportions were of an exquisite turquoise blue, tiny crystal-like dropswere forming, and as Abel Wray gazed at them with straining eyes he sawtwo run together into one, which kept gradually increasing in size tillit grew too heavy for its adhesion to last, and it fell out of sight. 

Only a drop of water, but it was the end of May; the snows would bemelting, and before long millions of such drops would have formed andrun together to make trickling rivulets coursing along the snow; thesewould soon grow into rushing torrents, and the snow would fall away, andhe would be free. 

"What madness!" he groaned. "It will thaw rapidly till the sun is off, and then freeze once more, and perhaps another avalanche will come. Yes, I shall be thawed out some day, and some one may come along in thefuture and find my bones. "

He shuddered, for it was getting black within once more, and a deliriousfeeling of horror began to master him, bringing with it thoughts of whatmight come. 

Bears would be torpid in their snow-covered lairs; but wolves!

He felt as if he could shriek aloud, and he had to set his teeth hard ashis eyes rolled round and up and down the gorge in search of somewandering pack that would scent him out at once, and in imagination hewent through the brain-paralysing horror of seeing them approach, withtheir red, hungry, glaring eyes, their foam-slavered lips and glisteningteeth. 

There they were, five, seven, nine of them, gliding over the snow ahundred yards away, their shadows cast by the sun upon the dazzlingwhite surface, and he uttered a hoarse cry and his head sank sideways ashe closed his eyes in the reaction. 

No wolves, only the few magnified shapes of a covey of snow grouse, theryper of the Scandinavian land, which, after running for a while, roseand passed over him with whirring wings, seeking the lower part of thevalley, where the snow was swept away. 

Abel drew a long, deep breath, and then set his teeth once more as heupbraided himself for his cowardice. 

For was he not on the highway--the main track to the golden land; andwas it not a certainty that before long other adventurers would passthat way?

What was that?

The prisoner listened, with every nerve on the strain, and it wasrepeated. 

So great was the tension, that as soon as the sound came for the secondtime the listener uttered a wild shriek of joy. It was hardly a cry. He had struggled to free himself from his icy bonds to go to hiscousin's help, and awakened to the fact that he was helpless, and he haddared to despair, when all the time Dallas was alive and toiling hard tocome and free him. The sensation of joy and delight was almostmaddening, and he listened again. 

There it was--a dull, low, indescribable sound which appealed to him allthrough, for he felt it more with his chest than with his ears. It wasa kind of a jar which came through the snow, communicated from particleto particle, telegraphed to him by the worker below, and it told thatDallas was strong and well, and striving hard to get free. 

How long would it take him to dig his way through? Not long, for hecould not be so deep down now. 

He waited, counting every stroke of the shovel, and a fresh joy thrilledthe listener, for those light jars sent fresh hope in waves, telling himas they did that though he was so benumbed, his body must be full ofsensation. It could not be deadened by the cold. 

"Bah! I must naturally be a coward at heart, " the poor fellow said tohimself. "Dal's worth a dozen of me. _I_ think of helping him? Pooh!it is always he who takes that _role_. "

But his mind went back again to the one thought--How long would it takeDallas to dig his way out in spite of his wound? Not so very long--thestrokes of the shovel came so regularly. But what an escape for both!

"Not free yet, though, " muttered the prisoner. "That's right, workaway, Dal. Your muscles were always stronger than mine. Get out andwe'll reach the gold yet, and win the prize we came for. --I wonderwhether he could hear me if I shouted!"

He bowed his head as far as he could, nearly touching the snow with hislips. 

"Dal, ahoy! ahoy!" he shouted; and a few moments after came the answer, "Ahoy--ahoy-oy-oy!" from the icy rocks up the valley. 

"Only the echoes, " muttered Abel, as the sounds died away. 

Then he started, for the hail came again, loud and clear, "Ahoy! Ahoy--ahoy-oy-oy!" and then once more the echoes. 

But the hail was from down the narrow valley, and these echoes were fromabove. 

"Hurrah! Help coming!" cried Abel wildly. "Ahoy, there! Help!"

He wrenched his head round to utter the cry, and was conscious of aheavy pang in his injured throat. But what of that at such a time, whenthe cry was answered by another? "Ahoy! ahoy!" No deceiving echo, forin addition came, "Where are yer?" and that was echoed too. 

Abel's lips parted to reply, but a chill of despair shot through everynerve once more, and he uttered a bitter groan. 

There they were--there could be no doubt of it. The three cowardly, treacherous ruffians had escaped, and he was calling them to his help. Not four hundred yards down the valley, plainly to be seen in the broadsunshine, all three of them, two dragging a heavily laden sledge, theother, the big-bearded ruffian, a short distance in front, in the act ofputting his hands to his mouth to shout again:

"Where away, O?"

"Will they see me with just my head out like this? Yes, they arecertain to, for they must come by here. Oh, Dal, Dal, old man, don'tdig now. For heaven's sake, keep still: they're coming to finish theirhorrid work. "

CHAPTER TEN. 

A HUMAN FOSSIL. 

"You be blowed!" cried a bluff cheery voice. "Eckers be jiggered!Think I don't know the difference between a hecker an' a nail?"

"No. "

"Don't I? I heered some one holloa, and as I don't believe in ghosts, Isay some one must be here. Ahoy! where are you, mate?"

The speaker turned from his two companions, who were dragging the sledgeup the slope of the snow-fall, and then smote one thigh heavily with thepalm of his great hand. 

"I'm blest!" he shouted, as he ran a few steps and dropped on one kneeby Abel's head. "No, no; don't give in now, my lad. Hold up, and we'llsoon have you out o' this pickle. Here, out with shovels and pecks, lads. Here's a director of the frozen meat company caught in his owntrap. Specimen o' Horsestralian mutton froze hard and all alive O. Here, mate, take a sup o' this. "

The speaker unscrewed the top of a large flask, and held it to Abel'slips, trickling a few drops between them as the head fell back and thepoor fellow nearly swooned away. 

"That's your sort. Never mind its being strong. I'd put some snow init, but you've had enough of that. Coming round, you are. What's itbeen--a heavy 'lanche?"

"Yes, yes, " gasped Abel; "but never mind me. "

"What! Want to be cut out carefully as a curiosity--fly-in-amber sortof a fellow?"

"No, no--my cousin! Buried alive, man. Hark! you can hear him diggingunderground. " The great sturdy fellow, who bore some resemblance toruddy-haired Beardy, sufficient in the distance and under thecircumstances of his excitement to warrant Abel's misapprehension, stared at the snow prisoner for a few moments as if he believed him tobe insane. 

"He's off his 'ead, mates, with fright, " he said in a low voice to hiscompanions, who were freeing the shovels; but Abel heard him. 

"No, no, " he cried wildly. "I know what I am saying. Listen. "

The great, frank-looking fellow laid his ear to the snow, and leaped upagain. 

"He's right, " he roared excitedly. "There's some one below--how manywere with you, my lad?"

"Only my cousin--we were buried together--but don't talk--dig, dig!"

"Yes, both of you, slip into it. Just here, " cried the big man, "whileI get the pick and fetch this one out. "

"No, no, not there, " cried Abel frantically. "Dig yonder, there by therock wall. "

"What, right over yonder? Sound's here. "

"Go and listen there, " cried Abel. 

"Can you hold out?"

"Yes, yes; hours now. Save my cousin; for heaven's sake, quick!"

One of the men had gone quickly to the rocky wall, knelt down andlistened, and shouted back. 

"He's right, " cried this latter. "You can hear some one moleing awayquite plain. "

"Dig, dig!" shouted Abel, and two of the new-comers began at once, whilethe leader of the party went to their sledge and dragged a sharp-pointedminer's pick from where it was lashed on. 

"No, no, " cried Abel imploringly, as the man returned to his side; "savehim. "

"You keep quiet, my lad. I'm a-going to save you. "

"But I can breathe, " cried Abel. 

"So can he, or he couldn't go on working. Two heavy chaps is quiteenough to be tramping over his head. Don't want my sixteen stone totread it hard. Have a drop more o' this 'fore I begin?"

"No, no! It is burning my mouth still. "

"Good job too: put some life into you, just when you looked as if youwas going to bye-bye for good. Now then, don't you be skeart. I knowhow to use a pick; been used to it in the Corn'll tin-mines. I couldhit anywhere to half a shadow round you without taking the skin off. I'll soon have you out. "

He began at once, driving the pick into the compressed snow; but afterthe first half-dozen strokes, seeing how the fragments flew, he took offhis broad-brimmed felt hat and laid it against Abel's head as a screen. Then commencing again he made the chips fly in showers which glitteredin the sunshine, as he walked backward, cutting a narrow trench with thesharp-pointed implement, taking the prisoner's head as a centre andkeeping about thirty inches distant, and so on, round and round till thechannel he cut was as deep as the arm of the pick, and quite clear. 

"Feel bad?" he said, pausing for a few moments. 

"No, no, " cried Abel. "How are they getting on?"

"Better'n me. If we don't look sharp your mate--what did you say hewas--cousin?--'ll be out first. "

"I hope so, " sighed Abel. 

"Now then, shut your eyes, my son, " cried the miner. "I'm going to cutfrom you now. Lean your head away as much as you can. I've cut thetire and felloes of the wheel; your head's the nave; now I'm going tocut the spokes. "

_Click, click, click_, went the pick. 

"Don't you flinch, my son, " cried the man. "I won't hit you. "

Abel had winced several times over, for the bright steel tool hadwhizzed by him dangerously close; but he grew more confident now, and, as much as he could for the sheltering hat, he watched the wonderfulprogress made by his rescuer, who at the end of a few minutes had deeplycut two more channels after the fashion of the spokes running from thecentre to the periphery of the imaginary wheel. 

After this, a few well-directed blows brought out the intervening snowin great pieces, and upon these being cleared out another clever blowbroke the gathered snow right up to the young man's left arm, leavingseven or eight inches below the shoulder clear. 

"That's your sort, my son, " cried the miner cheerily, chatting away, butkeeping the pick flying the while. "The best way to have got you outwould have been with a tamping iron, making a nice hole, dropping in adynamite cartridge, and popping it off. That would have sent this stuffflying, only it might have blowed you all to bits, which wouldn't havebeen pleasant. This is the safest way. How are you gettin' on, mates?"

"All right. He's 'live enough, Bob. "

"Work away, then. Look here, my son, I did think of spoking you allround, but I'm beginning to think it'll be better to keep on at you thisside, and then take you out of your mould sidewise like. There won't beso much cutting to do, and you'll have one side clear sooner. What doyou say?"

"I want you to go and help your companions, " replied Abel faintly. 

"Then I'm sorry I can't oblige you, " cried the man cheerily. "Look atthat now! This fresh stuff hasn't had time to get very hard. After afew thawings and freezings it would be like clear solid ice. It'spretty firm, but--there's another. Soon let daylight down by your ribs. I want to get that hand and arm clear first so as you can hold the hatto shade your face. "

And all the time he chatted away, coolly enough, the pick was wielded sodexterously, every blow being given to such purpose, that he cut outlarge pieces of the compressed snow and hooked them out of the rapidlygrowing hole. 

It was the work of a man who had toiled for years amongst the granitedeep down in the bowels of the earth, and experience had taught him thevalue of striking so as to save labour; but all the same the task was along one, and it grew more difficult the deeper down he went. 

"'Bliged to make the hole bigger, my son, " he said; "but you hold up; Isha'n't be long now. I say, how deep down do you go? Are you asix-footer?"

"No, I'm only about five feet eight, " said Abel, whose face lookedterribly pained and drawn. 

"Aren't you now?" said the man coolly. "I should ha' thought by thelook of your head and chest that you were taller. Been a longer jobwith me. I'm over six foot three, and good measure. There, now thatarm's clear, aren't it? Can you lift it out?"

Abel shook his head sadly. 

"There is no use in it, " he said faintly. 

"Might ha' knowed it. Bit numb like with the cold. But you keep a goodheart, and I'll have you out. It's only a bit o' work, and no fear ofcaving in on us. Just child's play like. There's one arm clear, and abit of your side, and the rest'll soon follow. "

The man paused in the act of getting the the top off the spirit-flask, and shouted to his companions, "Hoi! Here, quick, lads, and help mehere. My one's going out. "

For a ghastly look crossed Abel's face, his eyes grew fixed, as theyhalf-closed, and his head fell over on one side. 

CHAPTER ELEVEN. 

A COWARD BLOW. 

The two men who had been fighting hard to reach Dallas, the sound ofwhose strokes seemed nearer than ever, rushed to their companion, whohad begun chafing the buried man's face and temples, with the resultthat Abel raised his head again and looked wildly round. 

"I thought he was a goner, my sons, " whispered the big fellow. "Go onback to your chap; I'll manage here. "

The two men, who were excited by their task, rushed back again, andtheir companion moistened Abel's lips. 

The man began to work his pick again with wonderful rapidity, enlargingthe hole, and every now and then giving a furtive glance at the prisonerand another in the direction where his companions were tearing out theicy snow. 

The great drops stood on the big Cornishman's face as he toiled away, enlarging the hole down beside Abel Wray, and all the time he kept up acheery rattle of talk about how useful a tool a pick was, and how thelad he was helping--and whom he kept on calling "my son"--ought to havebrought one of the same kind for the gold working to come; but the lookin his big grey eyes looked darker and more sombre as he saw a greyaspect darkening the countenance of the prisoner--the air he had seenbefore in the faces of men whom he had helped to rescue after a fall ofroof in one of the home mines. 

"He'll be a goner before I get him out if I don't mind, " he said tohimself, and the pick rattled, and the icy snow flashed as he struckhere and there, only ceasing now and then to stoop and throw out somebig lump which he had detached. 

"Better fun this, my son, " he said with a laugh, "if all this was richore to be powdered up. Fancy, you know--gold a hundredweight to theton. Rather different to our quartz rock at home, with just a sprinkleof tin that don't pay the labour. 

"Hah!" he cried at last, from where he stood in the well-like shaft hehad cut, and threw down his pick on the snow. "Now you ought to come. "

He rose, took hold of Abel as he spoke, and found that his calculationswere right, for very little effort was required to draw him forward fromout of the snowy mould in which he was belted; and the next minute thepoor fellow lay insensible upon the snow, with his rescuer kneeling byhim, once more trickling spirit between the blue lips. 

"Can't swallow, " muttered the man, and he screwed up the flask, and setto work rubbing his patient vigorously, regardless of what was going onbeneath the rocky wall, till there was a loud cheer, and his twocompanions came towards him, each holding by and shaking hands heartilywith Dallas Adams. For they had mined down to where they could meet himas he toiled upward to escape; and the first words of Dallas, when hewas drawn out hot and exhausted, were a question about his cousin. 

The pair set at liberty joined in now in the endeavour to resuscitatethe poor fellow lying on the snow. Their sledge was unpacked, doubleblankets laid down, and the sufferer lifted upon them, frictionliberally applied to the limbs, and at last they had the satisfaction ofseeing him unclose his eyes, to stare blindly for a time. Thenconsciousness returned, there was a look of joy flashing out, and heuttered the words hoarsely:

"Dal! Saved!"

"Yes, yes, all right, old lad, thanks to these true fellows here. Howare you?"

"Arms, hands, and legs burning and throbbing horribly. I can hardlybear the pain. "

The big Cornishman laughed. 

"Only the hot-ache, my son, " he said merrily. "That's a splendid sign. You're not frost-bitten. "

"God bless you for all you have done, " cried Abel, catching at the bigfellow's hand. "I couldn't hold out any longer. "

"Of course you couldn't. Why, your pluck was splendid. "

"Thank him, Dal, " cried Abel. "He has saved my life. "

"Yah! Fudge! Gammon! Stuff! We don't want no thanking. You two ladswould have done the same. We don't want to be preached at. TommyBruff, my son, what do you say to a fire, setting the billy to boil, anda bit o' brax'uss?"

"Same as you do, laddie. Cup o' tea'll be about the right thing forthese two. "

There was plenty of scrub pine at hand, swept down by the snow-fall, andsticking out here and there. Axes were got to work, and soon after thetwo sufferers were seated, covered with fur-lined coats, and revellingin the glow of the fire, over which a big tin was steaming, while theirnew friends were busy bringing out cake, bread, tea, and bacon fromtheir store in the partly unpacked sledge. 

The big, bearded Cornishman had started a black pipe, and while hiscompanions replenished the fire and prepared for the meal, he sat on adoubled-up piece of tarpaulin, and wiped, dried, and polished picks, shovels, and axes ready for repacking. Every now and then he paused tosmile a big, happy, innocent-looking smile at the two who had beenrescued, just as if he thoroughly enjoyed what had been done, and then, suddenly dropping the axe he was finishing, caught up a little measureof dry tea, and shouting, "There, she boils!" tossed it into the tinover the fire, lifted it off, and set it aside, and then laid thefreshly polished tools on the sledge. 

Soon after, refreshed by the tins of hot tea, the rescued pair were ableto give an account of their adventures, the new-comers listening eagerlyand making their comments. 

"Ho!" said the big Cornishman, frowning. "I expected we should comeacross some rough 'uns, but I didn't think it was going to be so bad asthat. Scared, mates?"

"No, " said one of his companions; "not yet. "

"Nor yet me, " said the other. 

"Nor me neither, " said the big fellow. "If it's going to be peace andwork, man and man, so much the better; but if it's war over the gold, weshall have to fight. What's mine is mine, or ourn; and it'll go awkwardfor them as meddles with me. I'm a nasty-tempered dog if any one triesto take my bone away; aren't I, my sons?"

The two men addressed bent their heads back and burst into a roar oflaughter. 

"Hark at him, " said the man spoken to as Tommy. "Don't you believe him, my lads. He's a great big soft-roed pilchard; that's what he is. Eh, Dick Humphreys?"

"Yes; like a great big gal, " assented the other. 

"Oh, am I?" said the big fellow. "You don't know, my sons. But I say, though, " he continued, tapping the snow with his knuckles, "then foraught we know them three blacks is buried alive just under where we'resitting?"

"I'm afraid so. "

"'Fraid? What are you 'fraid on?"

"It is a horrible death, " said Abel, with a shudder. 

"Well, yes, I suppose it is, " said the Cornishman thoughtfully. "I say, we ought to get digging to find 'em, oughtn't we?"

"We are not sure they are there, " said Dallas. 

"Of course you are not, " continued the miner, "and I don't believe theyare. You see, your mate here took us for 'em. I believe Natur' made amistake and buried you two instead of them. If they are down below Ihaven't heard no signs of them, and they must be dead. Why, it wouldtake us a couple of years to clear all this stuff away, and we mightn'tfind 'em then. I say, though, what about your tackle?"

"Our sledges? They're buried deep down here. "

"We shall have to get them out, then. You two won't be able to getalong without your traps. "

Soon after an inspection of the position was made; one of the mendescended into the hole they had dug close up to the rock wall, and hereturned to give his opinion that by devoting a day to the task theshaft could be so enlarged that they could drive a branch down straightto the spot, and save the stores and tools, even if they could not getthe sledges out whole. 

It took two days, though, during which no fresh comers appeared, thereport of the snow-fall having stopped further progress. At the end ofthe above time, pretty well everything was saved by the help of theminer and his companions, who gallantly stood by them. 

"Oh, we've got plenty of time, " said their leader, "and if these sort o'games are going to be played, it strikes me that you two gents would bestronger if you made a sort o' co. Along of us. Don't if you don't careto. What do you say to trying how it worked for a bit?"

This was gladly acceded to, and on the third day a move was made as faras the spot where the grim discovery had been made. 

Here the party halted, and the corpse of the unfortunate was reverentlycovered by a cairn of stones, along with his faithful dog; after which adiscussion arose as to what should be done with the poor fellow'simplements and stores. 

"Pity to leave 'em here, " said one of the men. "Only spoil. Hadn't webetter share 'em out. "

"Perhaps so, " said Dallas. "You three can. "

"Oh, but there's five on us, sir. "

"No, only three. "

"What do you say, Bob?" said the first speaker. 

"I says bring the poor chap's sled along with us. If we're hard pushedwe can use what's there; if we're not we sha'n't want it; and--well, Idon't kind o' feel as if I should like any one to nobble my things likethat. Same time, I says it is no use to leave 'em to spoil. "

The next morning, with the young men little the worse for theiradventure, they started onward, and for a couple of days made prettygood way, leaving the snow behind in their downward progress, till allfurther advance was stopped by the change for which they had beenprepared before starting. The watershed had been crossed, and they hadreached the head waters of one of the tributaries of the vast YukonRiver of the three thousand miles flow. 

The spot they had reached was a long, narrow lake, surrounded at theupper end by fir-woods. The rest of the route was to be by water, andhere a suitable raft had to be made. 

"Fine chance for a chap to set up boatbuilding, " said Big Bob. "What doyou say? I believe we should make more money over the job than by goingto dig it out. "

"Let's try the gold-digging first, " said Dallas; and with a cheer themen set to work at the trees selected, the axes ringing and thepine-chips flying in the bright sunshine till trunk after trunk fellwith a crash, to be lopped and trimmed and dragged down to the water'sedge ready for rough notching out to form the framework of such a raftas would easily bear the adventurers, their sledges and stores, down thelake and through the torrents and rapids of the river in its wild andturbulent course. 

The sledges were drawn up together in a triangle to form a shelter tothe fire they had lit for cooking, for the wind came down sharply fromthe mountains. Rifles and pistols lay with the sledges, for the littleparty of five had stripped to their work, so that, save for the axesthey used, they were unarmed. 

But no thought of danger occurred to any one present; that was postponedin imagination till they had finished the raft and embarked for atwenty-mile sail down to where the river, which entered as a shallowmountain torrent, rushed out, wonderfully augmented, to tear northwardin a series of wild rapids, which would need all the strength andcourage of the travellers to navigate them in safety. 

A hearty laugh was ringing out, for the big Cornishman had ratherboastingly announced that he could carry one of the fallen trees easilyto the lake, put it to the proof, slipped, and gone head first into thewater after the tree, when a sharp crack rang out from near at hand. 

Abel uttered a loud cry, clapped his hands to his head, and fellbackward. 

For a moment or two the men stood as if paralysed, gazing at the fallenyouth. Then Dallas looked sharply round, caught sight of a thin film ofsmoke curling up from the edge of the forest, and with a cry of rage rantoward the sledges, thrusting the handle of his axe through his belt, caught up his revolver from where it lay, and dashed towards the spotwhence the firing must have come. 

CHAPTER TWELVE. 

WHOLESALE ROBBERY. 

"Keep together--keep together!" shouted the big Cornishman; but no oneheeded, and he followed their example of seizing the first weapon hecould reach and following. 

The pursuit was short, for it seemed madness to follow in amongst thedense pines which formed the forest, placing themselves at the mercy ofan enemy who could bring them down as they struggled through the densethicket of fallen trees and tangled branches: so, after a few rallyingcries, they made their way back to the open space by the lake, to findAbel sitting up and resting his head upon his hand. 

"Wounded!" panted Dallas. 

"Yes--no! I can't tell! Look!" said the injured man huskily. 

A few minutes' examination showed how narrow had been his escape, abullet having struck the side of the poor fellow's head, just abradingthe scalp. Half an inch lower must have meant death. 

"Injuns, " said the Cornishman laconically. 

"No, no, " cried Dallas, with a fierce look round; "it must be ourenemies. "

"Not they, my lad; they're fast asleep under the snow, you may take youroath. It's Injuns, by the way they hid themselves. Now, then, can youkeep watch--sentry go?" he said, addressing Abel. 

"Yes, it was only a graze from the bullet; I am better now. "

"Then you take a loaded rifle and keep watch while we go on knocking theraft together. "

"Yes, " cried Dallas, "the sooner we get away from here the better. "

All set to work with feverish energy at the raft-making. Enough woodwas cut, and by clever notching together, the use of spikes, and afurther strengthening with rope, the framework rapidly progressed, theirintention being to launch, load up, and set off that evening, so as toget to a safer spot. 

Abel carefully kept his watch, scanning the dark edge of the forest; butthere was no further interruption, and the men worked away, with only abrief pause for refreshment. 

Then the sun dipped below the pines, and as darkness approached Dallaslet his axe rest on the young pine he had been trimming, and turned tohis companions, with a look of despair in his eyes. 

"Yes, " said the Cornishman good-humouredly, "we cut out more stuff thanwe can finish to-night, my son. It's a bigger job than I thought. Weshall have to knock off now. What's to be done about the fire?"

It was risky work, but the watch was well kept while water was boiledand bacon fried. Then a hasty meal was made, and as the darkness fellthe fire was quenched by throwing over it a bucket or two of water. 

It was hard enough to do this, for though the ground was clear aboutthem, snow lay on every rocky hill, and the night promised to bebitterly cold. But the exposure to an enemy would have been too great;so after selecting one of the huge spruces whose boughs hung down to theground for a shelter, and dragging the sledges close in, the questionarose of continuing the watch. 

"Tchah! It's as dark as pitch, " said the Cornishman. "Nobody couldsee. Let the enemy think we're watching. They won't come. We mustchance it. Wrap up well, and have a good night's rest. "

This advice was taken, and soon after all were sleeping the sleep ofexhaustion, and awoke at daylight without a fresh alarm. 

The previous day's tactics were resumed, and the toil over the raft wenton, but there was still so much to do in the way of bracing andstrengthening the rough craft so that it might withstand the fiercecurrents and concussions they were to expect at the lower part of thelake where the rapids began, that the hours glided by till late in theafternoon, and still the task was not done. 

"Who could have thought it would take so long?" said Dallas at last. "You see, we have everything to cut. "

"No one, my son, " said their big friend, smiling; "but I bet weshouldn't have got the job done for us in double the time. "

"It would be madness to start to-night. "

"Stark. Couldn't get loaded up before dark, and then it'll be likepitch. Let's cut some poles for punting and a mast to make a bit ofsail if we like, and then I think we may say that we have got our jobwell done, ready for loading up and starting in the morning. "

"Yes, " said Abel, who seemed little the worse for his last mishap; "itwas better to make a good job of the raft. "

"And that we've done, " said the Cornishman. 

The poles were cut, trimmed, and laid upon the deck, which had beenfinished after launching; and now, as they examined their work, all weresatisfied that it could not have been done better in the time, for as itlay in the clear water, swinging by a rope secured to a pine-stump, allfelt that it would easily bear the party, their sledges and stores; andthe pity seemed to be that it could not be used for the whole of theirjourney. 

"Who knows? Perhaps it may. "

There was an hour's daylight yet, and this was utilised down on thesandy shore of the stream which ran into the lake hard by. 

It was the first trial, and no little interest was felt as every manwaded into the icy cold water, pannikin in hand, to scoop the sand asideand then get a tinful from as deep down as they could. 

This was washed and watched beneath the water, the stones thrown out, and washed again, till only a little sand remained, and this wascarefully examined. 

"Gold!" cried Dallas excitedly; and this was eagerly responded to by theothers, for in every pan there was some of the precious metal, but suchtiny grains that it was decided that a halt would be useless there. 

"Farther on, " said Dallas excitedly; "this is only the edge of thegolden land, but here is proof that we are going right. "

"Yes, " said the big Cornishman; "but I don't rest till we can shovel itup like gravel from a pit. "

Darkness put an end to their search, and once more the fire wasquenched, and in silence they sought the shelter of the great tree, placed their arms ready, rolled themselves in their blankets, and weresoon asleep. 

It seemed as if they had only just lain down when one of the menshouted, "Morning!"

"Hooray!" cried the big Cornishman. "Who's going to face the cold, andhave a dip in the lake?"

Every one but Abel, who hung back. 

"Don't you feel well enough to come?" said Dallas anxiously. 

"Yes, but some one ought to light the fire and set the billy to boil. "

"Here! Hi! All of you, " yelled the big Cornishman, who had gone on. "Quick!"

All ran at the alarm, and then stood aghast. 

"The rope must have come undone, " cried Dallas. 

"Don't look like it, my son. It's left part of itself behind. "

"Broken--snapped?" cried Abel. 

"Sawed through with a knife, " said one of the men. 

"Injuns. Come in the night; lucky they didn't use their knives to us, "growled the Cornishman fiercely, as he looked searchingly round. 

"Look, " cried Dallas, excited; "these are not Indian traces;" and hepointed down at the sandy shore. 

"Indian? No, " cried Abel, going down on his knees; "the marks ofnavigators' boots, with nails;" and he looked wildly across and down thelake. 

But the raft, their two days' hard work, had gone. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

MAKING THE BEST OF IT. 

"You're quite right, my son, " said the Cornishman coolly, after lightinghis pipe and carefully examining the ground. "I'm not much of a hand atthis kind of thing, but it looks plain enough. Here's all our footmarksquite fresh, and here's a lot more that look as if they were made lastnight. "

"Last night?" cried Dallas. 

"Ay, that they do. "

"But those may be ours. "

"Nay; not one of us has got a hoof like that, " cried the Cornishman, pointing with the stem of his pipe. "I've got a tidy one of my own, butI aren't pigeon-toed. Look at that one, too, and that. Yonder's ourmarks, and, hullo! what's that lying in the water?"

The others gazed in the indicated direction, and Dallas leaped into theshallow water, to stoop down and pick out a knife. 

"Some one must have dropped this, " he cried. 

"Unless one of us has lost his, " said the big fellow. "Any one own it?"

There was a chorus of negatives. 

"Well, I'm sorry, " cried the Cornishman. "Poor chap! How savage he'llbe to find he has lost his toothpick. Look here, " he continued grimly, "if you all don't mind, I'll take care o' this bit of steel. We maymeet the chap as lost it, and I should like to give it him back. "

"Oh, " cried Dallas passionately, "how can you laugh and make a joke ofsuch a misfortune as this?"

"What's the good o' crying about it, my son?" said the man, smiling. "There's worse disasters at sea. Who says light a fire and have a goodbreakfast?"

"Breakfast!" cried Abel; "nonsense! We must go in pursuit at once. "

"And leave our traps for some one else to grab? Why, dear boy, wecouldn't get through the forest empty-handed. "

"No, " said Abel, gazing along the bank of the lake disconsolately. 

"He's right, Bel, " said Dallas, after shading his eyes and looking downthe lake. "They've got right away. "

"Hang 'em, yes, " said the Cornishman, smiling merrily. "I say, I wishwe hadn't taken quite so much pains with that there raft. If we'd knownwe'd ha' saved all those six-inch spikes we put in it. "

"The scoundrels, whoever they are!" cried Dallas. "It's beyondbearing. "

"Nay, not quite, my son, " said their new friend good-humouredly, "because we've got to bear it. Cheer up. Might have been worse. Yousee, it was a fresh lot come along while we were asleep and out ofsight. `Hullo!' says one of 'em, `now I do call this kind; some un'smade us a raft all ready for taking to the water. Come along, mates, 'and they all comed. "

"I wish I'd heard them, " cried Dallas. 

"Well, if you come to that, so do I, my sons. But there, we've got ourtackle, and they haven't taken all the wood, so we must make another. "

"Yes, and waste two more days, " cried Abel angrily. 

"Well, we're none of us old yet, " said the Cornishman good-humouredly;"and I don't suppose those who have gone before will have got all thegold. "

"But it is so annoying to think that we lay snoring yonder and letwhoever they were steal the raft, " said one of the men. 

"So it is, my son, " cried his companion; "and I can see that you two arechock full o' swear words. Tell you what: you two go in yonder amongthe trees and let 'em off, while we three light the fire and cook therashers. It'll ease your minds, and you'll feel better. I say, what'sabout the value of that there raft?"

"I wouldn't have taken twenty pounds for my share of it, " cried Abel. 

"Humph! Twenty, " said the Cornishman musingly. "Well, seeing it'shere, we'll say twenty pound. There's five of us, and that makes ahundred. All right, my sons; we shall come upon those chaps one ofthese days, and they'll have to pay us about a pound and a harf o' goldfor our work; and if they don't there's going to be a fight. Now then, gentlemen, fire--breakfast--and then work. We shall be a bit more handyin making another. Wish we'd had a bit o' paint. "

"Paint! What for?" cried Dallas and Abel in a breath. 

"Only to have touched it up, and made it look pretty for 'em. "

"Never mind!" said Dallas, through his teeth. "We'll make it to lookpretty for them when we find them. "

"So we will, my son, " cried the Cornishman, and as he gathered chips andbranches together he kept on indulging in a hearty laugh at the prospectof the encounter; and as the two young adventurers glanced at the man'stremendous arms, they had sundry thoughts about what would happen to thethieves. 

The Cornishman was right; they were much more handy over making thesecond raft, and worked so hard that by the end of the following day anew and stronger one was made and loaded ready for the next morning'sstart. 

But this time a watch was kept, one of the party sitting on board untilhalf the night had passed, when he was relieved by another; and as thesun rose, breakfast was over, and they cast off the rope from thepine-stump which had formed the mooring-post. 

The morning was glorious, and the sun lit up the snow-covered mountains, making the scene that of a veritable land of gold. A light breeze, too, was blowing in their favour, so that their clumsy craft was wafted downthe lake, which here and there assumed the aspect of a wide river of thebluest and purest water, the keen, elastic air sending a thrill ofhealth and strength through them, and it seemed as if the tales they hadheard of the perils they were to encounter were merely bugbears, fornothing could have been pleasanter than their passage. 

"Let's see, " said Dallas, who was well provided with map and plan; "whenwe get to the bottom of this lake there are some narrows and rapids topass along. "

"So we heard, " said the Cornishman. "Well, so much the better. Weshall go the faster. I suppose they're not Falls of Ni-agger-ray. --Isay, can you gents swim?"

"Pretty well, " was the reply. "Can you?"

The big fellow scratched his head and screwed up his face into a queersmile. 

"You ask my two mates, " he said. 

"No, I asked you, " said Dallas. 

"Not a stroke, my son. If we get capsized I shall trust to being sixfoot three and a half and walk out. I don't s'pose it'll be deeper thanthat. If it is, I dessay my mates'll lend me a hand. "

"Then we mustn't capsize, " said Abel. 

"Well, it would be as well not, " said one of the other party drily, "onaccount of the flour and sugar and tea. I always said you ought toswim, Bob, old man. "

"So you did, mate, " said the big fellow, with a chuckle. "And as soonas it gets warm enough I'm going to learn. "

That night they reached the foot of the lake where the rocky wallsclosed in, forming a narrow ravine, through which the great body ofwater seemed to be emptying itself with a roar, the aspect of the placebeing dangerous enough to make the party pole to the shore at the firstlikely landing-place and camp for the night. 

The evening was well upon them by the time they had their fire alight, and after a hearty meal their couch of pine-boughs proved very welcome. 

"Sounds ominous, Dal, " said Abel. "I hope we shall get safely throughin the morning. "

"We must, " was the reply. "Don't think about it; we ought to behardened enough to do anything now. How's your head?"

"A bit achey sometimes. And your shoulder?"

There was no reply, for, utterly wearied out with poling the raft, Dallas was asleep, leaving only one of the party to watch the expiringembers of the fire, and listen to the rapids' deep humming roar. 

Abel did not keep awake, though, long. For after getting up to satisfyhimself that the raft was safe, he lay down again, meaning to watch tillthe fire was quite out, though there was not the slightest danger oftheir being attacked. The only way an enemy could have approached wasby water, and it was with a calm, restful sense of satisfaction that theyoung man stretched himself out on the soft boughs as he said tohimself, "There isn't a boat on the lake, and it would take any partytwo days to make a raft. "

CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

FROM THE FRYING-PAN INTO THE WET FIRE. 

"We could not have better weather, Bel, " said Dallas, as they finishedthe next morning's breakfast. "Summer is coming. "

"Rather a snowy summer, " was the reply; "but never mind the cold: let'stry wherever we halt to see if there is any gold; those fellows aregetting out their tins. "

A few minutes later all were gold-washing on the shore, their Cornishfriend having cast loose a shovel, and given every person a charge ofsand and stones from one of the shallows, taking his shovelfuls fromplaces a dozen yards or so apart. 

Then the washing began in the bright sunshine, with the same results--afew tiny specks of colour, as the men termed their glittering scales ofgold-dust. 

"That's your sort, gentlemen, " cried the Cornishman, washing out hispan, after tossing the contents away; "plenty of gold, and if you workedhard you might get about half enough to starve on. Why, we could ha'done better at home, down in Wales. You can get a hundred pounds' worthof gold there if you spend a hundred and fifty in labour. "

"Yes; but even this dust shows that we are getting into the goldregion, " said Dallas. 

"That's right, my son, so come along and let's get there. I s'posewe're going right?"

"We must be, " said Dallas. "I have studied the maps well, and we passedthe watershed--"

"Eh? We haven't passed no watershed. Not so much as a tent. "

Dallas had to explain that they had crossed the mountains which shed thewater in different directions. 

"Oh, that's it, is it, my son? I thought you meant something built up. "

"So he did, " said Abel, smiling, "by nature. When we were on the otherside of the mountains the streams ran towards the south. "

"That's right, master. "

"Now you see the direction in which the water runs is towards the north. Here in the map is the great Yukon River, running right across fromeast to west, and these lakes form the little rivers which must run intothe Yukon. "

"And that's the great gold river, my sons. "

"Yes; but we shall find what we want in the rivers and creeks that rundown from the mountains to form the Yukon. "

"That's all right, my son; so if we keep to these waters we must come tothe right place at last. "

"I hope so. "

"So do I, my son; so, as they said at the 'Merican railway stations, `All aboard, and let's get as far down to-day as we can. '"

They stepped on to the raft, cast off the rope, and each man picked upone of the twelve-foot pine-sapling poles they had provided for theirnavigation down the rapids, of which they had been warned at starting;and the big Cornishman planted himself in front. 

"Anybody else like to come here?" he said. 

There was a chorus of "No's, " and he nodded and smiled. 

"Thought I was best here to fend the raft off the rocks when she beginsto race. I say, we're going to have it lower down. Hear it?"

All nodded assent. 

"If we are capsized, my sons, " continued the big fellow drily, "one ofyou had better swim up to me and take me on his back. What do you say, little un?" he added to Abel. "It'll be your turn to help me. "

"I'll stand by you, " cried Abel; "never fear. "

"I know that, my lad. I say, the stream begins to show now as the placegets narrower. Looks as if it'll be nearly closed in. Well, we mustrisk it. There's no walking as I see on either side. "

"Ahoy!" came from the right bank, where the lake was fast becoming ariver. 

"Ahoy to you, and good morning, whoever you are, " cried the Cornishman. 

Some unintelligible words followed, he who uttered them being plainly tobe seen now on a ledge some fifty feet above the surface of the water. But his signs were easy to be understood. 

"Wants us to give him a lift, " said Dallas. "Can we stop?"

"Oh, yes, and it would only be civil, " said the Cornishman. "Just roomfor one first-class passenger. All right; lend a hand here. I cantouch bottom. 'Bout seven foot. "

Poles were thrust down, and the raft was urged across the flowing watertill the eddy on the far side was reached, and then, with the fierceroar coming out of a narrow gap in the rocks a few hundred yards lower, the raft was easily thrust into a little cove below the man on theshelf. 

"Going down the rapids?" he shouted. 

"We are, my lad, " cried their captain. "Why?"

"Will you give a poor fellow a lift down? I can't get any farther forthe rocks. "

"Far as the gold country?"

"Oh, no: I don't ask that. Only to where I can tramp again. "

"Well, we've just room for a little un, " said the Cornishman. "Muchluggage?"

"Only this pack, " was the reply. 

"Jump in, then, " said the leader, with a grim smile. "P'r'aps, though, you'd better come lower. "

The man nodded, slung his pack over his shoulder, and then, turning, began to descend the almost perpendicular face of the rocks, twice overnarrowly escaping a bad fall. But at last he reached the foot, wadedout a little, and then stepped on board. 

"Thankye, " he said; "you are good Christians. I've been here afortnight, and couldn't get any farther. I shouldn't have been alivenow if I hadn't got a fish or two. "

"You are tramping to the gold region all alone, then?"

"Yes, and I've nearly tramped all the way from Chicago. "

The Cornishman turned and stared. 

"I got a lift sometimes on the cattle and freight trains, though, when Icould creep on unseen. "

"The gold has a magnetic attraction for you, then?" said Abel. 

"I suppose so, but it's my last chance. This is a solitary way, though, isn't it? I've hardly seen a soul. I saw your fire, though, lastnight, across yonder. "

"Did you see anybody go by on a raft three or four days ago?" criedDallas eagerly. 

"I did. Party of three, and hailed them. "

"What were they like?" cried Abel. 

"Roughs; shacks; loafers. One of them had a big red beard. "

Dallas started, and glanced at Abel. 

"A brute!" cried the stranger fiercely. "I asked them to give me alift, as I was going to starve here if they didn't, and I warned themthat I had heard it wanted a strong party to take a craft through therapids. `All right, stranger, ' he said, pushing the craft a littlenearer. `Mind lending me your knife to trim this rough pole with? I'velost mine. '"

It was Abel now who glanced at Dallas. 

"`Catch, ' I said, pitching mine, in its sheath. "

"Well?" said the Cornishman, fumbling in his belt. 

"Well, " continued the man, with a sombre look in his eyes, "he caughtit, and began to smooth his pole, letting the raft drift away; andthough I begged and prayed of them to stop for me, they only laughed, and let her get right into the current. It was life or death to me, asI thought then, " continued the stranger, "and I climbed along that shelfand followed, shouting and telling them I was starving, and begging themto throw me my knife back if they wouldn't take me aboard; but they onlylaughed, and told me to go and hang myself. But I followed on as fastas I could, right along to the opening yonder where it's so narrow thatI could speak to them close to; and though I knew they couldn't stop theraft there, I thought they'd throw me my knife. "

"And did they?" said the Cornishman. 

"No. I was there just before them, and I shouted; but you can't hearyourself speak there, the roar echoes so from the rocks. The nextminute they'd been swept by me so near I could almost have jumped onboard; and there I stood, holding on and reaching out so that I couldsee them tear down through the rushing water. They'd took fright, dropped their poles, and were down on their knees holding on, with theraft twisting slowly round. "

"Capsized?" cried Dallas. 

"Drowned?" cried Abel. 

"I could not see, " continued the stranger. "I watched them till theywent into a sort of fog with a rainbow over it, and then I felt ready tojump in and try to swim, or get drowned, for without my knife I feltthat all was over. "

"Not drowned, then?" said Dallas. 

"No, my son; them as is born to be hanged'll never be drowned, " said thebig Cornishman grimly. "Look ye here, old chap, you'd better take thistoothpick; it's the one that the boss of that party who stole our raftlost. "

"Ah!" cried the stranger; "they stole your raft?"

"They did, my son, and it seems to me things aren't at all square, forthese here fellows are ready to do anything--from committing murder downto stealing a knife. Why, they've even cheated death, or else they'd belying comfortably buried in the snow. "

"Ha!" ejaculated Dallas, as he stood grasping his pole, and the raftbegan to glide along. 

"Yes, it is `Hah!' my son, " said the Cornishman; "but I shouldn't wonderif we came across a tree some day bearing fruit at the end of a hempenstalk. I say, though, my son, is the river below there so dangerous asyou say?"

"Yes; it is a horrible fall, as far as I could see. "

"Then hadn't you better stop ashore?"

"And starve?" said the man bitterly. 

"You're ready to risk it, then?" said Dallas. 

"I'd risk anything rather than stop alone in this horrible solitude, "said the stranger excitedly. 

"All right, then, my son. There's a spare pole. Set your pack down;take hold, and come on. "

The stranger did as he was told, and took the place pointed out. 

"If it's as noisy as he says, " continued the Cornishman, "there'll be noshouting orders--it'll all be signs. So what you see me do you've gotto follow. Spit in your hands, all of you, and hold tight with yourfeet. Stick to it, and we'll get through. We must; there's no otherway. "

No one spoke in reply, but their companion's cheery way of meeting theperils ahead sent a thrill of confidence through the party, as theystood on the triangular raft, noting that the current was graduallygrowing swifter as the rocky walls on either side closed in from beinghundreds of yards apart to as many feet, and the distance lesseningrapidly more and more. 

It was horrible, but grand, and as the pace increased, a curioussensation of intoxicating excitement attacked the party, whose sensesseemed to be quickened so that they could note the wondrous colours ofthe rocks, the vivid green of the ferns and herbs which clustered in therifts and cracks, and the glorious clearness of the water. 

So excited was the great fellow at the head of the raft that he raisedhis pole, turned to look at his companions, and then pointed onward, while moment by moment the great walls of rock seemed to close in uponthem as if to crush all flat. 

Up to now their progress had been a swift glide, but as they approachedthe narrow opening, which seemed not much more than wide enough to letthem pass, the raft began to undulate and proceed by leaps, each longerthan the last, while the water rippled over the side. 

Then all at once the front portion--the apex of the elongated triangle--rose as if at a leap, dipped again, and they were off with a terrificrush in a narrow channel of rock, up whose sides the water rose as if toescape the turmoil. Wave rose above wave, struggling to get onward;there was the roar of many waters growing more deafening, and the raftwas tossed about like a straw, its occupants being forced to kneel andtry to fend her off from the sides. And now, to add to the horror, turmoil, and confusion, they plunged at a tremendous speed into a bankof churned up mist, dense as the darkest cloud, rushing onward in boundsand leaps which made the raft quiver, till all at once Dallas, who wasnear their captain, suddenly caught sight of a mass of rocks apparentlyrising out of the channel right in their way. 

The next moment there was a terrific shock, a rush of water, blackdarkness, and everything seemed to be at an end. 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 

"THOSE BORN TO BE HANGED. "

The preparations for fending the raft off the rocks that might be intheir way, or keeping it from the wall-like sides which overhung them, were absurd; for as they were swept into the furious rapid, and whirledand tossed about, each man instinctively dropped his pole to crouch downand cling for dear life to the rough pieces of timber they had solaboriously notched, nailed, and bound together. 

The course of the river was extremely erratic, zigzagging through theriven, rocky barrier which formed the ancient dam at the foot of thelake; and one minute they were swept to right, the next to left, whileat every angle there was a whirlpool which threatened to suck them down. 

Noise, darkness, the wild turmoil of tumbling waters, blinding mist, andchoking spray, strangled and confused the little crew, so that theyclung to the raft, feeling that all was over, and that they were aboutto be plunged deep down into the bowels of the earth. Dallas wasconscious of wedging his toes between two of the timbers, clinging withhis left hand, and reaching over the bound-down sledges to grasp Abel's;and then all seemed to be blank for a length of time that he could notcalculate. It might have been a minute--it might have been an hour; buthe held on to his cousin's hand, which clutched his in return in whatseemed to be a death-grip, till all at once they were shot out into thebright sunshine, and were gliding at a tremendous rate down awater-slide, with the water hissing and surging about them where theyknelt. 

As soon as he could sweep the blinding spray from his eyes, Dallaslooked round in wonder, to find that all his companions were upon theraft, and that the rocky walls on either side were receding fast as theriver opened out, while the rapid down which they plunged seemed quiteclear of rocks. 

The deafening noise was dying out too, and as Dallas looked back at thefast growing distant gap in the rock through which they had been shot, he wondered that the raft should have held together with its freight, and that they should still be there. 

His brain seemed still to be buzzing with the confusion, when he wasconscious of some one beside him giving himself a shake like a greatwater-dog and shouting:

"What cheer, there! Not dead yet. Are any of you?"

There was no reply--every one looking strained and oppressed; then, without a word, the little party began to shake hands warmly, and thebig Cornishman shook his head. 

"It was a rum un!" he exclaimed; "it was a rum un! Well, we're allalive O, and if we do get any gold, you may all do as you like, but Ishall go back home some other way. "

The straightforward naive way in which this was said seemed so absurd onthe face of it that the cousins could not refrain from smiling: but thesight of a great mass of rock ahead dividing the swift stream into two, and toward which the raft seemed to be rushing fast, made all turn toseize their poles and fend it off from a certainty of wreck. 

However, the poles were all probably being whirled round and round oneof the pools they had passed, like scraps of straw, and the shatteringof the raft seemed a certainty; but their big companion was a man ofresource. Seating himself upon the edge of the raft as it glided evenlyalong, he waited with legs extended for the coming contact. His feettouched the rock, and a vigorous thrust eased their craft off, the bravefellow's sturdy limbs acting like strong buffers, so that there was onlya violent jerk, the raft swung round, and they went gliding on again. 

The current was swift, but clear now from further obstacles, and hopegrew strong. 

"I say, I call it grand!" cried one of the men. "We shall soon getthere if we keep on like this. "

"Yes, but the sooner one of us takes a rope and jumps ashore, thebetter. We must cut some fresh poles. "

This was done at the first opportunity, Abel leaping on to the rockybank with a rope, as they glided by a spot where the forest of pinescame down close to them; and then, seizing his opportunity, he gave therope a turn round a small tree. There was a jerk, and the hempthreatened to part; but it held, and the raft swung round and becamestationary as the rope was made fast. 

The first proceeding was to wring out their garments, and the next toexamine the sledges, which had been so well made fast when loaded upthat they had not stirred; but some of the stores were damaged withwater. 

"Can't help it, " said Dallas cheerily. "Our lives are saved. "

Something was done towards their drying by the warm sunshine, for thiscame down brightly, though the aspect round was growing almost as wintryas the country they had passed through higher up beyond the lake; and asthey gazed at the mountains, which they felt must lie somewhere near thepart for which they were aiming, it seemed as if they would, after all, be arriving too soon for successful work. 

The raft proved useful for some days on their way north by river andlake, their journey being through a labyrinth of waterways, where againand again they made halts in likely places to try for the object oftheir search. 

But the result was invariably the same; they found gold, but never insufficient quantity to warrant a stay. 

"Wouldn't pay for bread and onions, my sons, " said the Cornishman, andthey pushed on farther and farther into the northern solitudes, withtheir loads growing lighter, and a feeling of longing to reach thegolden land where they knew something in the way of settlements andstores existed, and where people could at once take up claims and beginwork. For a comparison of notes proved that they were all rapidlycoming to the end of their means. 

The subject of the passage of the raft down the cataract had beenseveral times over discussed during their halts, and the possibility oftheir enemies having escaped. The Cornishman and his companions, including the man they had succoured, declared as one that the maraudingtrio must have perished. 

"And so should we, my sons, " said the big fellow, "if we had gone downthat water-slide on the first raft. "

"I do not see it, " said Dallas; "we made both. "

"Yes; but the first was when we were 'prentices, the second was when wehad served our time. "

The speaker laughed as he said this; and as it happened, it was on thesecond day after that he pointed with something like triumph to somenewly cut and trimmed young pieces of pine-trunk notched in a peculiarway, cast up among some rocks on the shores of the little lake they werecrossing. 

"That's the end of 'em, my sons, " he said. 

"Oh, no; any one may have cut down those trees. "

"For sartain, my son; but I nailed 'em together, for there's one of myspikes still sticking in. Good nail, too; see how it's twisted andbent. "

This seemed unanswerable, but neither Abel nor Dallas was convinced. 

"They may have swum ashore, " Abel said to his cousin, as they lay downto sleep that night. 

"Yes, " said Dallas, "and I shall hold to Bob's proverb about those bornto be hanged. "

CHAPTER SIXTEEN. 

A PLUNGE INTO HOT QUARTERS. 

"So this is the golden city, " said Dallas, as he and Abel sat, worn outand disconsolate, gazing at a confusion of tents, sheds, and shanties, for it could be called nothing else, on the hither side of a tumbledtogether waste of snow and ice spreading to right and left. "Is it alla swindle or a dream?"

"I hope it's a dream, " replied his cousin, limping a step or two, andthen seating himself on the sledge which, footsore and weary, he hadbeen dragging for the last few days after they had finally abandonedtheir raft. "I hope it's a dream, and that we shall soon wake. "

The big Cornishman took his short pipe out of his mouth, blew a bigcloud, looked at his companions, who were asleep rolled up in theirblankets, and then at the cousins. 

"Oh, we're wide awake enough, my sons, " he said, "and we've got here atlast. "

"Yes, " said Dallas bitterly; "we've got here, and what next?"

"Make our piles, as the Yankees call it, my lads. "

"Where?" cried Abel. "Why, we had better have stayed and washedgold-dust out of the sand up one of those streams. "

"Oh, you mustn't judge of a place first sight; but I must say it aren'tpretty. People seems to chuck everything they don't want out o' doors, like the fisher folk down at home in Cornwall. But it's worse here, forthey've got no sea to come up and wash the rubbish away. "

"Nor yet a river, " said Dallas. "I expected the Yukon to be a grandflowing stream. "

"Well, give it a chance, my son, " said the big fellow cheerily. "Ariver can't flow till it begins to thaw a bit. Chap tells me it's verylate this year, but it'll break up and clear itself in a few hours. Says it's a sight worth seeing. "

"But we did not come to see sights, " said Abel peevishly. "Where's thatother man?"

"Gone. Told me to tell you both that he was very grateful for the helpyou had given him, and that now he's going to shift for himself. "

"The way of the world!" said Dallas dismally. 

"Oh, I don't know, my son. He's right enough. Said if he had the luckto find a good claim up one of the creeks he should peg out five morealongside of it and come and look us up, and made me promise I'd do thesame to him. What do you think of that?"

"Nothing, " said Dallas. "I'm too tired out to think of anything buteating and sleeping, and there seems to be no chance of finding a placeto do either. "

"No, my son; it's a case of help yourself. I've been having a lookround, and the only thing I can find anybody wants to sell is whisky. "

"Yes, that was all they had at the store I went to. That's the placewith the iron roof and the biscuit-tin sides--yonder, where thosehowling dogs are tied up. "

"Ah, I went there, " said the Cornishman, "and the Yankee chap it belongsto called it his hotel. But to go back to what we are to do next, myson. We mustn't stay here, but go up to one of the little streamsthey're talking about, and peg out claims as soon as we find good signs. Now, I've been thinking, like our chap who lost his knife, that we'dbetter separate here and go different ways. If we find a good placewe'll come to you, and if you find one you'll share with us. What doyou say?"

"Tired of our company?" asked Abel bitterly. 

The big fellow turned to him and smiled. 

"Look here, my son, " he said, "that foot of yours hurts you more thanyou owned to. You take my advice; after we've got a bit of a fire andmade our camp and cooked our bit o' supper, you make a tin o' water hotand bathe it well, and don't you use that foot much for a day or two. No, my sons, I'm not tired of you. If I had been I should ha' saidgood-bye days ago. I'm sorry for us to break up our party, but I'vebeen thinking that what I proposed was the best plan, even if it doessound rough. "

"Yes, I suppose it is, " said Dallas, speaking in a more manly way. "Ibeg your pardon. So does my cousin here. We're fagged out, and thisdoes seem such a damper. I wish we were back somewhere in thepine-woods. "

"Tchah! I don't want no pardons begged, my son. I know. When I sawthis lovely spot first I felt as if I could sit down and swear; but whatgood would that ha' done? It'll be all right. Now it seems to me thatwe shall be more comfort'ble if we go just over yonder away from thehotels and places, make our bit o' fire, get a pannikin of tea, and thentwo of us'll stop and look after the traps in case any one should comeand want to borrow things and we not know where they're gone. T'othershad better have a look round and drop in here and there at these placeswhere the men meet. It won't do to be proud out here. I want to seesome of the gold. "

"Eh?" cried a big, hearty voice, and a man who was passing stopped shortand looked at them. "Want to see some of the gold? Well, there youare!"

He unfastened a strap that went across his breast, and drew a heavyleather satchel from where it hung like a cartouche-box on his back. 

"Catch hold, " he cried. "That's some of the stuff. "

The three awake looked at the stranger sharply, and the Cornishmanopened the bag, to lay bare scales, grains, and water-worn and rubbedscraps of rich yellow gold, at the sight of which the new-comers drewtheir breath hard. 

"Did you get this here?" cried Dallas. 

"Not here, my lad, but at Upper Creek. That lot and two more like it. You'd better go on there as soon as you can if you want to take upclaims; but I must tell you that all the best are gone already. "

"Which is the way?" cried Abel. 

"I'll show you when I go back to-morrow, if you like. Where shall yoube?"

"Camping just over there, " said Dallas, pointing. 

"All right. I'm going to sleep at the hotel to-night. Come onby-and-by and see me, and we'll have a chat. "

"I say, my son, " said their big companion, putting his hand in the bag, half filling it, and letting the gold run back again, before beginningto fasten the flap. 

"My son! Why, you're a Cornishman. "

"That's so. "

"Glad to see a West-countryman out here. I'm from Devonport. But comeon and have a chat by-and-by. What were you going to say, though?"

"Seeing what a set of rough pups there are about here, my son, I wasgoing to say, is it safe for a man to carry about a lot of gold likethat?"

The stranger took back his bag and slung it over his shoulder again, ashe looked from one to the other, half-closed his eyes, and nodded. 

"Yes, and no, my lads. You're right; we have got some rough pups abouthere--chaps who'd put a bullet into a man for a quarter of what I've gotthere. But they daren't. We've got neither law nor police, you see. "

"No, I don't see, " said Dallas. "You speak in riddles. "

"You don't see, my lad, because you're a Johnny Newcome. I'll tell you. We've got some of the most blackguardly scum that could be took off thetop of the big town sink-holes--men who've come to rob and gamble; butwe've got, too, plenty of sturdy fellows like yourselves, who mean workand who trust one another--men who'll help each other at a pinch; andI've heard that there's a sort of lawyer fellow they call Judge Lynchhas put in an appearance, and he stands no nonsense. He's all on theside of the honest workers, and one of them has only to denounce a manas a thief for the Vigilants to nail him at once. Then there's a shorttrial, a short shrift, and there's one rogue the less in the world. "

"You mean if he's proved to be a thief, or red-handed. "

"That's it, my lads. There, I've got some friends to meet. Come on andsee me to-night. "

The speaker nodded cheerily to all three, and went off at a swinginggait. 

"Well, I wouldn't have minded shaking hands with that chap, " said thebig Cornishman. "The more of that sort there is out here the better. "

"Yes, " cried Dallas; "his words were quite cheering. "

"So was the sight of that little leather sack of his, my sons. Do yourfoot good, Mr Wray?"

"Yes, I forgot all about it, " said Abel, eagerly. "Here, let's make ourfire. "

This was done, and the billy soon began to bubble, when the tea wasthrown in and declared to be delicious, in spite of a mouldy tasteconsequent upon getting wet in its travels and being dried again. 

"Better if we hadn't had all our sugar spoiled, " said Dallas, as hemunched his biscuit along with a very fat rusty scrap of fried bacon. 

"It don't want any sugar, my son, " said the Cornishman. "I've juststirred a teaspoonful of that chap's gold-dust into it, and it has givenit a wonderful flavour. "

"Yes, " said Abel, "the sight of that gold seems to have quite changedeverything. "

The meal was finished, with the whole party refreshed and in the best ofspirits. Then the sledges were drawn together, a few smallpine-saplings bound on to make a roof, over which a couple of waterproofsheets were drawn, and there was a rough tent for a temporary home. 

By that time it was evening, and lanterns were being hung out here andthere, lamps lit in the shanties, and the place began to look morelively. In two tents there was the sound of music--a fiddle in one, abadly played German concertina in the other; but the result was notcheerful, for whenever they were in hearing the great shaggysledge-dogs, of which there were scores about, set up a dismal barkingand howling. 

The Cornishman's two friends had cheerfully elected to keep the camp, ata word from their big companion, and the other three started to have alook at the place and end by calling at the hotel upon their newacquaintance. 

As soon as they were a few yards away, the Cornishman laughed andwinked. "I can trust you, and I can trust Bob Tregelly, and that's me, my sons; but I can't trust them two where there's whisky about. They'vesworn to me that they won't go amongst it, and I'm not going to let 'em. Now then, I'm about to see if I can't find something to eat at areasonable price, and buy it. Have you lads got any money?"

"Yes, a little left, " replied both. 

"Then you'd better ware a pound or so the same way; biscuit and baconand meal, I should say. I'll meet you yonder at the hotel in an hour, and we'll pick up what we can about the whereabouts of the stuff; but weshan't want to stay here long, I expect. Will that do?"

"Yes, in an hour, " said Dallas, and they separated. 

There was not much to take the young men's attention, but they heard acouple of men say that the ice was giving, and another was telling agroup of a man having come to the hotel who had done wonders up somecreek he and his mates had tried. 

"Our friend, Bel, " said Dallas; and soon after, without making anypurchases, from the inability to find what they wanted, they strolledback just at dark towards the hotel. 

"What a hole!" said Abel, as they approached the place, to find from thelights, the noise, and clattering of drinking-vessels, that a tent whichhad been stretched over a wooden frame was crowded, and a couple of menin shirt-sleeves were busily going in and out from a side shed ofcorrugated iron, attending on the assembled guests. 

"Evening, gentlemen, " said the elder of the two. "You'll find roominside. Go right up the middle; there's more seats there. "

Just then there was a shout of excitement, and the young men looked atone another. 

"It's all right, gents, " said the man, who was evidently the landlord. "We're having a big night. There's a man from Upper Creek with a finesample of gold. I could show you if you like. Happy to bank for youtoo if you strike it rich, and supply you with stores and good advice. Any one will speak up for me. "

"But surely that means a row, " said Dallas, as a roar of voices camefrom the canvas building. 

"No; that's about a robbery on the track. Three men came in to-day, andthey're telling the lads how they were attacked and half killed. TheVigilants are strong here to-night, and there'll be business if thefellows are caught. We don't stand any nonsense here. "

"Shall we go in, Bel?" whispered Dallas. 

"Yes; we needn't stay long, " was the reply. "I want to talk to that manwith the gold. "

"This way, gentlemen, " said the bar-keeper. "You follow me. "

The pair followed the man into the long low place, along each side ofwhich were trestle tables crowded with men drinking and smoking, thetobacco fumes nearly filling the place like a fog. There was a gangwaydown the centre, and they followed their guide nearly to the end, whenboth started violently at the sight of a group of three men seated at atable beneath the largest swinging lamp, whose reflector threw a brightlight down on the biggest of the party, who was on his legs, waving hispipe as he talked loudly. 

"You're making a mistake, mates, " he said. "It's just as I telled you, and if it hadn't been for the pluck of my pals here we should have beendead as well as robbed. But you mark my words; they'll make for here, and if they do--ah, what did I say? Look, mates, look; this here's thevery pair. "

There was a wild shout of rage, as every man in the place seemed to leapto his feet; and before, utterly stunned by the sudden attack anddenunciation, either of the new-comers could find words to utter intheir defence, they were seized and dragged to their knees. 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. 

A TRIAL FOR LIFE. 

"It's false! A cowardly lie!" cried Dallas at last, as he tried toshake himself free. 

"Quiet!" cried one of his captors fiercely, "or you'll git intotrouble!"

"Yes, a lie--a lie!" cried Abel, finding his voice. "Don't choke me, sir. Give a man fair play. "

"Oh, yes, you shall have fair play, " said another sternly. 

"Those men attacked and tried to murder us both yonder in the snowypass. "

"Well! I ham!" roared the red-bearded scoundrel, looking roundprotestingly at all present. "But there, I've done. "

He dropped heavily back in his seat, and held up his hands to his twocompanions. 

"That's a queer way of defending yourself, young fellow, " said a stern, square-looking man, who spoke roughly, but in a way that suggestededucation. 

"Yes, but it's the truth, " cried Dallas firmly. "Hands off, gentlemen. We shall not try to run away. "

"Now, then: these three gentlemen say they have been robbed on theroad. "

"And I say it is false. That man is a liar and a thief--a would-bemurderer. "

"Well, " cried the red-bearded man again. "Did you ever, mates?"

"No, " cried one of the others. "Why, he talks like a play actor. "

"Look here, gentlemen, " cried the third excitedly, and he rose, planteda foot on the bench, and bared his bound-up leg, "here's that tall un'sshot as went through my calf here. I'm as lame as a broken-kneed un. "

A murmur of sympathy ran through the place, and Dallas spoke out againas Abel looked quietly round at the grim faces lowering through thesmoke. 

"Look here, gentlemen, I can prove my words, " cried Dallas. 

"Very well, then, " said the dark, square-looking man, "prove them; youshall not be condemned unheard. "

A chill ran through the young man at the other's judicial tone, and thename of Judge Lynch rose to his mind. But he spoke out firmly. 

"A friend who has journeyed here with me is to meet me here to-night. --Ah, here is one gentleman who knows us;" and he made a step towardstheir bluff acquaintance of that evening, who had risen from his seatfarther in, and was looking frowningly on. "Speak a word for us, sir. "

"Well, my lad, I never saw you till to-night, " was the reply. "I didhave a chat with this man, gentlemen, and his mate there, and I foundthem well-spoken young fellows as ever I met. "

"But you never saw them before, " said the dark man. 

"Well, I must tell the truth, " said the gold-finder. 

"Of course. "

"No, " said the man sadly, "I never did but fair play, gentlemen, please. "

"They shall have fair play enough, " said the dark man. "What about yourfriend, prisoners, is this he?"

"Prisoners!" gasped Abel. "No, no; a friend who travelled with us. "

"Bah! Another lie, gentlemen, " cried Redbeard mockingly; "they werealone, and shot my mate, so that it was two to two; but they took us inambush like, and by surprise. They hadn't got no friend with 'em. "

"Yes, they had, " cried a loud voice which dominated the roar of angerwhich arose; "they had me; I was along with 'em--only a little un, mysons, but big enough for you all to see. "

There was a laugh at this, but it was silenced by the dark man's voice. 

"Silence, gentlemen, please, " he said, "and no laughter where two men'slives are at stake. "

A chill ran through Dallas again, but he forced a smile at his cousin, as if to say, what he did not think, "It will be all right now. "

"Look here, " cried the Cornishman, drawing himself up to his fullheight, and looking round as if to address every one present; "theseyoungsters said what was quite right. They've been along with me andtwo more ever since we dug 'em out of the snow. "

"That's right, as far as I know, " said their acquaintance with the gold;"there was a party of five when I came upon them to-night;" and a freshmurmur arose. 

"It's all right, mates, " said Redbeard to his two companions; "there's agang of 'em, but don't you be skeared; these gents'll see justice done. "

"Well, I don't mind being called one of a gang, my sons, " said theCornishman. "I worked on the railway once, and I was ganger, or, as youcall it here, boss, over a dozen men; but if this chap, who looks as redas if he'd come out of a tin-mine, says I robbed him, I'll crack himlike I would a walnut in a door. "

There was a roar of laughter here, and cries of "Well done, little un!"But the dark man sternly called for silence once more. 

"Now, sir, what do you say to this?" he said to Redbeard sharply. 

"What I said before, boss. That big chap wasn't with 'em then. I saythese two young larrikins tried to rob and do for us. Look at his leg!"

"Robbed yer and tried to do for yer? Did they, now! Well, they do looka pair of bad uns, don't they, my sons?--bad as these three looks goodand innercent and milky. "

"Hear him!" growled Redbeard fiercely. "Talking like that, with my poormate suffering from a wound like this, pardners, " and he pointed to hiscompanion's leg. 

"Get out!" roared the Cornishman scornfully; "put that sore prop away;you're talking to men, not a set of bairns. Think they're going to begammoned by a bit of play-acting?"

There was another loud murmur of excitement, the occupants of the canvasbuilding crowding up closer, evidently thoroughly enjoying the genuinedrama being enacted in their presence, and eager to see the_denouement_, even if it only proved to be a fight between the twogiants taking now the leading parts. 

The man with the red beard felt that matters were growing critical forthe accusers, while public opinion was veering round in favour of theprisoners; and resting one hand upon his hip, and flourishing his pipewith the other, he took a step forward, his eyes full of menace, andfaced the Cornishman. 

"Look ye here, old un, " he growled, "I'm a plain, straightforward, honest man, as has come up here to try and get a few scraps o' redgold. "

"Same here, my lad. "

"And I want to know whether you mean all that 'ere nasty, or whether youmean it nice?"

"Just as you like, my son, " cried the Cornishman. "You've told thecompany here that my two young friends tried to rob and settle you. Itell the company that it's as big a lie as was ever spoke. "

"Well!" growled the man again, and he looked round at his companions;"of all--"

"Yes, " said the Cornishman, "an out-and-out lie; and I could play thesame cards as you, and show judge here and all of you the mark of yourbullets in one of my young friends' shoulder, and on the other's skull. But I don't. "

"Yes, you do, " said the dark man. "Let's see them. "

"Hear, hear! Bravo, judge! Right, right!" came in chorus. 

"Very good, gentlemen, " said the Cornishman, turning calmly to Dallas. "You show first. "

"It is nearly healed up now, " said Dallas. 

"Hor, hor, hor!" laughed the man with the red beard, "hear him!"

Dallas gave him a fierce glance, and as his captors set him free hehastily slipped off jacket and waistcoat, before tearing open his shirtand laying bare an ugly red scar where a bullet had ploughed hisshoulder; and a murmur once more arose. 

"That will do, " said the dark man. "Now the other. "

"I have nothing to show, " said Abel. "The bullet struck my cap, andjust glanced along the side of my head. "

"Come close under the lamp, " said the dark man sternly. 

"Better mind your eye, " said Redbeard warningly. 

The dark man gave him a sharp look, and then bade Abel kneel down andbend his head sideways. 

As he did so a whitish line a few inches long was visible where the hairhad been taken off, and at the sight of this there was a fresh murmur. 

"That's good proof in both cases, gentlemen, " said the dark man firmly. "Now, sir, " he continued, "what more have you to say in support of yourevidence?"

"This here, " cried Redbeard. "I want to know first whether this bullycountryman here means what he said nasty, or whether he means it nice?"

"Hear, hear!" shouted a voice behind. 

"Just which you please, my fine fellow, " said the Cornishman; "you cantake it hot with sugar, or cold with a red-hot cinder in it, if youlike. "

"Then maybe I'll take it hot, " cried Redbeard, fiercely. 

He spoke with one hand behind him, and quick as thought he brought itround with a swing, but a man near him struck it up. 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. 

HANGING BY A THREAD. 

"Stop that!" shouted the judge, springing to his feet. The Cornishmanstood quite unmoved. 

There was silence directly, and the dark man went on. "Gentlemen, " hecried, "we have made this a court of justice, and you chose me the otherday, being an English barrister, to act as judge. "

"Yes, yes, " came in a fierce shout, which crushed down some murmurs ofopposition. "Go on, judge--go on. "

"I will, gentlemen, till you bring forward another man to take my place. Once more, we are here on British ground. "

"No, no, " came from the minority; "American. "

"British, gentlemen; and as subjects of her Majesty the Empress-Queen westand by law and order. "

"Hear, hear!" was shouted. 

"We will have no rowdyism, no crimes against our little society, whilewe toil for our gold. "

"Hear, hear!"

"We have already bound ourselves to carry on our home-made laws here, sothat every man can bring in his winnings and place them with thelandlord, or leave them in his hut or tent, knowing that they are safe;and we are agreed that the man who robs one of us of his gold shallsuffer for his crime, the same as if he had committed a murder. "

"That's right, judge--that's right!" was roared. 

"Very well, then, " said the judge. "I have one word to say to those whohave raised their voices several times to-night. Let me tell them thatif they are not satisfied with our ideas of fair play, they had betterpack their sledges and go right away. "

"Likely!" shouted a man at the back; "and what about our claims we havestaked out?"

"Let them be valued by a jury of six a-side, and I'll give the castingvote if it's a tie. We'll club together and buy, you shall have goodhonest value, and then you can go farther afield. There's plenty foreverybody, and the country's open. If you don't agree to that and electto stay, you must side with us and keep the law. Now then, who sayshe'll go?"

"None of us, jedge, " came in a slow drawl. "You're right, and whetherthis is Murrican or Canady land, we all back you up. "

There was a deafening shout at this, and as soon as silence came againthe dark man said firmly, "Now, gentlemen, to settle the business onhand. We're not going to make the Yukon gold region a close borough. "

"That's right, jedge, " said an American. 

"Every honest man is welcome here, but we want it known that for therowdy thief and law-breaker there will be a short shrift and the rope. "

There was another roar, and as it subsided the man with the red beardshouted, "That's right, pardners, right as right; and what me and mymates here want is justice and protection from them as robbed us, andtried to shoot us down. There they are, three o' the gang, and you'vegot 'em fast. Now what do you say?"

The two young men stood rigid and silent, expectant of the fateful wordswhich might bring their careers to a close. They knew that wild appealsfor mercy and loud protestation would be of no avail, but would belooked upon as arrant cowardice; and as the moments went on, heavy andleaden winged, a strange feeling of rebellion against the cruelty offate raised a sense of anger, and stubborn determination began to grow. 

It was too horrible to dwell upon, this prospect of the most ignominiousdeath: an adverse judgment based on the vote of a crowd of rugged, determined men fighting for their own safety and the protection of thegold they were dragging from where it had lain since the creation of theworld; but still it seemed to be their fate, and in both the growingfeeling was the same--a sense of rage and hatred against the remorselessscoundrels who, to make their own position safe in the gold region, wereready to sacrifice the lives of their victims. 

"If we could only be face to face with them alone, " they felt, "with thechance to fight against them for our lives! The cowards! The dogs!"

Their musings were brought to an end by the voice of the head man of thetrio, who broke in upon the whispering together of the judge and severalof the men who had closed round him. "Well, pardners, " he cried;"what's it to be after all you've said? Are we to have fair play, orare we to go where we can get it?"

"Wait a bit, sir, and you and your friends shall have fair play; neverfear. "

"Don't be in a hurry, " shouted one of the Americans at the back. "Jedgedon't want to hang the wrong men. "

"No, sir, " said the dark gold-seeker sternly; "we don't want to hang thewrong men, and there is a growing opinion here that you and yourcompanions have not made out your charge. "

"What!" roared Redbeard, as the Cornishman gave his young companions anod; "not made out our case? Hear that, mates? Well, I _am_ blessed!"

"You charge them with robbery and attempted murder. "

"Yes; didn't my mate show you his leg?" cried Redbeard indignantly. 

"Oh, yes; and the prisoners, who defend themselves by charging you withattacking them, reply by displaying their wounds. "

"Well, wouldn't you shoot if you was attacked? So where's yourjustice?"

"I will show you that I want to give you fair play, " said the judge. "There is enough in this case to mean the sternest sentence, and it willbe awarded to the guilty parties. "

There was a murmur of approval at this, and the judge said sternly, "Separate those three men, and separate the prisoners; keep them apart, so that they cannot communicate with one another. "

There was a quick movement, and a couple of armed men placed themselvesright and left of Dallas and Abel. 

"Hullo!" said the Cornishman, "am I a prisoner, too? All right; I'm ingood company. "

But there was a little resistance on the part of the accusing party. 

"Look here, " growled Redbeard fiercely, "I want to know what thismeans. "

"The rope and the tree for you and your friends if you fire, sir, " criedthe judge sternly. 

"But--"

"Stand where you are, " cried the judge. "Six of you take those othertwo outside, quite apart, and mind, you are answerable to your sherifffor bringing them back. "

Redbeard growled as he stood beneath the great lamp, the two otherswhich had been burning having been turned out so that a better viewcould be had from behind of each stage of the proceedings. 

"Look here, " cried Redbeard fiercely, as his companions were led out, "why aren't the prisoners to be sent out too? Is this fair play, pardners?"

"Yes, " said the judge; "they are the prisoners. I only want yourwitnesses to be out of court. "

There was a dead silence while the two men were led away, and a ray ofhope began to shed light through the darkness of despair in the youngmen's brains, as they read in all this a strange desire on the part oftheir amateur judge to do justice between the parties. 

They glanced round through the smoke of the gloomy place, to see fierceeyes fixed upon them on all sides, while in front there was the judgeand his supporters, and their red-bearded, savage-looking accuserbeneath the lamp, which shone full upon him. The smoke now hung abovethem in a dense cloud. 

"Is it a dream?" said Dallas to himself; and then he started, for thejudge said sharply to the man before him:

"Now, sir, you and your two friends have come here to dig gold. "

"That's right, captain. "

"Where did you come from?"

"Washington territory. "

"That will do. Bring in the next witness. "

There was a suppressed buzz of excitement, while Redbeard stood glaringbeneath the lamp, and the next man was led in. 

"Now, sir, you are not sworn, " said the judge, "but consider that youare on your oath. It is a matter perhaps of life or death. Answer myquestions. You and your friends came here to find gold?"

"That's so, jedge. "

"Where did you come from?"

"Me and my mates? Noo York. "

"That will do. Silence!" cried the judge. "The next man. Keep thosetwo well apart. "

The third man was led in, and the same questions asked him, when to thesecond he responded sharply:

"Chicago. "

There was a roar at this, but the judge held up his hand. "Silence, gentlemen, please, while I deliver judgment'" and a deep silence fell, while the three men glared meaningly one at the other. "I have giventhis a perfectly fair hearing, and I say--"

_Crash_!

The shivering of a lamp-glass, a burst of flame like a flash oflightning, as the lamp was dashed from where it hung; and then for a fewmoments intense darkness, while there was a sudden roar and rush for theentrance. 

CHAPTER NINETEEN. 

TO SAVE A SNARLING CUR. 

The struggle was short, for the sides of the canvas building were frail;and as the flames ran swiftly up one side and the burning rags of thecanvas roof began to fall upon the struggling crowd, a wave rushedagainst the opposite side, which gave way like so much paper, and thepanting, half-stifled sufferers gained the cool fresh night air. 

"Any one left within?" panted the judge; but the silence which followedwas enough to indicate that all had escaped. 

"Where are the other prisoners?"

"We are here--my cousin and I, " cried Abel, for they had made no attemptto escape. 

"And the witnesses?" cried the judge. "I have the scoundrel who dasheddown the lamp. "

"We have the other two here, " replied voices. 

"Then, gentlemen, " said the judge, "I think we had better have anothertrial in the open air. What do you say to that as an attempt atwholesale murder? Come and help me here, some of you. I've got the bigman down, but he's as strong as a horse. I couldn't have held him if Ihadn't thrown a biscuit-bag over his head. "

It was light for a few minutes while the canvas roof of the saloonburned; but as the woodwork was rapidly torn down and trampled out tosave the so-called hotel, all was dark again, with a pungent smokearising. 

Two men were dragged into the circle which had formed round the judge, whose figure could be just made out as he kneeled between the shouldersof the man he had down; and Dallas and Abel stood close by, fascinatedas it were, and feeling a thrill of horror as they thought of theirenemies' impending fate. 

"It's horrible, Dal, " whispered Abel. "I hate the brute, but I don'twant to see him hanged. "

"Then you'd better be off, " said a man who heard the remark, "for thebeast will swing before many minutes are passed. "

"I don't see why you two young fellows should care, " said another. "Hewas eager enough to get you hanged. "

"Have you made his wrists fast behind him?" said the judge out of thedarkness. 

"Yes; all right. "

"Let him get up, then. Here, landlord--squire--a lantern here. "

"Haven't you had light enough, judge? What about my saloon?"

"All right, old fellow, " said a voice. "You hold plenty of our gold;we'll club together to pay for a better one. "

"Thank ye, gentlemen. Hi! bring a lantern. "

At the same moment the prisoner rose to his feet, and the sack over hishead was drawn off. 

"I say, you know, I've come quietly, " he cried in a hoarse voice. "Here, put those pistols down. You haven't served my two young chapslike that, have you?"

"Bob Tregelly?" cried Dallas and Abel in a breath. 

"What's left of him, my sons. They've 'most smothered me. "

"Hallo!" said the judge at the same moment. "I took you in the dark forthat red-bearded fellow. "

"I was going for him when you pulled that bag over my head, " growled theCornishman. 

"Here, who has got that fellow?" roared the judge. 

"We've got his mates, " came out of the darkness, and two men weredragged forward, struggling hard to get free. 

"Here, what game do you call this?" snarled one of them, as soon as hecould speak. 

"Yes, " said the other. "You fools: you've got the wrong men. "

"I'm blessed! Ha, ha, ha!" roared the big Cornishman. 

"You've never let those other two escape, have you?" roared the judgeangrily. 

"Well, you've let the big un go, judge, and caught me, " said theCornishman merrily. "But I say, my son, who's the guilty party now?"

"Not much doubt about that. There, my lads, it's of no use to go afterthem; they've done us this time, and got away; but I think we may keepthe ropes ready for them when they come again. "

"Hear, hear!" was roared, and an ovation followed for the trio who hadbeen suspected, every man present seeming as if he could not make enoughof them, till they managed to slip away to their tent. 

"I think a quiet pipe'll do me good after all that business, " saidTregelly. "We've done about enough for one day. Rum sort o' life, mysons. I shall be glad to get steadily to work as soon as we know whereto begin. "

The canvas was fastened down soon after, and the occupants of the roughtent prepared for a good night's rest; but it was a long time in comingto the cousins, whose nerves had been too much jarred for them to followthe example of their three companions. And they lay listening to themany sounds about, principal among which was the barking and fighting ofthe sledge-dogs; but at last they dropped into a troubled slumber, onein which it seemed to Dallas that he was lying upon his hard waterproofsheet in a nightmare-like dream, watching his enemy, the red-beardedman, who was crawling on hands and knees to the rough tent, with a knifebetween his teeth, and trying to force his way under the end of one ofthe sledges to get to him and pin him to the earth. 

There he was, coming nearer and nearer, right into the tent place now, while his hot breath fanned the dreamer's cheek, and his hands wereresting upon his chest as if feeling for a vital spot to strike. With atremendous effort, Dallas sprang up and struck at him, when there was aloud snarling yelp, and Abel cried in alarm, "What is it, Dal?"

"Dog, " said Tregelly, "smelling after grub. The poor brutes seem halfstarved. Hasn't taken a bit out of either of you, has he? Good-night, my sons; I was dreaming I'd hit upon heaps of gold. "

Dallas sank back with a sigh of relief, and dropped off into a restfulsleep, which lasted till morning, when they were aroused by a terrificsound of cracking as of rifles, mingled with a peculiar roar, and astrange rushing sound. 

"What is it?" cried Abel, who was one of the first to spring up; "anearthquake?"

"Like enough, my son, " said Tregelly. "I'm ready for anything here. Sounds like the mountains playing at skittles. "

"She's going at last, " cried a voice outside. "By jingo! it's fine. Come and look. "

"It's the ice breaking up, " cried Dallas excitedly. 

"Then we will go and look, " said Tregelly, "though that chap wasn'tspeaking to us. " And, no dressing being necessary, all hurried out, tofind that the fettered Yukon was completely changed, the ice being allin motion, splitting up, grinding, and crushing, and with blocks beingforced up one over the other till they toppled down with a roar, to helpin breaking up those around. 

The previous evening it would have been possible for a regiment to crossthe river by climbing over and among the great blocks which were stillfrozen together, but now it would have been certain death for the mostactive man to attempt the first fifty yards. 

Every one was out in the bright sunny morning watching the breaking up;and among the first they encountered were the judge, of the last night'sepisode, and their friend the gold-finder, both of whom shook handsheartily, but made no allusion to the trial. "Good job for every one, "said the judge; "we shall soon be having boats up after this. We shallbe clear here in a couple of days. "

"So soon?" said Dallas. 

"Oh, yes, " replied his informant. "There's a tremendous body of waterlet loose up above, and it runs under the ice, lifts it, and makes theice break up; and once it is set in motion it is always grindingsmaller, till, long before it reaches the sea, it has become powder, andthen water again. "

"I say, " cried the miner, "there's some one's dog out yonder. He'snipped by the legs, and it's about all over with him, I should say. "

"Here, stop! What are you going to do?" cried the judge. 

But Dallas did not hear him. He had been one of the first to see theperilous position of a great wolfish-looking hound some twenty yardsfrom the shore, where it was struggling vainly, prisoned as it was, uttering a faint yelp every now and then, and gazing piteously at thespectators on the bank. 

"The lad's mad, " cried the judge, going closer to the ice. 

But, mad or no, Dallas had, in his ignorance of the great danger of theact, run down, boldly leaped on the moving ice, and stepped from blockto block till he reached the dog, which began to whine and bark loudly, as it made frantic efforts to free its hindquarters. In another minuteit would have been drawn down farther, but for the coming of the youngman, who, heedless of the rocking and gliding motion of the ice, strodethe narrow opening between the two masses which held the dog, stoopingdown at the same moment, and seizing the poor brute by the rough hairabout its neck. 

For a few moments his effort seemed vain, and a roar of voices reachedhim, as the spectators shouted to him to come back. 

Then the two pieces swayed slightly, and gradually drew apart, and thedog was at liberty, but apparently with one leg crushed, for it laydown, howling dismally after an effort to limp back to the land. 

There was a great strap round its neck, and this was joined to anotherjust behind its shoulders, and, seizing this, Dallas flung the pooranimal on its side and dragged it after him as he began to stepcautiously back from block to block, now sinking down, now rising, andnow narrowly escaping being caught between the moving pieces; but hekept on, conscious, though, that the bank seemed rising upward; whilethe crushing and roar of the breaking ice prevented him from hearing thewords of advice shouted by his friends. 

He could not hear, but he could see Bel, who was forcing his way throughthe crowd to keep alongside, ready to help him when he came withinreach, if ever he did, and it was from him that he afterwards learnedthat the advice shouted was to let the dog take his chance. 

Twice over the set of the ice was off the shore, and matters looked badfor the young adventurer, but he stuck to the dog, and, just when thechance of reaching the shore seemed most hopeless, a couple of largeflat floes rose up, and, making a dash, Dallas went boldly across them, reaching others that did not yield so much, and the next minute therewas a cheer which he could hear, for he reached the shore with the dog, which looked up in his face and whined, and then limped off through thecrowd. 

"Life seems cheap your way, my fine fellow, " said the judge. "Fiveminutes ago I wouldn't have given a grain of gold for yours. We don'tdo that sort of thing out here for the sake of a vicious, thieving dog. "

"I could not stand by and see the poor brute die, " said Dallas quietly. 

"So it seems, " said the judge. "Well, I congratulate you two youngfellows on your escape last night. Those scoundrels have got away; andif they turn up again, lawyer though I am, I should advise you both toshoot on sight. If you are brought before me, I'll promise you I willbring it in justifiable homicide. "

A couple of hours later they had parted from Tregelly and hiscompanions, with a hearty shake of the hand and a promise to keep totheir agreement about the gold. 

"If we discover a good place. "

CHAPTER TWENTY. 

NORTON'S IDEA OF A GOOD SPOT. 

It was a long, weary tramp up by the higher waters of the huge YukonRiver towards its sources in the neighbourhood of the Pelly Lakes, wheresharp rapids and torrents were succeeded by small, shallow lakes; andwherever they halted, shovel and pan were set to work, and, as theirguide Norton termed it, the granite and sand were tasted, and gold inexceedingly small quantities was found. 

"It's so 'most everywhere, " said Norton; "and I don't say but what youmight find a rich spot at any time; but if you take my advice you'llcome straight on with me to where a few of us are settled down. It'sregularly into the wilds. I don't suppose even an Indian has been therebefore; but we chaps went up. "

"But there are Indians about, I suppose?" said Abel. 

"Mebbe, but I haven't seen any. "

The end of their journey was reached at last, high up the creek they hadfollowed, and, save here and there in sheltered rifts, the snow wasgone; the brief summer was at hand, and clothing the stones with flowersand verdure that were most refreshing after the wintry rigours throughwhich they had forced their way. 

"Nice and free and open, eh?" said Norton, smiling. "I may as wellshow you to the comrades up here, and then I'll help you pick out adecent claim, and you can set to work. There's only about a dozen of ushere yet, and so you won't be mobbed. "

"Very well, " said Dallas; "but we'll try in that open space where thetrees are so young. "

Norton nodded, and, armed with a shovel and pan, the young men steppedto a spot about fifty feet from the edge of the rushing stream, clearedaway the green growth among the young pines, and Dallas tried to drivedown his shovel through the loose, gravelly soil; but the tool did notpenetrate four inches. 

"Why, it's stone underneath. "

"Ice, " said Norton, smiling. "It hasn't had time to thaw down far yet;but you skin off some of the gravelly top, and try it. "

Dallas filled the pan, and they went together to a shallow place by theside of the creek, bent down, and, with the pan just beneath thesurface, agitated and stirred it, the water washing away the thick muddyportion till nothing was left but sand and stones. 

These latter were picked out and thrown away; more washing followed, more little stones were thrown out, and at last there was nothing but adeposit of sand at the bottom, in which gleamed brightly some specks andscales of bright yellow gold. 

Norton finished his pipe, and then led the way farther up the stream, tostop at last by a rough pine-wood shed thatched with boughs. 

"This is my mansion, " he said. "Leave the sledges here, and we'll goand see the rest. "

The stream turned and twisted about here in a wonderful way, doublingback upon itself, and spreading about over a space of three or fourmiles along the winding valley where the tiny mining settlement had beenpitched--only some six or seven huts among the dwarfed pine-trees inall, the places being marked by fallen trees and stumps protruding fromthe ground. 

They were all made on the same pattern, of stout young pine-trees withridge-pole and rafters to support a dense thatching of boughs, andmostly with a hole left in the centre of the roof for the smoke of thefire burned within to escape. 

The two strangers were received in a friendly enough way, the roughsettlers chatting freely about the new-comers' prospects, showingspecimens of the gold they had found, and making suggestions about thelikeliest spot for marking out a claim along the bank. 

The result was that before the day ended, acting a good deal underNorton's advice, the young men had marked out a double claim and settledwhere their hut should be set up, so as to form a fresh addition to thecamp. 

"You ought to do well here, " said Norton. "There's gold worth millionsof money in this district for certain; but the question is, can youstrike it rich or only poor? If I thought I could do better somewhereelse I should go, but I'm going to try it fairly here. "

"We'll do the same, " said Dallas; and, the weather being brilliant andthe air exhilarating to a degree, they set to work cutting pegs fordriving down to make out their claim, Norton reminding them that theywould have certain applications to make afterwards to the governmentagency, and then began to cut down small trees for building theirshanty. 

To their surprise and delight, four of the neighbours came, axe-armed, to help, so that the task was made comparatively easy. 

At the end of a week a rough, strong, habitable home was made, door, window, shutter and bars included, two of their helpers having comeprovided with a pit-saw for cutting the bigger pine-trunks up into roughboards, which were to be paid for out of the first gold winnings theyoung men made. 

Within another week they were out of debt, for, to their intensedelight, the claim promised well, the shaft they had commenced and thebanks of the little river yielding enough gold to set them working everyminute they could see. 

But the reality did not come up to the dazzling dream in which they hadindulged, either in their case or that of the men they encountered. There was the gold, and they won it from the soil; but it was only byhard labour and in small quantities, which were stored up in a leathernbag and placed in the bank--this being a hole formed under Abel's bed, covered first with a few short pieces of plank, and then with dry earth. 

The store increased as the time went on, but then it decreased when anexpedition had to be made to the settlement below to fetch moreprovisions, the country around supplying them with plenty of fuel andclear drinking water, but little else. Now and then there was therumour of a moose being seen, and a party would turn out and shoot it, when there was feasting while it lasted; but these days were few. 

Occasionally, too, either Dallas or Abel would stroll round with his gunand get a few ptarmigan or willow grouse. On lucky days, too, a braceof wild ducks would fall to their shot; but these excursions were rare, for there was the one great thirst to satisfy--that for the gold; andfor the most part their existence during the brief summer was filled upby hard toil, digging and cradling the gold-bearing gravel, while theylived upon coarse bacon, beans, and ill-made cakey bread, tormentedhorribly the while by the mosquitoes, which increased by myriads in thesunny time. 

Then came the days when the wretched little insect pests began to growrarer. 

"We shall not be able to work as late as this much longer, " said Dallas. 

"No, " replied Abel; "the days are getting horribly short, and the nightsterribly long. The dark winter will be upon us directly, and we seem toget no farther. "

"We may turn up trumps at any moment, old fellow, " said Dallas cheerily. 

"Yes, we may, " said Abel gloomily. 

"Don't take it like that, " cried Dallas. "Here we are in the goldregion, and every day we find nuggets. "

"Weighing two or three grains apiece. "

"Exactly; but at any moment we might at a turn of the shovel lay thembare weighing ounces or even pounds. "

"Pigs might fly, " said Abel. 

"Bah! Where's your pluck? Work away. "

"Oh, yes, I'll work, " said Abel; "but with the dreary winter coming onone can't help feeling a bit depressed. I say, I'm very glad we neversent a message to old Tregelly and his mates to come and join us. "

"Well, it would have turned out rather crusty, " said Dallas, who wasshovelling gravel into the cradle, while Abel stood over his ankle inthe stream, rocking away and stopping from time to time to pick out sometiny speck of gold. 

"We shall never make our fortunes at this, " he said. 

"Bah! Don't be in a hurry. At all events, we are in safety. No fearof dangerous visitors, and--Here, quick--the hut--your rifle, man!Run!"

Abel sprang to the shore, to be seized by the arm, and they ran fortheir weapons and shelter. 

None too soon, for a big burly figure had come into sight from among thepines, stopped short, and brought down his rifle, as he stood shadinghis eyes and scanning the retreating pair. 

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. 

TREGELLY SEEKS HIS SONS. 

"Ahoy, there! What cheer, O!" rang out in a big bluff voice familiar toboth. 

"Oh, I say, what curs we are!" cried Dallas. "It's old Tregelly. "

"Yes; don't let him know we were scared. "

Vain advice. The big Cornishman shouldered his rifle, bent forward, anddragged a sledge into sight, broke into a trot, and they met half-way. 

"Hullo, my sons! Did you take me for an Injun?" cried Tregelly. 

"We took you for that big, red-bearded ruffian, " said Dallas huskily, ashe shook hands. 

"Thankye, my son; on'y don't do it again. I don't like the compliment. But how are you?--how are you?"

"Oh, middling. We were just thinking about you. "

"Were you, my sons?" cried the big Cornishman, smiling all over hisbroad face. "That's right. Well, I was thinking about you, andwondering whether I should find you, and here you are first go. "

"But how did you find us?" cried Dallas, after shaking hands warmly. 

"Went back to Yukon Town a fortni't ago, and the chap there at the hoteltold me you were still up here, for one of you came down now and then tobuy stores. "

"Did you see the judge?"

"Oh, yes, he's there still. "

"Made his pile?"

"No-o-o! Done pretty tidy, I believe. "

"And what about Redbeard and Company? Heard anything of that firm?"

"Yes; heard that they'd been seen by somebody, my son. There'd been apoor fellow done for up the country, and some gold carried off. Theygot the credit of it; but give a dog a bad name and--you know the rest. I should say they're all dead by now. "

"But why didn't you send for us?" said Abel. 

"Why didn't you send for me?"

"Well, " said Dallas drily, "it was out of good fellowship. We wereafraid it would be more than you could bear to get so rich. But whereare your comrades?"

"Gone home, " said Tregelly, in a tone of voice that the two young mentook to mean, "Don't ask questions!"

"But you've found a lot?" said Dallas. 

"Well, yes, my sons; we managed to scrape a good deal together, somehere and some there, for we changed about and travelled over a good dealof ground. "

"And you have sent it home?"

"Nay-y-ay! I've got it here on the sledge. "

"Oh!" said Abel, looking at the shabby kit their visitor had left closeto the door of the hut. 

"I've got a bit in a bag; but, you see, it costs all you can scrapetogether to live wherever I've been; so I thought I'd look you two up, as my mates had gone, so as to be company for a poor little lonely chap. Will you have me?"

"Of course. "

"Any chance of picking up a decent claim here?"

"Plenty, such as we have, " replied Dallas. "You'll be able to do aswell as we've done, and the others about here. "

"That means the lumps of gold are not too big to lift?"

"That's it, " said Dallas. "I've been thinking that if we were here nextsummer, we ought to get a lot of ants and train them to carry the grainsfor us. "

"Ah, I see, my sons. I say, one might almost have made as much bystopping at home, eh?"

"Here, don't you come here to begin croaking, " cried Dallas. "Abel herecan do that enough for a dozen. "

"Can he?" cried Tregelly. "Oh, you mustn't do that, my son. There'splenty of gold if we can only find it. I saw a chap with a gashly lumpas big as a baby's fist. We'll do it yet. So you haven't done muchgood, then?"

"If we had we should have sent word for you to come. "

"And I should have sent or come for you, my sons. Look here, we'dbetter make a change, and explore higher up towards the mountains. "

"Too late this year, " said Dallas decisively. 

"Oh, yes; too late this season, my sons. We mustn't get too far fromthe supplies. Means--you know what! famine and that sort o' thing. "

"Yes, we know, " said Abel bitterly. 

"We'll do it when the days begin to lengthen again, " continued Tregelly. "What we've got to do is to make as big a heap here as we can duringthe winter, wash it out in the spring, and if it's good enough, thenstop here. If it aren't, go and find a better place. "

"Yes, that's right, " said Dallas. "But about rations. There's nothingto be got here. Have you brought plenty?"

"Much as ever I could pull, my sons, and I'll take it kindly if you'lllet me camp with you to-night, so that I can leave my swag with youwhile I hunt out a claim. "

"Of course, " cried Dallas; "we'll help you all we can. "

"There's that pitch down yonder, Dal, " said Abel--"the one we saidlooked likely. "

"Of course; the place we tried, and which seemed fairly rich. "

"That sounds well, " said Tregelly. What was more, it looked so wellthat the big fellow decided to stay there at once, and put in his pegs, the only drawback seeming to be its remoteness from the scattered claimsof the others up the creek. 

But this did not trouble the big Cornishman in the least. With the helpfreely given by his two friends, pines were cut down, a hut knockedtogether, and many days had not elapsed before he was working away, andlooking as much at home as if he had been there all the season, declaring when they met after working hours that it was much better thananything he and his companions had come across during their travels. 

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. 

A NIGHT ALARM. 

"There's a deal in make-believe, Bel, old chap, " said Dallas one day, asthey sat together in their rough hut of fir-trunks, brooding over thefire lit in the centre of the floor, the blinding smoke from whichescaped slowly out of an opening in the roof, when the fierce wind didnot drive it back in company with the fine sharp snow, which was comingdown in a regular blizzard. 

"Oh, yes, a deal, if you have any faith, " said Abel bitterly; "butmine's all dead. "

"Gammon!" cried Dallas. "You're out of sorts, and that makes youdisposed to find fault. But I must confess that during this blizzardlystorm the Castle hall is a little draughty. These antique structuresgenerally are. "

"Months and months of wandering, slavery and misery, and to come tothis!"

"Yes, you are not at your best, old man. How's the foot?"

"Rotting off as a frozen member will. "

"My dear Bel, you want a tonic!" said Dallas cheerily. 

"Think you will be able to live through this awful winter, Dal?"

"Live! I should think we will, " said the young man, carefully pickingup and laying some of the half-burned brands on the centre of thecrackling fire. "So will you. "

"No, I shall never see home again. "

"Bel, you're a lazy beggar, with a natural dislike to cold, " saidDallas. "It always was so, and you always used to have the worstchilblains, and turn grumpy when they itched and burned. You don't makethe best of things, old chap. "

"No, Dal, I haven't got your spirit. How many days longer will thatmeal last?"

"That depends, dear boy, on whether we are frugal, or go on banquetingand gorging. "

"It is dreadfully low, isn't it?"

"Well, the supply is not great, but there is a morsel of bacon and afrozen leg-bone of our share of the moose, whose roasted marrow will bedelicious. No; the larder is not well stocked, but the supply of fuelis unlimited, and we have our gigantic bag of gold in the bank cellar. "

"Curse the gold!"

"No, I will not do that, my dear boy, because, you see, I can take out ahandful, tramp down to the store, and come back laden with corn and wineand delicacies in the shape of bacon and tinned meat. "

"Dal, it's of no use; we must give up and go back. "

"No, we must not, old chap; and even if I said the same, we couldn't getaway this winter time. "

"You could. I'm doomed--I'm doomed!"

"Here, I say, " cried Dallas, "don't begin making quotations. "

"Quotations?"

"Yes; that's what the despairing old chap says in Byron's comedy, `I'mdoomed--I'm doomed!' and the other fellow says, `Don't go on like that;it sounds like swearing when it ain't. '"

"Dal, " cried Abel passionately, "how can you be so full of folly when weare in such a desperate state?"

"Because I believe in `Never say die!'" cried the young man cheerily. "You are cold, man. Allow me, my lord, to spread this purple robegracefully over your noble shoulders to keep off the draught. I say, Bel, these blankets are getting jolly black. "

"Thanks, Dal. "

"And with your lordship's permission I will hang this piece of tapestryover the doorway to enhance the warmth of the glow within. Haven't gota couple of tenpenny nails in your pocket, have you? Never mind; thesepegs'll hold it up. Whoo! it does blow. We shall be quite buried inthe snow by morning. "

"Yes, once more, " said Abel gloomily. 

"So much the warmer for it, Bel, and save the wood. I say, old chap, weought to be thankful that we have such a snug den. It would be death toany one to be out to-night. "

"Yes; and they would have ceased hunting for that golden myth, and be atrest. "

"Well, you are a cheerful chap to-night! I say, I wonder what hasbecome of old `My son, '--Tregelly, the Cornishman?"

"Dead or broken-hearted over this weary search. "

"Dead? Why, that fellow wouldn't die a bit. Broken-hearted? Hisheart's made of stuff much too tough. He'll turn up some day to tell ushe has made a big find. "

"Never. He's dead by now. "

"Don't you prophesy until after the event. "

"Dal, " said Abel, as he sat, gaunt of visage, darkened by exposure, andtotally different from the bright, eager fellow of a few months earlier. 

"Yes?"

"You will not go away and leave me?"

"I must, old fellow. The coals for the human grate are nearly out, andI must fetch some more. "

"If you go you will find me dead when you come back. To die alone!Horrible!"

"Nonsense! Old Norton will come in every day and have a look at you ifI ask him. He's a good old chap, Bel; I wish he had had better luck. Isay, though, this is a rum game. You and I are now living in this roughdog-kennel, and bad as our luck has been, we have been turning out goldat the rate of, say, five hundred a year. Not bad that for beginners. "

"And it takes all we get to barter for the wretched food, " groaned Abel. "The prices are horrible. "

"Well, things are dear, and bad at that, as our American friends say. But we only have to double our turn-in and we shall grow rich. "

The wind was whistling and shrieking about the lonely cabin, thetattered blanket over the rough wood doorway was blown in, and the smokeeddied about the corners of the tent as a quantity of snow came throughthe opening, and made the fire hiss angrily. 

"It won't take me long, old fellow, " said Dallas; "and, by the way, Ihad better buy a tin of powder and some cartridges. Think you'll bewell enough to-morrow to clean and oil the guns while I'm down theshaft?"

"I'll try; but the shaft will be full of drifted snow. "

"If it is, I'll drift it out. "

"What's that?" cried Abel, as a faintly heard howl came from thedistance. 

"Sounds like wolves. No dog would be out in a night like this. "

"Think they will come here and attack us?"

"Don't know. I hope so. "

"What!" cried Abel, with a horrified look. 

"Give me a chance to do a little shooting if they come in at the chimneyhole. Glad of a bit of sport. Supply us with some fresh meat, too. "

"What, eat wolf?"

"My dear Bel, I get so hungry that I would eat anything now. But theymay taste good. Wolf's a kind of dog; they eat dog in China, and I'veheard that the bargees do so on the Thames. "

"What?"

"Don't you remember the chaff at Oxford--the fellows asking the bargees, `Who ate puppy pie under Marlow Bridge?'"

"There it is again. "

"Then I'll take the guns out of the cases if they come nearer. They'llbe able to walk up the snow slope right on to the roof. "

But the sounds died away, and Dallas opened a tin and took out a coupleof pieces of roughly made damper, whose crust was plentifully markedwith wood ashes. 

"I can't eat, " said Abel. 

"I can, and I'll set you an example. Sorry there is no Strasburg pie orother delicacy to tempt you; and the cook is out, or she should grillyou some grouse. "

Abel sat nursing his piece of unappetising bread, while Dallas rapidlydisposed of his, the smaller piece. 

They had been sitting in silence for some time, with Dallas gazingwistfully at his companion. 

"Try and eat the damper, old fellow, " he said. "You must have food. "

"I can't, Dal. I say, how much gold is there in the hole?"

"I daresay there's five-and-twenty ounces. "

"You must take it, and contrive to get away from here, Dal, " said Abelsuddenly. 

"And you?"

"Get back home again. She'll break her heart if she loses us both. "

_Thud_!

There was a heavy blow at the rough door, and then another. 

"Norton come to look us up, " whispered Dallas. 

"No; he would not knock like that, " whispered back Abel--needlessly, forthe roar of the storm would have made the voices inaudible outside. 

There was another blow on the door as if something had butted againstit, and then a scratching on the rough wood. 

"A bear?" whispered Dallas, rising softly. "Be quiet. Bear's meat isgood, but a bear would not be out on a night like this. "

There was another blow, and then a piteous, whining howl. 

"A dog, by Jove!" cried Dallas. "Then his master must be in trouble inthe snow. "

"Dal, it would be madness to go out in this storm. It means death. "

Dallas did not reply, but lifted the blanket, from which a quantity offine snow dropped, and took down the great wooden bar which, hanging intwo rough mortices, formed its fastening. 

As he drew the door inward a little, there was a rush of snow and wind, and the fire roared as the sparks and ashes were wafted about the place, threatening to fire the two rough bed-places; and with the drifting finesnow a great lump forced its way in through the narrow crack, rushingtowards the blaze, uttering a dismal howl. 

Dallas thrust the door to and stared at the object before them, one ofthe great Eskimo dogs, with its thick coat so matted and covered withice and snow that the hairs seemed finished off with icicles, whichrattled as the poor brute moved. 

"Hullo, here!" cried Dallas. "Where's your master?"

The dog looked at him intelligently, then opened its mouth and howled. 

"Come along, then. Seek, seek. "

The young man made for the door as if to open it, but the dog creptcloser to the fire, crouched down, and howled more dismally than before. 

"Well, come and find him, then. Your master. Here, here! Come along. "

The dog lifted its head, looked at the glowing fire, and then at firstone and then the other, howled again, and made an effort to raiseitself, but fell over. 

"What's he mean by that, poor brute? He's as weak as a rat. What isit, then, old fellow?" cried Dallas, bending down to pat him. "Why, thepoor brute's a mere skeleton. "

The dog howled once more, struggled up, and fell over sideways. 

"He doesn't act as if any one was with him, " said Abel. 

The dog howled again, made a fresh effort, and this time managed to situp on his hindquarters, and drooped his fore-paws, opening his greatmouth and lolling out the curled-up tongue. 

"Starving--poor wretch!" said Dallas. "No, no, Bel, don't. It's thelast piece of the bread. "

"I can't eat it, " replied Abel. "Let the poor brute have it. I can'tsee it suffer like that. "

He broke up the cake and threw it piece after piece, each being snappedup with avidity, till there was no more, when the poor brute whined andlicked Bel's hand, and then turned, crawled nearer to the fire, laid hisgreat rough head across Dallas's foot, and lay blinking up at him, withthe ice and snow which matted his dense coat melting fast. 

"Poor beggar!" said Dallas. "He has been having a rough time. "

The dog whined softly, and the unpleasant odour of burning hair began tofill the place as his bushy tail was swept once into the glowing embers. 

"Give him part of the moose bone, Dal, " said Abel. 

"If this blizzard keeps on we have only that to depend on, old fellow. I want to help the dog, but I must think of you. "

"Give it up, " said Abel gloomily, as he laid a hand on his bandagedfoot. "Give him what there is, and then let him lie down and die withus. The golden dream is all over now. Look! the poor brute justmanaged to struggle here. He's dying. "

"No, settling down to sleep in the warm glow. Look how the water runsfrom his coat. "

"Dying, " said Abel positively. And the poor brute's actions seemed toprove that the last speaker was right, for he lay whining more and moresoftly, blinking at the fire with his eyes half-closed, and a shiverkept on running through him, while once when he tried to rise he uttereda low moan and fell over on to his side. 

"Is he dead, Dal?" said Abel hoarsely. 

His cousin bent over the dog and laid his hand upon his throat, with theresult that there was a low growling snarl and the eyes opened to lookup, but only to close again, and the bushy tale tapped the floor a fewtimes. 

"Knows he is with friends, poor fellow!" said Dallas. "But he did notshow much sense in coming to Starvation Hall. "

"It was the fire that attracted him. "

"Perhaps, " said Dallas. "But I have a sort of fancy that we have metbefore. "

"What!" cried Abel, brightening up, "you don't think--"

"Yes, I do. Did you notice that the poor brute limped with one of hishind-legs?"

"Yes, but--oh, impossible. A dog would not know you again like that. You mean the one you saved from the ice. "

"Yes, I do; but we shall see by daylight, such as it is. I say, though, if we do get home again, you and I, after our experience of this Arcticplace, ought to volunteer for the next North Pole expedition. "

Abel heaved a deep sigh. 

"Look here, old fellow; you were brightening up, now you are going backagain. Let's go to bed and have a good long sleep in the warm. Whatabout the dog?"

"Yes, what about him?"

"I suppose we mustn't turn him out again on a night like this. "

"Impossible. "

"But you know what these brutes are. He'll be rousing up and eating ourcandles and belts--anything he can get hold of; but I suppose we mustrisk it. "

The door now being rattled loudly by the tremendous wind, was once moremade secure, the blanket replaced, and then, after well making up thefire with a couple of heavy logs, the weary pair were about to creepinto their skin sleeping-bags when they were startled into fullwakefulness again, for a fierce gust seemed to seize and shake the hut, and then, as the wind went roaring away, there was a wild moaning cry, and a sharp report from close at hand. 

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. 

BEGGING YOUR BREAD IN GOLDEN DAYS. 

"It is the dog's master, Bel, " whispered Dallas, springing to the doorand beginning to unfasten it, just as the dog raised his head and whineddismally. 

The disposition was there to help, and as soon as he could get the dooropen, Dallas dashed out into the whirling snow, which rushed in blindingeddies about the hut, while Abel, awestricken and panting, clung to thepost and tried to pierce the black darkness. 

"It is madness. It means death, " he groaned to himself. 

Even as the thought crossed his mind Dallas staggered back, to standpanting and wiping the snow from his eyes. 

Then he dashed out again, but was beaten back breathless and exhausted. 

Again he tried, for Abel had not the heart to stay him, and a good tenminutes elapsed--minutes of anxiety to the watcher, which seemed likehours--before his companion was literally driven in again, to fallcompletely exhausted upon the floor. 

"I can't do it, Bel, " he said at last feebly. "I never thought the windand snow could be like this. It's death to go out there, and I feltthat I should never get back again. "

He struggled to his feet once more and made for the door, but Abelseized him by the arm and tried to shut out the blinding snow, which hadgiven the interior of the hut the appearance of winter, and after a hardstruggle the door was closed. 

"Bel, that biggest tree at the side is split right down, and half hasfallen this way, " said Dallas breathlessly. "It must have been that weheard. I fell over it as I tried to find the door. "

"You shall not go again, " said Abel. 

"I cannot, " replied Dallas sadly; "but I feel sure now that no one isasking for help. "

The hours passed and the fire was made up again and again, while towardsmorning the storm lulled. 

The dog lay perfectly still; but he was not dead when Dallas rousedhimself up to examine him, for he feebly rapped the floor with his tail. 

Abel had sunk into the sleep of utter weariness, and Dallas let him lieas he replenished the fire, opened the door softly, plunged through thesnow, and, as well as the darkness would allow, satisfied himself thathe was right about the riven tree. "It was very horrible to think, though, " he said to himself; "but no one could have been travelling onsuch a night. "

He returned to the hut, replenished the fire, and the billy was boilingready for its pinch of tea, and the newly made cake baking, by the timeAbel opened his eyes and sighed. 

"What a useless log I am, Dal, " he said. 

"Are you?"

"Yes, I lie here doing nothing. How is the dog?"

"Quite dry and fluffy. "

"But he is not dead?"

"No; but are we to give him house room?"

"Could we turn him out into the snow?"

Dallas began to whistle softly, and turned the cake on the round ironpan which answered for many purposes. "It's the same dog, Bel, " he saidat last. 

"Then the intelligent beast has tracked us out. "

"Been a long time about it. "

"Dogs are very grateful creatures. "

"Rum way of showing his gratitude to come and sponge upon two poorfellows who are half starving. Meal bag's awfully low. "

"You must try for something with the gun. What's the weather like thismorning?"

"Dark and cold, but clear starlight, and a sprinkle of fresh snow on theground. "

"A sprinkle?"

"Yes; three feet deep outside the door. "

"Have you been out?"

"Yes; and found I was right about the tree. There must have beenlightning, I think. I'm glad it was that. "

"Yes. I wonder how old Tregelly has got on. It's very lonely where heis. "

"So it is here. "

"How snug the fire looks, Dal!" said Abel, after a pause. 

"Yes; cheery, isn't it? Cake smells good. How does the foot feel?"

"Not so painful this morning after the rest. But, Dal!"

"Well?"

"I lay thinking last night after you had gone to sleep, and you reallymust not go down to the town. "

"Must, old chap. "

"No, no; don't leave me. "

"But you'll have company now--the dog. "

"Go round when it's daylight, and try what stores you can get from themen round us. "

"It isn't reasonable, Bel. Every one is as short as we are. "

"Starving Englishmen are always ready to share with their brothers indistress. "

"Yes; but their brothers in distress who are strong and well, and whohave enough gold to buy food, have too much conscience to rob them. "

"How much longer can we hold out?"

"I don't know, " said Dallas, "and I don't want to know. Stores aregetting terribly low, and that's near enough for me. But what do yousay to the dog?"

"Poor brute! We must keep him. "

"I meant killing and eating him. "

"No, you didn't. Dal, I'm better this morning; the coming of that poordog like a fellow-creature in distress seems to have cheered me up. "

"That's right. Then, as a reward, I will wait a few days and go roundcadging. "

"No--buying. "

"The fellows won't sell. They will only let us have some as a loan. "

"Very well, then; get what you can as a loan, Dal. "

"All right; but I know what it will be wherever I go: `We can let youhave some tobacco, old man; we've scarcely anything else. '"

"Never mind; try. "

Dallas threw a few small pieces of wood on the fire to make a blaze andlight up the rough place, and then the breakfast was partaken of. Not avery substantial meal: milkless tea, with very stodgy hot cake, madewith musty meal; but to the great delight of Dallas, his companion inmisfortune partook thereof with some show of appetite, and then satlooking on without a word while Dallas took one of their gold-washingpans, poured in some meal, took a piece of split firewood, and stirredwith one hand while he poured hot water in from the billy with theother. 

Neither spoke, but their thoughts were in common, and as soon as the hotmash had cooled a little, the cook turned to the dog. 

"Now then, rough un, " he cried, "as you have invited yourself to bed andbreakfast, here is your mess, and you'd better eat it and go. "

The dog opened his eyes, looked at him wistfully, and beat the flooragain, but he made no effort to rise. 

"Poor brute! He is weak, Bel. Here, let's help you. "

Passing his arm under the dog's neck, he raised him a little so that hecould place the shallow tin of steaming food beneath his muzzle; but theonly result was a low whine, and a repetition of the movement of thetail. 

At last, though, the eyes opened, and the poor brute sniffed, and beganto eat very slowly, pausing now and then to whine before beginningagain, till at last the effect of the hot mess seemed magical, and thelatter half was eaten with avidity, the tin being carefully lickedclean. 

A few minutes later the dog was asleep again, but in a differentattitude, for he had, after a few efforts, curled himself up as close tothe fire as he could get without burning, his muzzle covered over by hisbushy tail. 

"Dallas Adams, Esquire, gold medal from the Society for the Preventionof Cruelty to Animals. Bow from Dallas Adams, Esquire, and loud cheersfrom the audience at the annual meeting. "

"And well deserved, " said Abel, smiling. "Oh, I wish I had yourspirits. "

"Get your frozen foot well, and then you will, " was the reply. "Lookhere, I'll take a sack and go begging at once, and then come back andget in some wood, for there will not be time to work in the shaft, onlyget out the snow. "

"Go on, then, and you will succeed. "

"Doubtful, " was the reply. 

Soon after, Dallas, with a sack fastened across one shoulder like ascarf, and his gun over his shoulder, opened the door. "Cheer up, oldchap!" he cried. "I shan't be long, " and forcing his way out, he closedthe door, plunged forward, and struggled waist deep through the snowwhich had drifted up against the hut. 

Farther on it lay less heavy, and pausing for a few moments to take alook round beneath the starlit sky, he made his way along the border ofthe creek--carefully on the look-out for pine-stumps, the remains of thedense scrub which had been cut down by the gold-seekers--in thedirection of one of the lights dotting the creek here and there, thosenearest being lanterns, but farther on a couple of fires were burning. 

"Morning, mate, " said a cheery voice, as he came upon two men busilyshovelling snow from a pit beneath a rough shelter of poles, while a hutwas close by. "You've got plenty of this, I s'pose?"

"Nearly buried. I say, we're awfully short of meal and bacon. Can yousell us some?"

The two men leaned on their shovels. 

"We're so desp'rate low ourselves, mate, " said the one who had notspoken. "We don't like to say no. But look here, go and try round thecamp and see what you can do. Some of them's a deal better off than weare. Get it of them. If you can't, come back here and we'll do what wecan. Eh, mate?"

"Of course, " came in a growl; "but no humbug, Mr Adams. "

"What do you mean?"

"Why, this. When it comes to eating we, as it says in the song, youmust play fair and draw lots with the rest of us. "

"Never fear, " said Dallas merrily, joining in the laugh; "but we've gotthe dogs to eat first if we can't get any moose. There ought to be sometracks seen after this. "

"So plaguy dark, mate, for hunting and shooting; but talk about dogs, did you hear that brute howling during the storm?"

"Oh, yes, I heard him, " said Dallas. 

"He soon gave in, though. I believe some of the others hunted him downand didn't stop to draw lots. What hungry beggars they are!"

Dallas trudged on slowly, calling at claim after claim on his way downthe creek, but always with the same result--friendly willingness, butwant of means. 

Then he reached the spot where one of the fires had been burning, butwhich had died out, nothing being left but wood, smoke, and steam, whiletwo men were scraping away the snow from a heap while they waited till ashaft about six feet deep beneath a roofed shed was cool enough todescend. 

"Morning, mate, " was his salutation. "Nearly got our roof on fire. Were you coming to help?"

"No, to ask for help, " said Dallas, and he made his request. 

One of the men went to the edge of the pit and descended a roughly madeladder, prior to beginning to fill a bucket with the gravelly bottomwhich had been thawed by the fire, ready for his companion to haul upand empty on the heap ready for washing when the spring time came. 

"Tell him, " he said gruffly. "Well, mate, " said the man at the top, "it's like this. We've got about a couple of pound of strong shag and afew ounces o' gold we can loan you. If that's any good, you're welcome;but grub's awful short. Try further down, and if you can't get what youwant, come back. "

"All right, and thank you, mates, " said Dallas. "Morning. "

"I say, we'll show you the flour-tub and the bare bone if you like. "

"No, no, " cried Dallas; "I believe you. " And then to himself, "I mustfall back on Tregelly. "

He had the burning wood fire for guide to where the big miner wasthawing the shaft in his claim, to make the frozen gravel workable, andin addition there were faint signs coming of the short-lived day. "Morning, Tregelly. "

"What, you, Mr Adams! Glad to see you, my son. Come inside and have amouthful of something and a pipe. "

"I don't want to hinder you, " said Dallas to his cheery friend. 

"You won't hinder me, my son. I like letting the fire have a good burnout, and then for it to cool down before I begin. Come along; but how'syour cousin?"

"Better this morning, but very low-spirited last night, with hisfrost-bitten foot. "

"Poor lad! It is hard on him. "

"The fact is, we are terribly short of provisions. "

"You are? Same here, my son; but why didn't you come down and tell me?I haven't got much, but you're welcome to what I can spare. There youare; sit down by the fire and I'll see what we can do. Bacon's horriblyclose, and I've only two of those mahogany salt solids they call'Merican hams; but I can let you have a tin or two of meal and someflour. "

"If you can, " cried Dallas, "it will be a blessing to us now, and assoon as ever--"

"Yes, yes, all right, my son: I know. But how's the gold turning out?"

"The gravel seems fairly rich, but somehow I'm afraid we shall do nogood. "

"That's how it seems with me, " said the miner. "One just gets enough tolive upon and pay one's way; and one could do that anywhere, withoutleading such a life as this. "

Dallas thought of his friend's words as he tramped back through the snowwith his sack of provender on his back, for the life they were leadingwas that of the lowest type of labourer, the accommodation miserable, and the climate vile. 

"It will not do--it will not do, " he said sadly; but he returned, allthe same, in better spirits with the results of his foraging, to findAbel waiting for him anxiously, and the dog curled-up by the firesleeping heavily. 

The stores obtained were carefully husbanded, and during the next fewdays, in spite of intense frost, Dallas worked hard in the shaft ontheir claim, heating it with the abundant wood till a certain amount ofgravel was thawed, and then throwing it out ready for washing when thenext summer came. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. 

ABEL'S NIGHT ALARM. 

"It's no good, Bel, " said Dallas one day; "I can't go begging roundagain. It's not fair to the men. I must go down to the town and bringback as much as I can. "

"Very well, " said Abel. "When do you start?"

"To-morrow morning. "

"So soon? Well, if it has to be done, the sooner the better. "

"I can get back within four or five days, I believe, and I'll askTregelly to come in once or twice to see you, so that you will not be solonely. "

"You need not do that, because I shall not be here, " said Abel quietly. 

"Not be here?"

"Of course not. I shall be with you. "

"Impossible. "

"No, I shall manage to limp along somehow. "

"Impossible, I tell you!" cried Dallas. "You must stay to take care ofthe claim; and then there is the gold--and the dog. "

Abel was silenced; and the next morning, taking his empty sledge, andtrusting to obtain enough food at the shanties which he would pass onthe track, Dallas started. 

Abel watched him pass away into the gloom of the dark morning, and thenturned and limped back sadly to where the dog lay dozing by the fire, apparently still too weak to stir. 

Abel's bed had been drawn aside, and there was a hole in the ground, while upon the upturned barrel which formed their table stood a littleleather bag half full of scales, scraps, and nuggets of gold--that whichremained after Dallas had taken out a sufficiency to purchase stores atthe town on the Yukon. 

Abel's first act was to stoop down, mend the fire, and pat the dog, which responded by rapping the earth with his tail. Then the leatherbag was tied up, replaced in the bank hole, which was then filled up, the earth beaten down flat, and the sacks and skins which formed the beddrawn back into their places. 

He stooped down and patted the dog. 

"Pah! Why don't you lie farther from the fire? You make the hut smellhorribly with your burnt hair. "

The dog only whined, opened one eye, blinked at him, and went off tosleep again. 

"Poor old chap!" mused Abel. "I didn't think I could care so much forsuch a great, rough, ugly brute as you are; but adversity makes strangefriends. "

Abel finished that day wondering how Dallas was getting on, and tryingto picture his journey through the snow by the side of the ice-boundstream; grew more melancholy from his lonely position, and then tried torouse himself by being practical and planning. 

He made up his mind to content himself with one good, hearty meal a day, so as to make the provisions last out well, in case Dallas should not beback to time, and only to be extravagant with the fuel. 

Lastly, he went to the door and looked out, to find that it was a clear, frosty night, with the brilliant stars peering down. 

He knew it was night, for no fires were to be seen in any direction, and, after making all as snug as he could, he rolled himself in hisblankets, drew the skin bag up about him, and followed his dumbcompanion's example, sleeping till morning, when the logs were justsmouldering and had to be coaxed into a good warm blaze again. 

And so the days and nights glided by. He would awake again to find thefire burning low, the dog still sleeping, and the horror of anotherdreary day to pass. For his foot seemed no better, his spirits werelower than ever, and at last it was long past the time when Dallasshould have returned. 

How the days passed then he never afterwards could quite recall, for itwas like a continuous nightmare. But in a mechanical way he kept up thefire, with the wood piled in one corner by the door getting so low thathe knew he must bestir himself soon, and get to the stack by the shaft, knock and brush off the snow, and bring in more to thaw in the warmth ofthe hut. 

All in a strange, dreamy way he sat and watched, cooked a large pot ofskilly, and shared it with the still drowsy dog, which took its portionand curled-up again, after whining softly and licking his hand. 

One night all seemed over. No one had been near, and he had felt tooweak and weary to limp to the nearest hut in search of humancompanionship. He was alone in his misery and despair. Dallas must bedead, he felt sure, and there was nothing for him to do now but makeanother good meal for himself and the dog, and then sleep. 

"Sleep, " he said aloud, "and perhaps wake no more. "

He ate his hot meal once more and watched the dog take his portionbefore going to the door, to look out feebly and find all black, depressing darkness; not even a star to be seen. 

"Night, night, black night!" he muttered as he carefully fastened upagain, pegged the blankets across to keep out the cruel wind, carefullypiled up the pieces of wood about the fire, as an afterthought carriedout with a smile, with a big log that would smoulder far on into thenext day for the sake of the dog. 

"For I shall not want it, " he said sadly. "Poor brute! What will he dowhen I'm dead?"

The thought startled him, and he sat down and fixed his eyes upon theshaggy, hairy animal curled-up close to the fire, whose flames flickeredand danced and played about, making the hair glisten and throwing thedog's shadow back in a curious grotesque way. 

Something like energy ran in a thrill through the watcher, and heshuddered and felt that he must do something to prevent _that_--it wouldbe too horrible. 

It was in a nightmare-like state he seemed to see people coming to thedoor at last. He could even hear them knocking and shouting, and atlast using hatchets to crash a way in. For what? To find the dog therealive and stronger, ready to resent their coming, even to fighting anddriving them away; but only to return, rifle or pistol armed, to destroythe brute for what it had done according to its nature, to keep itselfalive. 

And then, it seemed to Abel, in his waking dream, they shudderinglygathered together what they saw to cast into the ready-dug grave--theshaft in which he and Dallas had so laboriously but hopefully delved, insearch of the magnet which had drawn them there--the gold. 

He made a wild effort to drive away the horrible fancy, and at last witha weary sigh sank upon his bed, his last thought being:

"Would those at home ever know the whole truth?"

"How long have I been awake?"

It must have been one long stupor of many, many hours, for the fire wasvery low, shedding merely a soft warm glow through the place. 

He was stupefied, and felt unable to move, but the fancy upon which hehad fallen asleep was there still in a strange confused way, and he feltthat the dog was not in the spot where he had left it. 

He lay with his eyes half-closed, conscious now of some sound which hadawakened him. For there beyond the glowing embers, where all was madeindistinct and strange, the dog was hard at work tearing a way out ofthe hut. The wood snapped and grated as it was torn away; then therewas silence, and he was half disposed as he lay there helpless to thinkit was all a dream. 

But as this fancy came the noise began once more, and at last he caughtsight of the great dog, strong and sturdy now, crawling through a holeit had made into the hut--what for he could not make out in his feverishstate. Why should it have done this to get at him when already there?

He knew it was all wrong, and that his brain was touched; but one thingwas plain reality: There was the great beast, magnified by the light ofthe fire, creeping forward while he lay paralysed and unable to stir. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE. 

DAL'S WELCOME BACK. 

And yet it was strange, for just then the embers fell together, a soft, lambent, bluish flame flickered up, making the interior of the hutlight, and he saw that the dog still lay in its old place, fast asleep. What was it then--bear, wolf--which had torn a way through or half underthe wall of the place?

A bear, for it suddenly raised itself up on its hind-legs, and as he laystupefied with horror, Abel could make out its shaggy hide. 

Still, he could not move to reach for the rifle which stood ready loadedin the corner close by, but lay half paralysed in the strange dazedstate into which he had fallen, till the object which reared up, lookinghuge, moved a little, and seemed listening. 

Just then there was a bright gleam. 

Eyes--teeth? Impossible, for it was low down, and Abel shook off hislethargy and uttered a low, hoarse cry, as he made an effort to springup and reach a weapon. 

But he was tight in the skin-lined sleeping-bag, and this fettered himso that he fell back, and the next moment his nocturnal visitant sprangforward, coming down heavily upon him, at the same moment making adeadly blow at him. 

The strange feeling of helplessness was gone. Something to call forththe young man's flagging energies had been needed, and it had come. Hehad lain down as one who had given up all hope, who had lost all thatbound him to life; but that was but the dream of weakness, thestagnation of his nature, brought on by suffering, loneliness, anddespair. 

Face to face now with this danger, confronted by a cowardly ruffian, Nature made her call, and it was answered. The strong desire for lifereturned, and with another hoarse cry he flung himself aside, and thusavoided the blow aimed at him. 

The next moment he had thrown himself upon his assailant. In an instanthis hands were upon his throat. And now a terrible struggle ensued, inwhich a strange sense of strength came back to Abel; and he kept hishold, as, failing to extricate himself, his assailant retaliated byseizing him in the same way, and kept on raising and beating thefettered man's head against the floor. 

For in their struggle they had writhed and twisted till they wereapproaching the fire; and as they strove on in their fight for themastery, Abel was conscious of hearing a loud yelp. Then his breathgrew shorter, there was a horrible sensation of the blood rushing to hiseyes, as he gasped for breath--a terrible swimming of the brain--lightsbright as flashes of lightning danced before his eyes, and then with hissenses reeling he was conscious of a tremendous weight, and then all wasblack--all was silent as the grave. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Two days late, " said Dallas, as he paused for a few moments to rest andgain his breath, before shooting into collar again, when the tracetightened, the sledge creaked and ground over the blocks of ice, andglided over the obstruction which had checked him for the moment, andthe runners of the heavily loaded frame rushed down the slope, nearlyknocking him off his feet. The young man growled savagely, for the blowwas a hard one. 

"If you could only keep on like that I'd give you an open course, " hesaid; "but you will not. Never mind; every foot's a foot gained. Wonder how old Abel is getting on?"

He shot into the collar once more, the trace tightened, and he went onfor another hundred yards over the ice and snow. 

The young man's collar was a band of leather, his trace a rope, but nohorse ever worked harder or perspired more freely than he, who wasself-harnessed to the loaded sledge. 

"I don't mind, " he had said over and over again. "I'd have broughttwice as much if I could have moved it. As it is, there's enough to payoff one's debts and to keep up, with economy, till the thaw comes; andnow we are not going to be so pressed I daresay I shall manage to shoota moose. "

That journey back from the settlement had been a terrible one, for hehad loaded himself far more heavily than was wise, and this hadnecessitated his sleeping two nights in the snow instead of one. Butsnow can be warm as well as cold, and he found that a deep furrow withthe bright crystals well banked up to keep off the wind, blankets, and asleeping-bag, made no bad lair for a tired man who was not hungry. Hetook care of that, for, as he said to himself, "If it is only a donkeywho draws he must be well fed. "

With his sledge at his head, tilted on one side to make a sort ofcanopy, and a couple of blankets stretched over, tent fashion, upon somestout sticks close down to his face, the air was soon warmed by hisbreath, and thanks to the skin-lined bag he slept soundly each night, and by means of a little pot and a spirit-lamp contrived to obtain a cupof hot tea before starting on his journey in the morning. But it wasthe lamp of life, heated by the brave spirit within him, that helped himon with his load, so that after being disappointed in not covering thelast eight miles over-night, he dragged the sledge up towards their hutjust at dawn of the day which succeeded the attack made upon hiscompanion. 

By dawn must be understood about ten o'clock, and as he drew near, Dallas could see a fire blazing here, and another there, at differentshafts; but there was no sign of glow or smoke from the fire in theirown hut; and in the joy that was within him at the successfultermination of his expedition, Dallas laughed. 

"The lazy beggar!" he said. "Not stirring yet, and no fire. Why, Imust have been tugging at this precious load over four hours. He oughtto have been up and had a good fire, and the billy boiling. He's takingit out in sleep and no mistake. Wonder whether the dog's dead? Poorbrute! I don't suppose he can have held out till now. "

As he drew near he gave vent to a signal whistle familiar to his cousin. But there was no reply, and he tugged away till he was nearer, and thengave vent to a cheery "Ahoy!"

There was still no response, and he hailed again, without result. 

"Well, he is sleeping, " said Dallas, and he hailed again as he draggedaway at the load. "At last!" he cried, as he reached the door and castoff the leathern loop from across his breast. "Here, Bel, ahoy! ahoy!ahoy! Hot rolls and _coffee_! Breakfast, bacon, and tinned tongue!Banquets and tuck out! Wake up, you lazy beggar! you dog! you--"

He was going to say "bear, " but a horrible chill of dread attacked him, and he turned faint and staggered back, nearly falling over his loadedsledge. 

"Bah! coward! fool!" he cried angrily, and he looked sharply round, tosee shaft fires in the distance; but there was no hut within half amile. "What nonsense!" he muttered. "There can't be anything wrong. Got short of food, and gone to one of the neighbours. "

Nerving himself, he tried to open the door. 

But it was fast, and, as he could see from a means contrived bythemselves for fastening the door from outside when they went awayhunting or shooting, it had not been secured by one who had left theplace. 

In an instant, realising this, he grew frantic, and without stopping tothink more, he ran round to the side by the shaft, caught up a piece offir-trunk some six or seven feet long, and ran back, poised it for a fewmoments over his head, and then dashed it, battering-ram fashion, withall his might against the rough fir-wood door, just where the bar wentacross, loosening it so that he was able to insert one end of the pieceof timber, using it now as a lever; and with one wrench he forced thedoor right open. 

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. 

TREGELLY'S IDEA OF A GOLD TRAP. 

Dropping the piece of wood, he dashed into the dark hut, to find thatthe rush of wind from the suddenly opened door had started the embers inthe middle of the floor flickering in a dim lambent flame, just enoughto show him that the barrel table had been knocked over, the boxes usedfor seats driven here and there, the bed occupied by his cousin draggedaway, the boards lifted, and the earth underneath it torn up, while Abelwas lying face downward close up to the remains of their store of wood. 

It was all in one comprehensive glance that he had seen this, and itseemed still to be passing panorama-like across the retina of his eyes, when the faint flame died out and he dropped upon his knees beside theprostrate man. 

"Oh, Bel, lad, " he groaned; "what have I done? I oughtn't to have leftyou. Bel, old man, speak to me. God help me! He can't be dead!"

His hands were at his cousin's breast to tear open the clothes, and feelif the heart was beating, but for the moment he shrank back in horror, half paralysed with the dread of learning the truth. 

It was but momentary, and then he mastered the coward feeling, utteringa gasp of relief, for there was a faint throbbing against the hand hethrust into the poor fellow's breast. 

"Alive! I am in time, " he muttered, and he continued his examination inthe dark, expecting to feel blood or some trace of a wound. 

But, as far as he could make out, there was nothing of the kind, thoughhe felt that his cousin must have been attacked; so, after laying thesufferer in a more comfortable position, he felt for the matches on therough shelf, struck one, saw that the lamp stood there unused, and thenext minute he had a light and went down upon one knee to continue hisexamination. 

At the first glance he saw that Bel's throat was discoloured, and therewere ample signs of his having been engaged in some terrible struggle, but that was all. No, not all; the poor fellow was like ice, and quiteinsensible. 

Dallas's brain was in a whirl, but he was able to act sensibly under thecircumstances. He caught up rugs and blankets, and covered the suffererwarmly. Then, going to the open door, he dragged in the sledge, andclosed and secured the entrance after a fashion. 

His next effort was to get a good fire blazing to alter the temperatureof the hut; and when this was done he went to the spirit-flask kept onthe shelf for emergencies, and trickled a few drops between the poorfellow's lips. 

As he worked at this he tried hard to puzzle out what had happened. 

His first thoughts had been in the direction of attack and robbery. Butthere was the fastened door. It was not likely that Abel, after beinghalf strangled and hurled down, could have fastened up the door againfrom the inside; he would sooner have left it open in the hope of one oftheir neighbours passing by and rendering help. And yet there was thebed dragged away, the board removed, and the earth torn up. 

He crossed to the place. 

There was no doubt about it; the object of the attack must have beenrobbery, for the bag of gold was gone. 

He held his hand to his brow and stared about wildly. 

Ah! A fresh thought. The dog! Hungry! Mad! It must have attackedand seized Abel by the throat. That would account for its laceratedstate and the terrible struggle. 

There was evidence, too, just across the hut--a hole had been half dug, half torn through the side, just big enough for such a dog to getthrough, and it had, after nearly killing him who had saved the brute'slife, torn a way out, partly beneath the side. 

"Oh, Bel, lad, if you could only speak!" groaned Dallas, as he took upthe lamp, felt how cold the poor fellow was, and, setting the lamp downagain, stooped to pick up a skin rug tossed into the corner by the headof the bed. 

But as he drew it towards him something dropped on the ground. Stoopingdown to see what it was, he discovered that it was a sharp, thickbowie-knife. 

"It is robbery. He has been attacked, " cried Dallas; and once more hedevoted himself to trying to restore the sufferer--chafing his coldlimbs, bathing his temples with spirits, drawing him nearer the fire, and at last waiting in despair for the result, while feeling perfectlyunable to fit the pieces of the puzzle so as to get a solutionsatisfactory in all points. 

"Poor old Bel!" he said to himself; "he seems always to get the worst ofit; but when I told him so he only laughed, and said it was I. "

He was in agony as to what he should do. 

One moment he was for going to fetch help; the next he gave it up, dreading to leave his cousin again. 

By degrees, though, the poor fellow began to come to as the warmthpervaded him; and at last, to Dallas's great delight, he opened hiseyes, stared at him wildly, and then looked round wonderingly till hiseyes lit upon the opening, over which his cousin had pegged a rug. 

He started violently then, and the memory of all that had taken placecame back. 

Clapping his hand to his throat, he wrenched his head round so that hecould look in the direction of the bed. 

"The gold--the bag of gold!" he whispered. 

"Gone, old fellow; but never mind that, so long as you are alive. Tryand drink this. "

"No, not now, " said Abel feebly. "I want to lie still and think. Yes, I remember now; he broke in at the side there while I was asleep. Hehad a knife, but I seized him. Did you come back then?"

"No, I have not long been home. Shall I go and ask Norton to come?"

"No, don't leave me, Dal; I am so weak. But where is the dog?"

"He was not here when I broke in. "

"You broke in?"

"Yes; I could not make you hear. I say, though, had I not better fetchhelp?"

"What for? There is no doctor; and he might come back. "

Dallas had started, for as Abel spoke there was a loud thumping at thedoor. His hand went behind to his revolver, which he held ready, fullyexpecting from his cousin's manner that the marauder who had attackedhim had returned; but to the delight of both, after a second blow on thedoor, the familiar voice of Tregelly was heard in a cheery hail. 

"Hullo, there!" he cried. "Any one at home?"

Dallas darted to the door, threw it open, and there in the gloomy lightof mid-day stood their friend with a load over his shoulder. 

"Back again, then? I was coming to see. But I say, what's the meaningof this--is it a trap?"

"Is what a trap?" said Dallas. 

"Putting this bag out yonder with the dog to watch it and snap at anyone who touches it. Is the bag yours?"

"Yes, of course, " exclaimed Dallas excitedly; "but where was it?"

"Outside, I tell you; but it's a failure if it's a trap, for the dog'sdead. "

Dallas rushed out, followed by his visitor, and there in the dim lightlay the dog, stretched out upon the snow, perfectly stiff andmotionless. 

"I see how it was now, " cried Dallas excitedly; and as their neighbourhelped him carry the dog in, he told him in a few words of how he hadfound matters on his return. 

"Poor brute! Was he in the place, then?"

"I suppose so, and he must have attacked the scoundrel, and made himdrop the bag. "

"And then lay down to watch it, dying at his post. If he had lived I'dhave given something for that dog. "

"Indeed you would not, " said Dallas warmly. "No gold would have boughthim. "

The dog was laid down by the fire, but Tregelly shook his head. 

"Might as well save his skin, youngsters; but you'll have to thaw himfirst. "

"Is he dead?" asked Abel feebly. 

"No doubt about that, " replied Tregelly. "It's a pity, too, for he wasa good dog. Those Eskimo, as a rule, are horrid brutes, eating upeverything, even to their harness; but this one was something. I'd comeup to bring Mr Wray here half one o' my hams, but you won't want itnow. "

"No, " said Dallas; "and I can send you back loaded, and be out of debt. "

"Well, I can't say what I lent you won't be welcome. My word, though, you brought a good load. "

"Set to and play cook, " said Dallas, "while I tidy up. I'm sure youcould eat some breakfast, and I'm starving. "

"So am I, " cried their visitor, laughing. "Beginning to feel better, master?" he added, turning to Abel. 

"Yes; only I'm so stiff, and my throat is so painful. "

"Cheer up, my lad; that'll soon get better. I only wish, though, I hadcome last night when that fellow was here. I don't believe myconscience would ever have said anything if I had put a bullet throughhim. "

Abel lay silent near the fire, watching the dog thoughtfully whilestores were unpacked and preparations made for a meal; but at last hespoke. 

"Dal, " he said, "give me that knife that you found. "

"What for? You had better lie still, and don't worry about anything nowexcept trying to get well. "

"Give me the knife. I've been thinking. That man who attacked me lastnight was one of that gang. "

"What!" cried Tregelly, stopping in his task of frying bacon. "Nonsense! they daren't show their noses here now. "

"I feel sure of it, " said Abel excitedly. "Let me look at that knife. I believe it's the one that was stolen from the man on the lake. "

Dallas looked at him doubtingly, before picking up the knife and shakinghis head. "It might be, or it might not, " he said dubiously, as hepassed it to his cousin. 

"Well, at any rate, Dal, they have tracked us down, and that accountsfor the attack. "

"It looks like it, " said Dallas; "but don't get excited, old fellow. Idon't want you to turn worse. "

"But they must be somewhere close at hand, Dal, " cried Abel; "and we maybe attacked again at any moment. "

"All right, then, we'll be ready for them, " said Dallas soothingly. "Forewarned is forearmed. "

"You are saying that just to calm me, " said Abel bitterly. "You do notbelieve me, but it is a fact. I felt something of the kind last nightin those horrible moments when he held my throat in that peculiar way. It was out of revenge for the past. They have dogged us all the time, and been close at our heels. Ah, look out!" he cried wildly, as hetried to spring up--"Listen! I can hear them outside plainly. "

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. 

THE STARTING OF A BODYGUARD. 

"Nay, nay, lad, " said Tregelly soothingly; "there's no one here now. That bag of gold was enough to bring one of the rowdies down upon you, but those three chaps wouldn't risk a meeting with the judge again. "

"I don't know, " said Dallas thoughtfully; "there is plenty of roomhereabout for them to be in, hiding; and they must have gone somewhere. "

"Not much chance for a man to keep himself alive in this country, without tackle and stores, or a shanty of his own. "

"Unless he has attacked and murdered some one, " said Abel bitterly. "But you will see. "

The poor fellow was so exhausted by what he had gone through that, afterpainfully swallowing some of the tea that had been prepared, he droppedinto a stupor-like sleep, whilst Dallas watched him anxiously. 

"That was fancy of his, my lad, " said Tregelly, who was making a heartybreakfast. "Come, you don't eat. "

"How can I, with the poor fellow like this?" cried Dallas. "He seems tocome in for all the misfortune. "

"Yes, he is a bit unlucky, " replied Tregelly; "but you must eat if youwant to help him. Look here, I don't want to be unfeeling; but yourmate isn't dying of fever. "

"No, no; but look at him. "

"Yes, I have, and he has been a good deal knocked about, besides havinga frozen foot; but that will all get well. You are set up withprovisions again; you've got your gold back, and a good claim of yourown. "

"Just good enough to keep us alive. "

"Well, it isn't very lively work, my lad, " said Tregelly; "but we mustmake the best of it. We shall have the summer again soon, and dobetter, perhaps. "

"I hope so, " said Dallas bitterly, "for we could never get throughanother winter like this. "

"You don't know till you try. And you take my advice: let yourbrother--"

"My cousin. "

"Well, it's all the same out here. Let him sleep all he can, and whenhe's awake feed him up and keep him warm. "

"I can't get rid of the feeling that I ought to go back to Yukon Townand try to get a doctor. "

"Nonsense, my son; he wants no doctor. And now look here; if I saysomething to you, will you believe that it's meant honest?"

"Of course. What do you mean?"

"Only this, my son; that I don't want you to think that I want to comeand sponge upon you because you've got plenty of prog. "

"Mr Tregelly!"

"Let me finish, my lad, " said the big Cornishman. "I was going to say, what do you think of me coming and pigging here with you for a bit, incase what the youngster here says might be right; and if it is, you andme could polish off that gang pretty well, better than you could alone, or I could alone. Not that I'm skeered; but if young Wray here is rightthey'll be down upon me too. But I don't want you to think--"

"But what about your gold?" said Dallas eagerly. 

"If any one should go there, and can find it, I'll give it him. "

"Is it so well hidden?"

"Yes; I've got it froze into the middle of a block of ice. They'llnever look there. "

"Will you come?" said Dallas excitedly. 

"I'll do better than that, " said the Cornishman: "I'll stop now. "

"You will?"

"Of course; and glad of the chance to help you. Yah!"

The big fellow jumped up in horror, as a loud rap came from close by. 

"What was that?" cried Dallas, who was equally startled. 

"It was that there dog's ghost got his tail thawed enough to give it arap on the floor to say, `That's right'; and I believe your cousin'sright too, now, and this is a message sent to us to say, `Look out, forthose three beauties are coming here again. '"

"Nonsense!" cried Dallas, going down on his knees; "the dog's alive. "

"I'm blessed!" said his big friend. "Well, some things can stand beingfroze hard and thawed out again better than we Christians. I s'poseit's having such a thick coat. Look at him; he's got one eye open, andhe's winking. "

In proof thereof came a low whine, as if in appeal for food. 

"Look here, my sons, " said Tregelly one day, as he came in last from thedismal darkness without to the bright warmth of the hut, where the firewas burning cheerily and an appetising odour of tea, damper, and friedham proclaimed how busy, weak as he still was, Abel had been; "I used togrumble a deal down in old Cornwall because we had a lot o' wet days, and say it was a country not fit for anything better than a duck to livein; but I'm an altered man now, and I repent. It's a regular heavencompared to this Klondike country. Hullo, Scruff, my son, how are you?"The dog gave an amiable growl, and seemed to enjoy the gentle caressthe big miner gave him with his heavy boot, as he lay stretched out bythe fire. 

"Don't grumble, Bob, " said Dallas. "This looks cheery enough, and we'vedone some good to-day. "

"Oh, I'm not grumbling, my son; only making comparisons as is ojus. That's what I used to write at school. This is a reg'lar Lord Mayor'sbanquet for a hungry man. But my word, how dirty I am!"

"So am I, " said Dallas. "What with the gravel and the wood-smoke, Ifeel like a charcoal burner. I should like a wash, though. "

"Wash, my son! I should like a bathe in our old Cornish sea, with thesun shining on my back. And I say, a bit of our old fish. A fewpilchards or grilled mackerel, or a baked hake, with a pudding insidehim--or oh! a conger pie. "

"Don't, Bob, " said Dallas. "This is painful. And look here; either youor I must go down to Yukon City with the sledge again, for the storesare getting low. "

"Nay, " said the big Cornishman; "we'll have up what I've got down yonderfirst. Clear out the place. There's enough there to last us afortnight longer; and I want to go there badly. "

"Very well, " said Dallas; "then we'll go. Feel well enough to come asfar as there to-morrow, Bel?"

"Yes; and I should like it, " was the reply. 

"Then we'll go. We'll shut up the dog here to keep house till we comeback, though no one is likely to come. I say, how much longer it hasbeen light to-day. "

"Pretty sort of light!" growled Tregelly. "I could make better lightout of a London fog and some wet flannel. We got a fine lot of graveland washing stuff, though, out of the shaft to-day. Look here, I pickedout this. "

He held out a tiny nugget of gold, about as big as a small pea; and itwas duly examined, put in a small canister upon the shelf, and then theevening meal went on, and Tregelly refreshed himself with large draughtsof tea. 

"Look here, " he said: "we agreed that we'd tell one another if we founda good place, and we started working separate. "

"Yes, " said Bel, "and fate has ordered that we should come togetheragain. We--bah! what mockery it seems to talk of `we' when I'm such ahelpless log. "

"Look here, Bel, I wish you were a bit stronger, and I'd kick you. "

"Don't wait, my son; kick him now, " cried Tregelly. "He deserves it. "

"I'll save it up, " said Dallas. "But look here, Big Bob, you needn'tmake a long speech. You were going to say that you thought now that wehad better stick together, share and share alike for the future. "

"Well, I dunno how you knew that, " said Tregelly; "but it was somethingof the kind. "

"That's right, then we will; eh, Bel?"

"Of course; if Tregelly will consent to share with such a weak, helpless--"

"Here, " cried the big Cornishman, springing up, "shall I kick him?"

"No, no; let him off. "

"But he do deserve it, " said Tregelly, subsiding. "Now, I was going tosay it don't seem quite fair for me to stop, as those precious three--ifthere is three of 'em left unhung--not having shown up, there don't seemany need. "

"More need than ever, " said Dallas. "Your being here scares them away. "

"Hope it do, " said Tregelly. "Then look here, we'll go down to my pitto-morrow, and bring up the sledge load, including my bit of ice, for itcan't be so very long now before it'll begin to thaw a bit every day, and I don't want my block to melt and let out the gold. There's morethere than you'd think. "

"But that's yours, " said Abel. 

"Nay, nay, my son; we'll put it all together. You've got some, andthere's a lot yonder outside when the soft weather comes and we can washit out; so that's settled. Wonder whether working in that hot dampshaft'll give us rheumatiz by-and-by. "

"I hope not, Bob, " said Dallas, yawning. "I've often thought ofsomething of the kind. One thing is certain, that if we don't find muchmore gold than we have got so far we shall have earned our fortunes. "

"Fortunes!" cried Abel contemptuously; "why, at the rate we have beengoing on, if we get enough to pay for our journey home, as well as forour provisions, that will be about all. "

"And except for the pleasant trip, my sons, we might as well havestopped at home. "

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. 

A STRANGE DISCOVERY. 

Dallas stared the next morning when he opened his eyes, for the fire wasburning brightly and Abel was bustling about in the lit-up hut, withnothing but a slight limp to tell of the old frost-bite in his foot. 

"Come, " he said cheerfully; "breakfast is nearly ready. "

"Where's Bob Tregelly?" cried Dallas. 

"Scraping the ice off the sledge to make it run easily. It's a gloriousmorning. "

"Night, " said Dallas sourly, for he was half asleep. "I'm not going tocall it morning till there's daylight. Snowing?"

"No. Keen frost, and the stars are brilliant. "

"Bother the stars!" grumbled Dallas, rolling out of his warm couch ofblankets and skins. "I want the sun to come back and take the raw edgeoff all this chilly place. But I say, you have given up going with usto-day--to-night, I mean?"

"Given up? No. I feel that it is time I made an effort, and I shall bebetter and stronger if I do. "

"But you can't wear your boots, you know, and it will not be safe foryou to trust to a bandaged sandal. "

"Can't wear my boots?" said Abel. "Well, at any rate, I've got themon. "

"But they must hurt you horribly. "

"Not in the least, " said Abel, and his cousin was silent while hecompleted his exceedingly simple toilet--one that he would not havethought possible in the old days. 

By the time he had finished, the door opened, and Tregelly stooped topass under the lintel. 

"Morning, my son, " he cried; "I've been greasing the runners of thesledge a bit, and rubbing up the chest-strap. The thing wants using. I've oiled the guns and six-shooters too. Beautiful morning. I say, how that dog has come round!"

For the great shaggy brute had walked to the door to meet him, with hisbushy tail well curled-up, and a keen look of returning vigour in hiseyes and movements. 

"Yes, " said Dallas; "I never thought he'd live. But I say, Bel persistsin going with us, and I'm sure he'll break down. "

"Well, that doesn't matter, my son. If he does we'll make him sitastride of the load as we come back, and each take a rope, and give hima ride home. "

"I shall be able to walk, " said Abel stoutly. 

"Very well, " said Dallas. "You always were the most obstinate animalthat ever breathed. "

The breakfast was eaten, pistols and cartridges placed in their belts, rifles taken down from their hooks, and the fire banked up with big logsthat would last to their return; and then Dallas took up one of theskin-lined sleeping-bags. 

"What's that for?" said Abel suspiciously. 

"For you to ride back in. "

Abel made an angry gesture. "I tell you I'm better, " he said sharply. 

"Well, never mind if you are, my son, " said Tregelly quietly. "You mustget tired, and if you are you'll be none the worse for a ride, but agood deal so if you get your toes frosted again. "

"Very well, make a child of me, " said Abel, and he gave way. "Have wegot all we want?"

"Better take something for a bit of lunch before we start back, "suggested Dallas. 

"Nay-y-ay!" cried the Cornishman, "there's plenty yonder, and we may aswell carry some of it back inside as out. "

"Come on, then, " said Dallas, and he strode to the door, when, to thesurprise of all, the dog uttered a deep bark and sprang before them. 

"Oh, come, that won't do, " cried Dallas. "You've got to stop and mindthe house. "

The dog barked fiercely, and rose at the door upon its hind-legs. 

"Yes, he had better stay, " said Abel; "we mustn't leave the placeunprotected. Let's slip out one by one. "

"I don't know, " said Tregelly thoughtfully; "he has evidently made uphis mind to go with us, and if we shut him in alone he'll be wild andget springing about, and perhaps knock the fire all over the place. Don't want to come back and find the shanty burned up. "

This remark settled the matter, and they started out into the keen darkmorning, the dog, after bounding about a little and indulging in a rollin the snow, placing himself by the trace as if drawing, and walking infront of the empty sledge which Tregelly was dragging. 

"Might as well have let you pull too, " said the latter; "but nevermind--you may rest this time. "

No fires were burning yet, as they trudged on over the frozen snow, while the stars glittered brilliantly as if it were midnight, givingquite enough light for them to make their way over the four miles whichdivided them from Tregelly's claim. 

"Getting pretty close now, " he said, breaking the silence; for therugged state of the slippery snow had resulted in the latter part of thejourney being made in silence, only broken by the crunching of the icyparticles and the squeaking sound made from time to time by the sledgerunners as they glided over the hard surface. 

Suddenly Tregelly stopped short, and as they were in single file, therest halted too. 

"What's the matter?" said Dallas. 

"Why, some one's took up a claim and made a shanty close up to mine. No, by thunder! They've got in my place and lit a fire! Oh, I'm notgoing to stand that!"

"What impudence!" said Dallas. 

"Impudence! I call it real cheek! But come on; I'll soon have them outof that!"

"Hist!" whispered Abel; "let's go up carefully and see first. It may besome one we know. "

"Whether we know them or whether we don't, " said Tregelly angrily, "they're coming out, and at once. Do you hear? There's more than oneof them. Come along. "

But before he had taken a dozen of his huge strides towards the hut, from whose rough chimney the ruddy smoke and sparks were rising, therewas a wild hoarse cry as of some one in agony, and the sound of astruggle going on, while fierce oaths arose, and a voice, horrible inits weird, strange tones, shrieked out so that the words reached theirears:

"The dog--the dog! Keep him from me, or he'll tear my heart right out!"while at the same moment Scruff barking fiercely, bounded forwardtowards the door, just as a cry of horror arose, so awful that it seemedto freeze the marrow in the young men's bones. 

"Come on, " shouted Tregelly; "they're killing some one. "

The two young men needed no inciting. Following Tregelly closely, theyran towards the door, which was flung open as their leader reached it, and Tregelly was dashed back against them with such violence that hewould have fallen but for their support. 

At the same moment, after they had caught, by the light of the firewithin, a glimpse of two rough-looking men, one of them apparently asbig as their companion, the door swung to again and all was darkness, while added to the still continuing cries, yells, and appeals to keepback the dog, there came from the other direction the crunching of heavyboots in full retreat on the snow, the savage barking of the dog, andthen flash after flash, followed by reports, as the late occupants ofthe hut evidently turned to fire at the pursuing dog. 

The first idea of the trio was to rush after the men who had come incontact with them, but second thoughts suggested the impossibility ofovertaking them in the darkness, while the appealing cries from withinthe cottage drew them in the other direction. 

"Leave them to the dog, " shouted Dallas excitedly. 

"Yes, come on and see who's this one inside, " growled Tregelly, as hethrust open the door and stepped into his hut. 

The place was well illumined by the blazing wood fire, and they lookedround in wonder for the assailant or dog which had elicited the hoarsewild appeals for help and protection which rose from the solitaryoccupant of the place--a wild, bloodshot-eyed, athletic man in torn andragged half-open shirt and trousers, who cowered on the rough bed tryingto force himself closer into the corner, his crooked fingers scratchingat the wall, while all the time his head was wrenched round so that hestared wildly at imaginary dangers, evidently vividly seen, and kept onshrieking for help. 

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE. 

ONE GETS HIS DESERTS. 

The little party paused and glanced excitedly round, their weapons readyto fire at the companions whom the man was addressing. 

"Keep him off, mate--drag him back, Beardy! Can't you see he's tearingme to bits! Shoot! shoot! why don't you shoot? Never mind hitting me. Shoot!--can't you see the dog's mad?"

There was a moment or two's pause, during which the man was silent, panting and foaming at the mouth, as he glared wildly towards the door. Then he began again. 

"There, there--you've missed him!" he shrieked. "He's at me again. He's mad--mad, I tell you! Shoot--shoot!--ah!"

The poor wretch darted out one hand, caught up something from betweenthe bed and the wall, and the firelight glistened upon the side of abottle, which he raised so violently to his lips that the neckrattled against his teeth; and the lookers-on heard the deep_glug_--_glug_--_glug_ of the liquid within, as the man drank withavidity. 

"Ah!" he yelled again, and, raising himself up, he threw the bottle withall his might across the hut, so that it struck the wooden wall heavily, and fell to the floor unbroken. 

"Missed--missed!" shrieked the man; "and he's springing at me again!Keep him back--keep him back! Ah!"

The shriek he uttered was horrible, as he went through all the movementsof one struggling wildly against the attacks of a savage beast, and thensuddenly dropped down cowering into the corner, panting loudly. 

Meanwhile Tregelly had picked up the bottle and held it to his nostrils, before glancing at the side. 

"That's mine, " he growled. "They found that, then. I got it forspirits, case I was took ill in the night; but it was so bad I neverused none, and put it on the corner of the shelf. It's poison, that'swhat it is; much like paraffin as can be. Nice stuff for a man likethat!"

"The man's mad, " said Dallas, with a shudder. 

"Yes, " whispered Abel; "don't you see, Dal? It's one of three whoattacked us up in the pass. "

"Yes; there's no doubt about that, " said Dallas. 

"He's the man who attacked me the other night. I'm sure as can be. "

"Oh, that's him, is it?" said Tregelly with a deep, angry growl. "Well, it'll be a long time before he attacks you again, my son. "

"Is it fever?" said Dallas. 

"'M! no, my son; I've seen a man took like that before. I should sayit's hydrophoby, from the bite of a dog; and he's been doctoring himselfwith that paraffin stuff till he's madder than ever. "

The sight before them had so taken up their attention that for themoment Scruff's pursuit of the other two had been forgotten; but now itwas brought vividly back to mind by a dull thump at the door, and thescratching of claws, and as the door yielded, the great dog forced itsway in, with his red tongue lolling out, and panting loudly with hisexertions. 

The effect was magical. The man upon the couch could not have seen orheard the dog, but he seemed to divine the great animal's presence, andspringing up again from where he cowered, he began to shriek againhorribly. 

"The dog--the dog!" he yelled--"tearing me to pieces! Mad--mad!Shoot--shoot, I say!"

But attention was taken from him to the action of the dog. 

As soon as the ghastly, distorted face in the corner rose, and theshrieks began to fill the hut, the dog paused by the door, with thethick hair about his neck bristling up till the animal looked double hisformer size, and a low, muttering, thunderous growl came from hisgrinning jaws. 

The next moment he would have sprung at the wretched man, but Dallasgrasped the position and was too quick for him. In an instant he hadsprung across the dog's back, nipped him between his knees, and buriedhis hands in the thick hair of his neck. 

"Quick, Bel, or he will tear him to pieces!" cried Dallas. "The door--the door! Here, Bob, help; I can't hold him. Strong as a horse. "

Abel flew to drag open the door, Tregelly seized the dog by his tail;there was a furious scratching and barking, a rush out, a swing round oftwo powerful arms, and the door was banged to again, and fastened; butonly just in time, Scruff's head coming at it with a loud thud, and hisclaws rattling and scratching on the wood, as he barked and growledsavagely. 

"Lie down, sir!" roared Dallas. "How dare you! Lie down. "

There was a loud barking at this, but there were sounds as if of protestmingled with it, and finally the dog subsided into a howl, and droppeddown by the door to wait, a low, shuffling, panting sound coming throughthe crack at the bottom. 

"He'd have killed him, " said Dallas, panting with the exertion. 

"Not a doubt about it, my son, " replied Tregelly. "That's the chap, sure enough--him as half killed you, Mr Abel. "

"Yes, I'm sure of it. "

"Knew him again directly. "

"Think so?" said Dallas. 

"Sure of it, my son. Dog wouldn't have gone for a sick man in bed. Knew him directly, and went for him. Depend upon it, them two had adesprit fight that night when Scruff laid hold of him and made him dropthe gold-bag. "

"That's it, Bel, " said Dallas. "No doubt Scruff bit him pretty well, and he has scared himself into the belief that the dog was mad. "

"Yes, that and delirim trimins, " said the big Cornishman, looking downat the horrible wreck before him, the face seeming more ghastly andgrotesque from the dancing shadows. "The brute has drunk himself mad. He's a thief, and a murderer, or meant to be; and him and his gang havebroke into my house. If the judge and his lot yonder could get at himthey'd hang him to the first tree; he told us if we saw him and his lotwe were to shoot at sight; and he's no good to himself or anybody else, and the world would be all the better without him; and--I say, don't youthink we'd better let the dog come in and put him out of his misery?"

"No, " said Dallas angrily; "neither do you. "

"Well, put him outside in the snow. It's a merciful sort of death, andvery purifying to such a chap as this. Soon freeze hard. He wouldn'tcome back to life like old Scruff. What do you say to that, Master AbelWray?"

"Nothing, " said Abel shortly, "because if I said _Yes_! you wouldn't doit. "

Tregelly stood and shook with the ebullition of chuckles which camebubbling out. 

"Oh, dear me, " he said at last, as he wiped his eyes. "I can't helpbeing such a fool. It's my nature to, my sons. No, I couldn't set thedog at the beast, and I couldn't put him out to freeze; but if it hadcome to a fight, and I'd been up, I could have shot him or knocked himon the head, and felt all the better for it. "

"Yes, I know, " said Dallas, who stood gazing down at the tremblingwretch upon the couch. 

"I s'pose I ought to be very glad him and his lot found my place empty;and I ought to sit down and nurse him and try to make him well again, and stop till his mates came and made an end of me--same as they've madean end of everything in the place. I say, just look here--quiet, Scruff, or I'll come and talk to you with one of my boots!--I'm blessedif they haven't finished up everything I left here--ham, bacon, meal, tea, sugar--every blessed thing, " continued Tregelly, as he openedcanister and tin, peered into the meal-tub, and finished by staring downat the miserable wretch on the bed, and thoughtfully scratching hishead. 

"It's horrible, Bob, " said Dallas. "The brutes! But I don't know whatwe're to do. "

Tregelly looked down again at the man, whose lips were moving fast; buthis words were inaudible, save now and then, when he uttered a strangeyelping cry, and they heard the word, "Dog!"

"Seems your turn now, Master Abel, " said Tregelly. "You've got yourknife into him most. But he's got his deserts. "

CHAPTER THIRTY. 

A STAGGERING BLOW. 

"Is he dying?" said Abel, as he looked down with commiseration on theman who tried to take his life. 

"As sure as the sun'll rise to-morrow morning somewhere if it don'there, my son. He's dying fast. Man can't live long going through whathe's going through now. He's dying as horrible a death as a man candie. Hanging would be a blessing to it. "

"Yes, he's weaker already, " said Dallas, looking at the prostrate man. 

"That's so, my son. I don't like his dying in my place; but we can'thelp it. Let's get together what we want to take, and go. "

"But there is nothing to load the sledge with, " said Dallas. 

"There's a nice lot of cartridges--pistol and rifle--in a tin in yoncorner. We'll take those and--Well, I'm blessed! They've got them, too!"

"How tiresome!"

"But they haven't got my gold; I'll warrant that. "

"Where is it buried?" asked Abel. 

"Buried?" replied Tregelly, with a laugh. "'Tain't buried at all. It'sjust outside the door there--one of those big blocks of ice; but weshall have to wipe it round with a pick-axe to make it a more decentsize for the sledge. "

"One of these blocks?"

"That's right, my son. If you make a hiding-place some one's sure tofind it; but they'd never think of looking inside a block lying outsideyour door. You see, I picked a big hole in it, put in my stuff, then abig wedge of flannel, rammed some snow on the top, poured a drop ofwater over, and in half an hour it was a solid block. "

"Well, let's get it and go, before those other scoundrels come back. "

"You needn't fear them, my son. Scruff would let us know if they werenear. I only wish they would come, so as we could have a fight. Takingmy stores like that. "

"But about this man?" said Abel. 

"What about him, my son? We are doing all we can by letting him alone. I know enough of that sort of thing to be able to say that nothing canbe done for him. No doctor could do him any good, if there was one tobe had. Let's get the gold and go back. Perhaps his mates will comeback to him when we're gone. "

"And if they do, what then?" said Dallas sharply. 

"You mean, shall I lay wait for them and trap them, my son. No; I can'tdo that now. Be best for them, though, to keep quite out o' my way. Now then, open the door just a little way, so that you can squeeze outand get hold of the dog, Mr Dallas. If he gets in we shall have ascene. "

Dallas nodded, glanced at where the delirious man lay muttering tohimself, and then slipped out, and was nearly thrown backward by therush the dog made to get into the hut; but he held on to the animal'sthick coat till his companions had had time to slip out and the door wasclosed, the dog growling his disappointment the while. 

"Now, " said Dallas merrily, "which is the block we ought to take?"

There was a heap of hardened snow on either side of the door--a heapcomposed of roughened blocks, and when the young men had declared theirinability to say that one was more likely than another, Tregelly stoopeddown and rolled the very first one over and over. 

"That's the one, " he said; "but I may as well chip a hundredweight ofice off it. Wait while I get the pick from the side of the shaft, andyou may as well keep a sharp look-out with cocked pieces. They mighttry to rush us. "

Dallas and Abel took the hint, and did better; they sheltered themselvesbehind the wood heap, ready for any attack that might come; while thedog, now pacified, walked here and there, snuffing about as if scentingdanger. 

Tregelly was back directly, and by dexterous usage of the pick-axe hesoon reduced the heavy block to a more portable size, after which it wassecured upon the sledge, and the return journey commenced. 

A good look-out was kept, every man walking with his piece ready cocked, for there were plenty of places to be passed where they might wellexpect to meet with an ambush; but all went well, the ice-block formingbut a light load, as the snow was hard beneath their feet. 

To make matters easier, Abel kept up well, declaring again and againthat he was not tired. 

"Don't overdo it, " Dallas said. "Even with you on the sledge it wouldbe a light load for us two to draw. "

"You will not draw me, even if it would be, " replied Abel. "I feelstronger and brighter now than when I came out. It shows what a littleenergy will do. "

It was fairly light as they came within sight of the hut they had leftthat morning, and a faint curl of smoke rising from the roof showed thatthe fire was still alight; and all seemed to be perfectly right, tillthey were close up, when Dallas caught sight of a piece of timber lyingacross the front of the door, and began to run. 

"Take care, my lad!" cried Tregelly; "There may be danger. "

Abel followed, but the dog out-speeded the little party, and rushing tothe front, bounded in at the open door. 

"Take care! take care!" cried Abel, as he saw that the door had beenforced in their absence. 

But he was too late, for his cousin had rushed up, rifle in hand, andsprung into the place. 

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. 

SCRUFF GIVES WARNING. 

Abel was still weak and wanting in spirit from his long illnesses, butthe courage displayed by his cousin roused him to action, and hefollowed the others into the hut. 

But it was to face no enemies, only to find Scruff sniffing about--Tregelly stamping with rage. 

"What is it?" cried Abel. "Somebody been in, of course. "

"Been in and carried off all they could lay hands on. "

"Took advantage of our absence, Bel, and loaded themselves with stores. "

"And all through not leaving the dog and risking the fire. "

"Poor Scruff!" said Abel. "Perhaps it's as well, for they wouldprobably have shot him. "

"They might as well shoot us, " cried Tregelly, "if this sort of thing isto go on. "

"Yes, " said Dallas. "Everybody round must be warned at once. "

Fortunately, further examination showed that the visitors to the hutmust have been hurried in their movements, and had been either unable tocarry away, or had overlooked, a portion of the remaining stores, sothat starvation did not quite stare them in the face; but it wasabsolutely necessary that a journey to the settlement should be made atonce. 

"My job this time, " said Tregelly, as the matter was discussed by thefire, where, armed with an axe, he was busily chipping a way into thecentre of the block of ice they had brought back. "Now, if those twomates of mine hadn't grown sick of it, and gone back before the wintercome on, they'd just have been useful now. "

"Did you quarrel?" asked Dallas. 

"Quarrel? No, my son, " said Tregelly, as he chipped away at the ice. "They took the right notion one day that there was the long winter toface, and that they'd better share and be off while their shoes wasgood. "

"Well?" said Dallas. 

"Well, we shared, and they went home. "

Then there was silence, save that the Cornishman went on chipping awayat the ice, more and more carefully, for he was getting through the topof the shell, and the golden kernel was near, Scruff watching theproceedings in rather a cynical or dog-like way, as if sneering at thetrouble these two-legged animals took to obtain something not good toeat. 

"Yes; it's terrible work in the dark, " said Abel. "Perhaps they wereright. "

"But the long days are coming, " said Dallas cheerfully, "and then we'llgo farther north up one of the other creeks, towards the mountains. There is abundance of gold if we could find it. And we must--we willfind it before we've done. "

"That's right, my son, " cried Tregelly. "We three won't give up tillwe've had a reg'lar good try. Now then, here we are: all mixed up andfroze into a lump. Just hand me that iron bucket, Mr Wray, and I'llchip it out into that, and throw it down by the fire. Wonder, " headded, as he began to break out the gilded ice, "whether there's much ofmy share left. "

The pieces of ice and gold went on rattling down till the last scrap wasemptied out, and the hollowed block of ice tossed out of the door. 

"Let's see, " said Tregelly, "my two mates said that at the end of thewinter there'd only be about two hundred shillings' worth. But theywere wrong, " he continued, with a merry laugh, "for all my share's here, and I've added a bit more to it--enough to pay for what we want fromdown the river; so I haven't done so badly, after all. "

"You have done wonders, " cried Dallas. 

"Oh, I don't know. I've worked pretty hard, though, " said Tregelly, giving the contents of the bucket a twist round and pouring off some ofthe melted ice into another bucket. "Looks pretty, don't it, my sons?but hardly worth all the trouble one takes to get it. "

He pushed the bucket right in among the embers, and the contents beganto steam, till all the ice was melted, when the dirty water was drainedaway and the gold then turned carefully out on the iron cake griddle, baked to dryness on the wood ashes, and then examined. 

"That would make Mr Redbeard's ugly mouth water if he could see it, mysons, eh?"

"Yes, it looks tempting, " said Dallas. "Put it away. "

"Nay; we've agreed to share now, my sons. Let's take out enough for meto spend down the river. Let the other go into your leather bag. "

"No, that would not be fair, " said Dallas quickly. 

"I say it would, my sons; and I ought to know best. Look here: you'regoing to help me take care of what I've got, and I'm going to help you. Sometimes you'll get more; sometimes I shall; so you see it will comeall square in the end. There, " he said, in conclusion, as he roughlyscraped a portion of the glittering heap aside, "what do you say to thatbeing enough?"

"I'd take more, " said Abel; "provisions will be dearer than ever. "

"Right; so they will. Well, that must be plenty. Now then, where'syour bag?"

This was produced, rather unwillingly, from the hiding-place. 

"That's right, " he continued, as the glittering treasure was poured intothe leather bag. "Now then, we'll just see what we can do in the way ofprog for me to take. I can hold out pretty well on some cake and plentyof tobacco. Then I'll be off. "

"When do you mean to go?" said Abel. 

"Go, my son? Why, now, directly. Sooner the better. Those chaps won'tcome back till they want some more prog. I tell you what you might do, though; go to the first shanty and tell the neighbour about those twobeing out on the rampage, and ask him to pass the word all along theline. "

An hour later Tregelly was ready to start, and shook hands. Then hehesitated. 

"What is it?" said Dallas. 

"I was thinking whether I ought to go round by my claim and see how thatfellow's getting on. Sometimes I'm pulled one way, sometimes I'm pulledanother. But going perhaps means a bullet in my jacket, so I won't go. "

He threw the leather band over his shoulder, and the next minute thesledge runners were creaking and crackling as they glided over thehardened snow, while Dallas stood listening with his companion till thelast sound died out, and then hurriedly fetched load after load offire-logs, with the dog busily at work exploring the neighbourhood inall directions, coming back at five-minute intervals panting and sendingup his visible breath, till Dallas bade him go in. 

"Dal, " said Abel, after a few minutes' pause, during which they had beenstacking the wood neatly in one corner, "don't you feel glad that yousaved Scruff's life?"

"I should think I do. He's going to prove a regular policeman on thebeat. "

A low, deep growl came from the dog. 

"Hullo! Does he object to being called a bobby?"

"Hist! No, " whispered Abel, darting to the hooks upon which the rifleswere hung. For the dog had trotted softly to the door, and stoodlooking down at the narrow opening at the bottom, and was growling moredeeply than before. 

"There's some one coming, " whispered Dallas, "and that fire makes it aslight within here as day. "

The two young men darted close to the side, and drew the curtain-likerugs over the door and the little shuttered window. 

Just as this was completed the dog growled again, and then burst into adeep-toned bay. 

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO. 

THE ENEMY IN THE DARK. 

"Ahoy there! Keep that dog quiet, " cried a familiar voice from somedistance off. 

"It's all right, " cried Dallas with a sigh of relief. "Norton. "

"Here, Scruff, lie down, old man, " cried Abel. "Friends, friends. "

The dog whined, and waved his bushy tail as the door was opened, andtheir bluff friend came into the glow shed by the fire. 

"How are you, my lads? Haven't seen you for ages. Didn't know you hadstarted a dog. "

"He's a visitor, " said Dallas. "Come in. "

The man entered and looked sideways at the dog, who had begun to smellhis legs. 

"Not treacherous, is he? Some of these Eskimo are brutes to snap. "

"No, he understands you are friends, " said Abel. "Lie down, Scruff. "

The dog crouched, and watched the visitor as he sat down on a box, tookout his pipe, and lit it. 

"Thought I'd give you a look in as I didn't feel worky. How's thingsgoing?"

"We were coming to warn you, " said Dallas; and he related what hadpassed. 

"Them?" said Norton, springing up and putting out his pipe; "I was inhopes they were hanged. Well, I'll be off; this means a serious matterfor them. We shall have to get up a hunt and stop this. Will youjoin?"

"Of course, " said the young men in a breath. 

"Then good-bye; only mind this--if you hear firing come and help. "

"Yes; and you'll do the same?"

"Trust me, " said the man shortly, and he shook hands and hurried away. 

The next four days passed anxiously enough, and they heard no more ofNorton and his friends. The first two nights watch was kept, theoccupants of the hut taking turn and turn of three hours. But thisduty, somewhat in accordance with the proverb of familiarity breedingcontempt, was deputed to Scruff, who, however, was more contemptuousthan either of his masters; for he kept the watch carefully curled-upwith his tail across his eyes, in the spot where the warmest glow fromthe fire struck. 

The fifth day passed without any news being heard from the otherscattered claim-holders, and it was thought possible, though hardlylikely, that Tregelly might return. 

The night came on intensely black, with intervals of perfect stillness, followed by puffs of icy wind, which were charged with tiny sharpspicules of ice, which made the face tingle at the slightest exposure toits influence. 

"He will not be here to-night, " said Dallas, after looking out; "there'sa storm brewing, and it is too dark to travel, so we may as well givehim up. "

"We had better sit up a few hours. He may come. "

So, instead of creeping into their sleeping-bags after they had bankedup the fire and made all snug, they sat talking, till warmth andweariness combined to make them drowsy, and they lay down, to fallasleep directly. 

In an hour or two the blazing fire had given place to a heap of woodashes, over which, as the rising wind swept round the place, what seemedto be a faint phosphorescent light played for a few moments and thendied out. 

Scruff was curled-up so tightly that he looked fixed, and he seemedblind and deaf to everything, till towards the middle of the night awatcher, had there been one, would have seen that there were two brightpoints visible through the thick brush so closely curled round, whiledirectly after the dog's ears seemed to prick up. 

If there had been a watcher he would in all probability have attributedthis to fancy, consequent upon the faint glow which came and went aboutthe embers, as the wind sighed round the lonely hut; for shadowsdarkened, and various objects grew more or less defined. 

Then all idea of want of reality would have passed away, for the dogsuddenly and silently sprang to his feet, took a step or two towards thedoor, and then stood with his head turned on one side, listening. 

He remained perfectly motionless for quite a minute, as the glow fromthe fire grew less and less till he was almost invisible. Then suddenlythrowing up his head, he uttered a low, deep-toned bark, which broughtthe cousins from their beds, each seizing upon the rifle laid ready. 

"What is it, Scruff?" cried Dallas. "Some one there?"

There was another deep-toned bark, and the dog sprang to the door androse up on its hind-legs, tearing at the rug which covered it until itfell. 

Scruff stood there with his head on one side, listening for someminutes, during which the silence was painful in the extreme. Dallashad sprung to one side of the door, Abel to the other, and they stoodclose up to the rough walls, the only place where they could be insafety, for there they were beyond the vision of any one who peeredthrough the shuttered window or the apertures of the door left exposedby the tearing down of the rough hanging. 

The simplest thing, and an act which would have left them more freedom, would have been to have quenched the fire at once. But there was nowater at hand, and there was sufficient light from the glowing embers toexpose every movement to an enemy without. 

They stood there with every nerve on the strain, listening, while thedog whined uneasily, took a trot round the fire, and returned to thedoor, to stand with his head on one side again. 

"There must be some one out there, " whispered Abel. 

Dallas nodded, and made a sign to his cousin to be silent, for the dogwhined uneasily again, turning to the young man, thrusting his muzzleagainst his hand, and looking up at him as if waiting for orders. Thenext moment he was at the door again, and reared up with his pawsagainst the bar, at which he tore as if to get it down, so that he mightgo out into the night. 

"Here, I know, " cried Abel excitedly, "he must hear or feel in some waythat Tregelly is close here. "

"He would not come on at this time of night. "

"Why not? It's as dark most of the day as it is now. Let's open thedoor and give a hail. "

"No; listen, " whispered Dallas. "He would do that. "

"If he were within reach. "

"He must be within reach for the dog to know, " whispered Dallas. But ashe spoke he doubted his own opinion, for it seemed possible that ahalf-wild dog's sensibilities might be sufficiently keen to feel thecoming of a friend. 

"Here, what is it, old fellow?" he said softly. "Some one there?"

The dog whined and tore at the bar. 

"It is as I say, Dal, " said Abel excitedly. "Look at him. Here, Scruff, old lad, what is it?"

The dog growled. 

"That doesn't sound as if he scented a friend, Bel. "

"He does, I tell you, " cried Abel angrily; for he was prone to beirritable as a result of his many sufferings. "Here, let's have thedoor open at once. "

It was as if the dog understood his words, for he dropped on all foursand uttered a deep-toned bay. 

"All right, Scruff, we'll let you go, " cried Abel, and seizing the roughbar, he was in the act of raising it from the notch in which it rested, when _bang_--_bang_, two shots were fired just outside, andsimultaneously the door shook violently, there was a peculiar rending, splintering sound in the rough boards, and Dallas's heart gave aspasmodic leap, for he saw his cousin fall to the ground. 

"Bel, lad! Hurt?" panted Dallas, stepping forward and dropping on oneknee by his cousin's side. 

As he spoke there were two more shots, the bullets striking the door, and one passing clean through with a whirring, humming sound, to strikethe wall on the other side, Dallas's position in all probability savinghis life, for the sound seemed to pass just over his head. 

"Dal, old man! Hurt?" was Abel's answer. 

"No, not touched. Why don't you answer? Were you hit?"

"No; I only ducked down, it seemed so near. "

"Save your shot, " said Dallas hoarsely. "When we fire it must be as alast resource. "

Abel nodded. 

"Right, " he said. 

"Crawl to your own side. I'll take this. The bullets will not comethrough the logs of the wall. "

"I'm not so sure, " said Abel softly; but he obeyed his cousin's order, just as a couple more shots were fired through. 

The next moment Dallas was stamping and kicking out the fire, with theresult that the interior of the hut grew lighter. 

"Don't, don't do that, Dal, " whispered Abel. "You're right in the lineof fire, too. "

As a proof that their position was being made more precarious a couplemore shots were fired, the bullets buzzing across the interior. 

"Must, " was the reply. "There, the ashes will soon grow faint;" and ina few minutes the place was nearly black; but at the same time it wasfull of strangling wood-smoke which rose slowly towards the opening inthe roof which formed their chimney. 

Meanwhile shot after shot was fired through the door, and at every dullthud or tearing of the stout woodwork, the dog dashed about, snarlingand barking furiously. 

"Dal! Dal!" cried Abel passionately; "are we to stop here doingnothing?"

"Yes; we are not going to shoot at random. Wait a bit, and our timewill come. Have you plenty of cartridges handy?"

"Yes; a pocketful. "

"Don't waste them, then. One will be sufficient to silence an enemy. We must wing him--that will be sufficient. I say!"

"Yes, what?"

"Bob Tregelly would not knock at the door like this, would he?"

"Don't. I made sure it was he. "

The firing went on through the door, and in the darkness, which now grewprofound, the besieged made out that the direction of the bullets wasvaried, for those which came through struck the wall in differentplaces--high, low, and to right and left; and the result of this wasthat suddenly, in spite of Dallas's endeavours to keep the dog close tohim in shelter, he escaped from him to bound about, barking savagely, and the next minute, as a couple of shots came through the door, heuttered a peculiar snarling snap, and threw himself with a heavy thudagainst the door. 

"He has got it, Bel, " whispered Dallas. "Here, Scruff! Scruff!"

The dog came to him, whining, and then uttered a dismal howl. 

"Poor old chap! you must lick the place, " said Dallas. "I'll see to itwhen I can get a light. "

"Badly wounded, Dal?" said Abel. 

"Can't tell. No; not very bad, or he would have lain still. Has hecome to you?"

"Yes, " said Abel, from the other side of the door; "he has shoved hishead against me. "

There was a pause then, and an ejaculation full of horror. 

"What is it?" anxiously. 

"Ugh! The poor fellow's bleeding!"

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE. 

A DEATH SHRIEK. 

"Wait a bit--wait a bit!" said Dallas through his teeth; "we'll pay thecowardly brutes yet. Bel, it makes me feel like a savage. I couldenjoy pulling the rope that was to hang them!"

"I couldn't; but I wish it was daylight and I could get a good aim atone of them. I say, they'll riddle that door. "

"Wait a bit, " whispered Dallas, with a curious little laugh, "and we'llanswer their riddle. "

The firing went on persistently, but the dog barked no more--only gavevent from time to time to a low growl, while the listeners could tellfrom the sound that he was applying an animal's natural remedy to hiswound by licking it diligently. 

And the firing went on as if the enemy were searching every part of thehut with their bullets. 

"Dal, " whispered Abel suddenly, "don't be startled. "

"You're not going to be such an idiot as to open the door to the fire, are you?"

"No; but it would not be idiotic, " said Abel quietly; "for I feel as ifI could hit one of them by seeing the flash of his piece. "

"What are you going to do, then?--let the dog out?"

"No, not now he is wounded. I wish we had set him free, though, at thefirst--he'd have startled the wretches!"

"They'd have done for him with their bowies, " said Dallas. "What am Inot to be startled at? Ah-h-ah! You brutes! Lie right down, Bel!They're firing at the wall now. "

"Then it's time for it. Look here, I'm going to humbug them. "

Two more reports came, and, as the sound died out, Abel uttered sounearthly a shriek that Dallas felt it go through him in a shudder thatchilled him to the bone. 

"Bel!" he panted wildly. 

"All right; did it sound natural?" was whispered back. 

"Oh, you wretch!" whispered Dallas; and Abel laughed. 

"They'll think they've done for the dog and one of us, " said Abelsoftly. "Let them go on firing now for a bit, and then it will be yourturn; only don't squeak like I did. "

"I see, " said Dallas. 

"You feel for something big, and when they've fired a bit more hurl ithard at the door, and then give a big groan. "

"All right!"

"They'll feel sure then, and come up and begin to force open the door orthe shutters. Then we must let them have it. "

"Yes; four barrels at once, " said Dallas. 

"And some seasoning directly after from our pepper-boxes. "

The dog was so quiet now that Abel trembled for his fate; but he and hiscompanion, as they lay there in the darkness, had something else tothink about, for the firing went on steadily, and they wondered it didnot bring up some of the miners from their claims here and there. 

"Surely they're not too cowardly to come to our help, " thought Dallas. 

Four shots were fired now in quick succession, as if the enemy wereanxious to bring matters to an end, and Abel whispered, "Try it directlythey fire again. "

"Yes, " said Dallas; and directly after Abel heard the handle of thegalvanised iron bucket chink softly. 

Then came two more shots, and in an instant Dallas dashed the bucketagainst the door with all his might, uttered a heavy groan, and wassilent. 

The firing outside ceased now, showing that the ruse had beensuccessful; and the two young men held their breath as they listened forthe nearer approach of the enemy, which they felt sure must now beimminent; but they listened a long time in vain. 

At last, though, the crackling of the snow outside, as from the pressureof a heavy foot, warned them that their time was coming, and they layready with the muzzles of their pieces ready to direct at door orwindow, as the necessity might arise, and their revolvers on the floorby their knees. 

Which was it to be--door or window? They would have given years oftheir lives to know at which to aim, and they felt now what guesswork itmust be. 

"They'll come to the window, I hope, " thought Dallas; "and if they do Iwon't fire till I am sure of winging one of them. "

But though they waited, no such opportunity seemed likely to come, forthere was not a sound at the front after they heard the soft cracklingof the snow. 

All at once, when the horrible suspense seemed greater than they couldbear, and Dallas felt that he must spring to his feet, rush to the door, and begin firing at random, it seemed to both that an icy hand hadgrasped each of them by the throat. 

It was another exemplification of the aphorism that it is the unexpectedwhich always happens. For all at once, after a long period of perfectsilence, there was a peculiar grating sound at the back of the hutinstead of at the front, and for a few moments both the defenders of theplace were puzzled. 

Then, as the sound was repeated, they realised what it was. There wereseveral pieces of thickish pine-trunk lying outside in the snow, piecesthat had been cut to form uprights for the rough shedding over theirshaft. These pieces were very rough and jagged with the remains of theboughs which had been lopped off, so that they would be as easy toclimb--almost--as a ladder. Two of these had been softly placed so thatthey lay along the slope of the roof, and up them one of the enemy wascautiously climbing, while his companion was holding them at the foot. 

"Bel must grasp this, " thought Dallas, who dared not whisper, for fearof giving the alarm to the enemy and putting them on their guard. For, cunning enough in the plans that had been devised, the enemy were aboutto ignore door and window, and make their approach by the opening in theroof through which the smoke passed. 

There was a sort of lid of boards nailed a foot above to prevent thesnow from falling straight through, but there was ample room for anactive man to lower himself down through the hole; and, drawing a deepbreath full of satisfaction, Dallas changed the direction of the muzzleof his gun, feeling quite sure that the one who was to attack wouldlower himself down feet first, so that the task of performing vengeancewould be easy as far as one of the men was concerned, and at any ratethey could make sure of him. 

Dallas's teeth gritted softly together as he waited, and Abel's heartbeat with heavy throbs, for he had been as quick to grasp the way ofattack as his cousin. But they had not fully fathomed the enemy'splans, and were completely taken by surprise. 

It was only a matter of a few minutes, but it seemed like an hour as theyoung men strained their eyes in the black darkness, and mentally sawone of their foes climb slowly up till he reached the sloping roof, upwhich he progressed steadily, the two pieces of tree rasping andcrunching the thick, icy snow which clung to the roof; and then fingerstrembled about triggers as the defenders tried to guess at the openingexactly in the centre of where the ridge-pole ran. 

And now the sounds came more plainly; a hand was evidently feeling aboutfor the opening, for a bit or two of snow from the edge of the hole--pieces which had not melted away--fell down amongst the embers with asoft pat, and a low, hissing sound of steam arose from the hotfire-hole. 

"Now he knows exactly, " thought Dallas, "and I shall hear him turn andbegin to lower himself down. We ought to wait till he is more than halfthrough before we fire. Will Bel think of this?"

He drew a long breath, for there was a heavy, rustling sound above, asif the man on the roof was altering his position. Then there came asharp scratch, for the greater part of a box of matches had been struckall at once. Then there was a brilliant flash of light, the momentaryglimpse of a big hairy hand, from which the burning matches began tofall, while the interior of the dark hut was lit up, showing the dog, with eyes glistening and bared teeth, crouched to spring, and the twoyoung men kneeling, each with his weapon raised. 

But they did not fire, feeling that it would be madness to trust tohitting the unseen, for the hand was too small a target; and before theycould make up their minds what to do next, two shots were fired fromoutside, and a cry rang out on the midnight air. 

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR. 

THE STRIKING OF ANOTHER MATCH. 

The long-silent dog burst out into a hoarse bark once more, as the twoyoung men knelt there as if paralysed, and the tiny splints died out oneby one where they had fallen amongst the wood ashes, while from the roofthere was a horrible scrambling, struggling sound, hoarse cries, thecrunching of the frozen snow, followed by the scraping sound as of someone sliding down the slope of the roof, and then a dull, heavy thud, agroan or two, and finally complete silence. 

"He has it, " said Dallas hoarsely. 

"Hush! Hark!" cried Abel. 

For there was another shot, then another, and another, till quite adozen had rung out, each growing more and more distant; and as the youngmen dashed to the door now and threw it open, they saw flashes of lightas other shots were fired. Then came shouting, voices calling to oneanother. 

"Some of the lads heard the firing at last, and come to our help, " saidDallas. 

"Look out; there's some one coming back, " whispered Abel. 

"I hear him. Be ready, and if he's an enemy let him have it. Hah!Bravo! Good dog! You're not so very bad, then. "

For at the sound of the heavy footsteps coming at a trot over thecreaking snow Scruff uttered a fierce growl, began to bay and dashed outinto the darkness. 

"He'll have him, " said Dallas. "But come on; we mustn't leave it all tohim. "

"Hullo there!" came in a cheery, familiar voice. "Good old dog!" andScruff's fierce bay changed to a whining yelp of pleasure, whileTregelly's hearty cry of "Ahoy!" came. 

"Ahoy! Ahoy!" was sent out joyfully in answer, and directly after thebig Cornishman came trotting up. 

"Thank God, my sons, " he cried. "But what about that chap on the roof?Did I bring him down with those two shots?"

"Was it you that fired?" cried the young men in a breath. 

"Of course. Who did you think it was?"

"The enemy--we did not know--some of the others come to our help, " wasthe confused answer, given in a duet. 

"Nay, it was me, my sons; he gave me such a chance--lighting up a wholebox of lucifers. I could see him splendid. Going to burn you out, wasn't he?"

"No; to see if we were dead, and, if not, to fire again. "

"I'm afraid the other beggar has got away. "

"But you had some one with you?" said Dallas eagerly. 

"Yes, I suppose so, but it is so plaguy dark. I was so long away that Imade up my mind--or something I can't explain made it up for me--to comestraight on and get to you early in the night; but that blessed sledgegot heavier and heavier, so that I had to stop and rest and have a pipenow and then. Last time I was going to stop I was so near my shantythat I thought I'd go round by it, and see how things were there. So Idid; left the sledge and crept up to it, to find a bit of firesmouldering, showing some one lived there; but nobody was at home. No, that isn't right, for when I got inside I struck a match, and somebodywas at home; but he didn't live there. Understand?"

"That scoundrel who was bitten by the dog?" cried Dallas excitedly. 

"Was he there?" cried Abel. 

"His mummy was, " said Tregelly. "I dunno how they could do it--Icouldn't. I didn't want to live in such company as that. I stayed justas long as the match burned, and then I came away as fast as I could. Ugh! it wasn't nice. Those fellows can't be men. "

"And then you came on?"

"Yes, my son. I came along at a horrible crawl, which was gettingslower and slower; for it's no use to deny it--us big chaps have so muchto carry on one pair of legs that we're downright lazy ones. There Iwas, getting slower and slower, and smoking my pipe, and in a rare nastytemper, cussing away at that old sledge for being so heavy, and thatsleepy that I kept dropping off fast as a top, and waking up again tofind myself going on like a bit o' machinery. `This won't do, ' I saysto myself; and I roused up again, knowing that I couldn't have beenasleep long, because my pipe wasn't out; but all the same I dreamed alot, all about dragging a truck on a tram-line down in Botallack mine, right away under the sea. Then I'm blessed if I wasn't asleep again, fast as a top--chap told me once that didn't mean a spinning top, but a_taupe_, which he said was French for dormouse. But that don't matter, do it?"

"No, no, " said Abel impatiently. "Go on. "

"All right, my son. Where had I got to?"

"You were fast asleep again, " said Dallas. 

"So it was, my son; and then something woke me, and what do you think itwas?"

"You heard the firing?"

"Nay; I must have yawned or sneezed, for I'd dropped my pipe; and Is'pose I'd slept longer that time, and it must have been out, for Icouldn't see a spark in the dark, and although I went down on my handsand knees, and crawled in all directions with my nose close to theground, I couldn't smell it. "

"What did you do then?" said Abel. 

"Swore, my son, till I was ashamed of myself, and very thankful I wasthat you gents couldn't hear me. `They'd drop your acquaintance, myson, ' I said to myself, `if they heard you. ' Then I got up again, andwas feeling for the trace, to start off again, thinking a deal of mypoor old pipe, when `Hullo!' I says to myself, `firing!' There it was, plain enough, two shots together, and after a bit two more. 

"That was enough for me, so I slips my rifle out from where it was tiedon to the sledge. Next minute, as two more shots were fired, I came, leaving the sledge to take care of itself--coming on as fast as I could, feeling sure that the enemy was at you chaps, but wondering why thefiring should be so one-sided. Couldn't make it out a bit. "

"But it went on, and I was wide awake enough now, and hadn't come muchfarther when I was brought up short by the clicking of guns beingcocked, and some one says in a low voice, `Stand, ' he says, `or we'llblow you out of your skin. ' `Two can play at that, ' I says: `who areyou?' `Norton, and six more, ' says the voice; `who are you?' `BobTregelly o' Trevallack, Cornwall, mates, ' I says. `Good man and true, 'says another voice. `Look here, mate, there's firing going on up atyour place; we've heard it ever so long, and couldn't quite make outwhere it was, but it's there for certain. ' `Yes, ' I says, `come on; butlet's spread out and take or make an end of those who are firing. '"

"Hah!" ejaculated Abel. "Go on. "

"They did just as I told 'em, and spread out, while I crept nigher andnigher, reglarly puzzled, for the firing had stopped. Last of all I sawthat chap's face as he lit up a whole box of matches. That was enoughfor me. I knew him again. "

"Was it Redbeard?" said Dallas excitedly. 

"No, my son; I'm sorry to say it wasn't the moose with the finest pairof horns; but I had to take what I could get, and I fired. But I'veleft the sledge out yonder to take care of itself. I hope none o' themruffians o' street-boys'll find it and get helping themselves. "

"Then Redbeard has got away again, " said Abel. 

"Don't know yet, my son, till the others come back. They may have hadbetter luck than I did. "

At that moment Scruff burst out in a deep-toned bark from the back ofthe hut. 

"Look out, " said Tregelly sharply, as they halted, having reached thefront. "We may get a shot if he's only wounded. "

"Spread out, and let's take both sides together. "

They separated in the darkness, and advanced with finger on trigger, ready to fire. "Stand!"

"Stand!"

"Oh, it's you!"

"Oh, it's you!"

"Yes, my son; it's me. Where's the game I shot?"

"We have not seen him, " said Dallas. "He must have crawled away. "

"Wounded beasts are dangerous, " said Tregelly, "so look out. "

"But where's the dog?" said Abel, in a hoarse whisper. "Hi! Scruff!Scruff!"

A sharp bark came from close at hand in the darkness. 

"Look here, " whispered the big Cornishman; "you two get your pieces toyour shoulders and be ready. I'm going to chance it and light a match. Ready?"

"Yes. "

"Then come on!"

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE. 

THE HELP THAT CAME LATE. 

There was a momentary pause, and then--

_Scratch_ went the match, and the tiny flame feebly lit up the place, toshow them the great dog sitting at the edge of the shaft, looking down. 

Then the light went out. 

"All right, my sons, " said Tregelly coolly. "Let's go in and get thelantern. The beggar has rolled about, and dropped down the pit. Sorrywe can't cover him up. But we can't, on account of the gold. "

Just then there came a hail, and another, and another, while when thelantern was lit and held up it served as a beacon to bring six men up tothe hut door. 

"Got the other one?" cried Tregelly. 

"No; he got away in the darkness, " said Norton. "But what about the oneyou shot at?"

"He's yonder, " said Tregelly. "Rolled down into the shaft. "

So it proved, for by the light of the lantern the body of one of themarauders was hauled up. 

"Stone dead, " said Tregelly. 

"Well, it has saved him from being hanged. "

"And others from having to do it, " said another. 

"But no one will be safe till his mate's in the same state, " saidTregelly. 

"And he soon will be, " said another. "Glad we all came in time to helpyou two. "

"We are most grateful, gentlemen, " said Dallas. "Leave the unhappywretch where he is. Come inside, and rest and refresh. "

It was about an hour later, when their fellow gold-seekers who had cometo their help had gone, promising to return next day and help over theinterment of the dead man, that Dallas turned to Tregelly, who wasseated with his big arms resting upon his knees, gazing down into thecheery fire that had been lit. 

"Sleepy, Bob?"

"Nay, my son. Never felt so wide awake in my life. I'm thinking. "

"What about?" asked Abel. 

"About having killed a man, " said the big fellow gravely. 

"It was in self-defence, " said Dallas. 

"I dunno, my son. You see, I never give him a chance. Seems rathercowardly. "

"The wretch was trying to destroy our lives, " cried Abel hotly. 

"Eh?"

"Yes; he and his companion had been firing at us for long enough, " saidAbel. 

"Ah, " cried Dallas, "and they did wound the dog. Here, old fellow, let's look at you. "

In effect, the dog was just then licking at one particular part of hisback, and examination proved that a bullet had ploughed off a littlestrip of skin. 

"Only make him sore for a bit, " said Tregelly, after he had examined thedog in turn. "Poor old chap! I wish I'd a bit o' pitch to touch itover for you. But I hadn't thought of that, my sons. "

"Thought of what?"

"'Bout him trying to kill you. That didn't make it quite so bad o' me, did it?"

"Bad? It was stern justice, meted out to a murderer, " said Dallasfirmly. 

Tregelly looked at him for some moments thoughtfully. "Think so?" hesaid. 

"Of course!" cried Abel, "and so do I. You didn't want us to be killed, did you?"

"Lor' a mussy me, my son! of course not. That's why I took aim at him. "

"And saved our lives, Bob, " cried Dallas, clapping him hard on theshoulder. 

"You think, then, that they'd have settled you if I hadn't come andstopped their little game?"

"I feel sure of it, " cried Dallas. 

"Hah! Yes, of course. Thank ye, my sons. I was feeling a bituncomfortable, and beginning to think that I should be having the chapcoming to bed to me every night and telling me how I'd shot him in acowardly way; but I shan't now. That's done me a lot o' good. Hah! Ifeel now as if I should like a pipe. "

The big, amiable, honest face lit up, and was lightened by a smile as hebegan searching his pockets for his tobacco-pouch and pipe. 

"You see, I never killed a man before, " he said. "But you can hardlycall a chap like that a man. More like a wild beast--sort o' tiger. "

"It's insulting a wild beast to say so, Bob, " cried Dallas warmly. "Awild beast kills for the sake of food. What's the matter?"

"Pipe, " said Tregelly, rising slowly and reaching out for the lantern. "I told you I dropped it out yonder, and it's somewhere by the sledge. "

"Leave that till daylight, and we'll go with you. "

"Won't be any daylight for hours and hours to come, " said Tregelly, putting out the light and feeling for his matches. "I can't wait allthat time for a pipe. 'Sides, the sledge ought to be brought in. "

"You mean to go now, " said Dallas. 

"Oh, yes, my son, I mean to go now. 'Tarn't so very far. "

"All right; we'll go with him, Bel. There's no fear of the otherscoundrel being about. "

"I don't know, my sons, " said Tregelly gravely. "He can't be very faraway, and he's got his knife into us very deep now. P'r'aps it would beas well if you stopped here and got the breakfast ready. "

"If we did, " replied Dallas, "we should feel that you would never comeback to eat it. Eh, Bel?"

"Yes; I'm going. We must leave Scruff to keep house for us this time. "

But the dog did not seem to see matters in the same light. One minutehe was giving a finishing lick to his wound; the next he had shot outthrough the open door, barking excitedly, and looking ready to scent outand run down the last of the savage gang. 

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX. 

BY THE SKIN OF HIS TEETH. 

Aided by Scruff, a fairly correct line was made for the forsaken sledge, the dog seeming to know exactly what was wanted, and preventing themfrom over-running the spot where it had been left. 

This was the only thing they dreaded, for the track was--through notbeing beaten--almost obliterated again and again by falls of snow; butit was tolerably familiar now, the winding creek and the edge of thescrubby forest forming pretty good guides. 

It was still very dark when they reached the place, Scruff uttering alow snuffling whine; but it was not easy to find a small object like abriar wood pipe. 

"Must have been somewhere here I dropped it, " said Tregelly. "If it wasdaylight I should see it directly on the white snow. Better light thelantern, I suppose. "

"It would be like inviting a shot from Redbeard if he is near. "

"Think so, my son?" said Tregelly thoughtfully. 

"He would be almost sure to make for his old lair. "

"My old lair, you mean, my son. "

"Well, your old lair, then. "

"Yes, it do seem likely, " said the big fellow, rubbing his ear. "Givinghim such a chance to aim at us. Yes, it won't do; but I must find thatpipe. Look here, s'pose I go up to my hut and see if he's there. "

"Do, " said Dallas, "and we'll go with you and trap him if he is there. "

"Hoomph!" grunted Tregelly. "I'm feared there won't be any trapping, mysons. If he's there he won't be took without a hard fight. Hadn't youtwo better let that be till the other fellows come back? Then we couldlay siege to him and finish him off for it must come to that. "

"We are three to one, " said Dallas quietly. "It seems cowardly to waitfor more. "

"Dunno, " said their companion. "He don't fight fair, or I'd tackle himmyself. You see, he aren't a man; he's a savage beast. Look here, we've got the sledge; let's take it on. I'll go without my pipe. "

"No; you shall not, " said Dallas. "Let's go to the hut. He may not bethere. Perhaps fled far enough. "

"I dunno, my son. He'd run when he was beat for his old shelter, and Idon't like making you two run bad risks just because I want a pipe o'bacca. "

"We do not look at it in that light, Bob, " said Dallas firmly. "Thisman is our mortal enemy, who seems determined to have our lives out ofrevenge, and it is our duty to save those lives at his expense. Afterwhat has passed I look upon him as a sort of human tiger whose clawsmust be drawn. Let's take this opportunity of capturing the brute. We'll go together and draw his fire; or perhaps we shall be able to seeand disable him without his being able to do us any mischief. "

Tregelly shook his head solemnly. 

"Chaps like that, with their lives in their hands, are all eyes, andwhen they aren't all eyes they're all ears. I don't like this business, my sons; but what you say's quite right, and I can't help feeling thatwe've got a chance at him now, and the dark may help us; while if he'sgone back there and roused up the fire I can make sure of him. There, it's got to be done, and if we leave it the job may be worse. "

"Yes, perhaps much. "

"That's so, my son. We shall have to go about with the knowledge thatthat fellow's always close at hand, marking us down for a shot. "

"Better seize this opportunity, " said Abel hoarsely. "I feel as if wemay master him now. "

"What do you say, Mr Dallas?" asked Tregelly. 

"I say as my cousin does. Let's try. "

"Good, then, we'll go; on'y mind this, my sons: we're going because it'sour dooty. "

"Of course. "

"Not because I want a pipe. "

"No; you have already proved that you do not wish to be selfish, " saidDallas, "so come on. "

"Nay, I'll lead, my sons, " cried the big fellow. "It's my shanty, and Iknow every step of the way. You'd go right up to the door, and he'dhave first chance of a shot. That won't do for me. We must get firstchance, and make him shoot at random, which means at nothing at all. Now then, follow me. Don't fire unless you get a good chance. "

"But what is your plan, Bob?" said Dallas eagerly. 

"Get him to fire, my son, and then go at him before he has time to loadagain. "

The lantern was left with the sledge, and with every nerve now upon thestrain the two young men followed their sturdy companion, who gave thembut few words as to their proceedings. 

"Don't be in a hurry to fire, " he said, "but when you get your chance, let him have it. Now, tread softly, and come on. "

The distance was comparatively short, and Abel's heart beat fast andloud, as, upon passing through a thick clump of pines, there in front ofthem shone the light of a wood fire through the open door of Tregelly'shut. 

The owner stopped short and whispered. 

"He's there, " he said; "the fire has been made up. "

"But he must have been and gone, " said Dallas. "The door is wide open. "

"His artfulness, " said the Cornishman. "It's so as he can hear ourcoming, and to throw dust in our eyes. He's there, or else outsidewaiting for us, so look out. "

They crept cautiously on, abreast now and hand on trigger, ready to fireat a moment's notice, front, right, or left, from wherever the dangerappeared; but the icy snow crackled beneath their heavy boots, in spiteof every care, and when they were about thirty yards from the open doorthey stopped short, feeling that the better way would be to step boldlyforward, for their approach must have been heard. 

But still Tregelly hesitated, feeling, as he did, that the peril wasvery great for them to advance into the light thrown from the open door, when the result would probably be a repetition of his own shot a fewhours before. 

"Open out, " he whispered suddenly, "and keep away from the light. I'lltake the right side; you two take the left, and when I whistle we'll allrush in together. "

It was no time for disputation. Tregelly was leader, and Dallas andAbel felt it to be their duty to obey. Striking off, then, to the leftinto the shadow, which looked intensely black by contrast, they had oneglimpse of Tregelly's huge form, and then the broad band of ruddy lightfrom the door cut off everything, while well upon their guard theyapproached nearer and nearer, feeling that Tregelly must be nearing thebuilding at about the same rate. 

It was a task which, in spite of the extremely short distance, madeDallas breathe hard, and feel as if he were going through some greatexertion, before he was so close that he could nearly touch the roughtrunks which formed the wall, the thick thatching of pine-boughsstretching out like the roof of a verandah, so that the darkness seemedmore intense where they stood waiting for the signal which seemed as ifit would never come. 

And as Dallas stood in the deep silence the popping and crackling of theburning wood came out of the open doorway sharp and clear, while itseemed to him that Abel's breath sounded as hoarse and loud as that ofone in a deep sleep. 

At last! a clear, sharp, chirruping trill, and Abel and Tregelly dartedinto the light as if urged forward by the same spring, while Dallasstood for the moment petrified--unable to stir. For from the uprightlogs close to which he stood a great hand seemed to dart out, holdinghim fast, while simultaneously another hand struck him a tremendous blowupon the shoulder. 

He closed with his assailant, but the next moment he was hurled to theground. 

As, half-stunned by his fall, Dallas struggled to his feet, there was aheavy trampling heard as of one escaping in the darkness over the snowyground, and at the same moment Tregelly and Abel appeared at the door inthe full light of the fire. 

"Where are you, lad?" shouted the former. 

"Here, here!" panted Dallas. 

"Hah!" cried Tregelly. "Fire, my lad, fire!"

Two more shots rang out in the direction of the retiring steps, with theresult that there was a sudden cessation of the sounds; but directlyafter two more shots were fired out of the darkness, and a couple ofbullets whistled through the open doorway. 

In an instant Tregelly and Abel sprang to right and left, and firedagain in the direction of the flashes they had seen. 

"Missed him!" growled Tregelly, as the faint sound of retreating stepswas again heard. "He's too many for us. Don't fire, my lads. Waste ofpowder and shot. How was it, Mr Dallas?"

There was no reply, Dallas standing close by breathing hard, with hishand pressed upon his shoulder. 

"Are you there, Dal?" cried Abel anxiously, for his cousin was invisiblein the darkness. 

"Yes, yes, I'm here, " said Dallas, in a strange tone of voice. 

"What is it, my son?" cried Tregelly anxiously. 

"I'm afraid I'm hurt, " said Dallas, stooping to recover his rifle. "Hestruck me on the shoulder with his right hand, and the place is numbed. I can feel nothing there but a smarting pain; but it bleeds, and thecloth is cut. "

Tregelly caught him up in his arms as if he were a child, bore him intothe hut, threw him on the bed, and tore off his jacket so as to exposethe place to the light. 

"Yes, he has knifed you, my son, " said Tregelly hoarsely; "but it's amere scratch. He meant it, though, but reached over a bit too far. "

"You are saying this to calm me, " said Dallas excitedly. "He struck mea tremendous blow. "

"Yes, my son; but it must have been with his wrist. I'm not cheatingyou. It's the simple truth. It isn't worth tying up. "

"Thank God!" sighed Dallas. "I suppose I'm a bit of a coward, but thehorror of it made me feel sick as a dog. "

"Such a crack as he must have given you would have made me feel sick, myson. Did it knock you down?"

"No; I closed with him, but he tripped and threw me heavily. "

"Well, that would make you feel sick, my son, without anything else. Here, on with your jacket again, and let's get out into the darkness. It's like asking the beggar to come and pot us, standing here. "

They hurried out directly after, to stand listening; but all was still. 

"Now then, " said Tregelly, "we'd best get the sledge and make our wayhome; but what do you think of my gentleman now? Oughtn't we to scrunchhim like one would a black beetle?"

"Yes, " said Abel fiercely, "and the first time we can. But where's thedog? Can that be he in the distance?"

A faint baying sound, followed by what sounded like revolver shots, several in succession, was heard. Then once more all was still for afew moments, when the firing began again. 

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN. 

WHEN SLEEP IS MASTER. 

"Hear that?" cried Abel excitedly. "The scoundrel! The ruffian! He'sfiring at the dog. "

"Yes, my son, " said Tregelly quietly; "and I'm not surprised, for oldScruff can be pretty nasty when he likes. "

"But you don't stir. Are we going to stand here and listen to that poorbrute being murdered?"

"It would be about madness to go after him, my son, " said Tregelly, coolly; "and after all, he isn't likely to hit the dog in the dark. "

A few minutes later they found the sledge, and as they were about tostart, Dallas kicked against something hard, which went spinning alongthe ice-covered snow. 

"What's that?" he said. "Why, Tregelly, it must be your pipe. "

"Yes. It struck against me, " cried Abel. "Here it is, " he added intriumph. 

"Hooroar!" cried Tregelly. "Now, I call that fine, my sons. Why, ifold Scruff comes back and says he's killed Master Redbeard, this'll beabout as pleasant a time as I ever spent. But how's your arm, MasterDallas?"

"Smarts, and feels wretched and numb, that's all. I can help pull thesledge. "

"All right, my son, " cried Tregelly, giving the line a jerk; but invain, for the sledge was immovable, the runners being frozen to thesurface of the snow. "I say; think o' that. "

Dallas and Abel gave the sledge a wrench, set it at liberty, and itglided smoothly on, Tregelly insisting on dragging it all the way backto the hut, where they shut themselves in, and then prepared an earlybreakfast; but before it was ready there was a familiar thump on therough door, and Scruff was admitted, apparently free from freshinjuries, for he gave all an intelligent look, and then seated himselfby the fire to lick his wound, before curling up and going to sleep. 

"I wish I could do that, " said Dallas. 

"Do it without the curl, " said Tregelly, smiling. "It's the best thingfor a man who has had such a shake as you have. "

"No, no. The ruffian may come back. "

"He won't come yet, my son, " said Tregelly; "but if he should think itbest to give us another call, don't you be uneasy; we'll wake you up. "

A quarter of an hour later Dallas was fast asleep, and Abel looked up atTregelly inquiringly. 

"Is the sleep natural?" he whispered. 

"Yes; why shouldn't it be?" was the reply. 

"It seems so strange, after the excitement we have been through duringthe last twenty-four hours. "

"Done up, my son; regular exhausted, and wants rest. "

"But I could not sleep, knowing as I do that the enemy might attack usat any time. Think of the danger. "

"I wonder you ever went to sea, then, my son, " said Tregelly, good-humouredly. "There's always danger of the ship sinking; and yetyou went to your berth, I suppose, every night, and slept soundlyenough, didn't you?"

"Of course. "

"And I'll be bound to say you go to sleep this morning before long. "

"Not I. Impossible, " said Abel, with a touch of contempt in his tone. 

But Tregelly was the better judge of human nature, and before an hourhad passed away, weariness, the darkness, and the warmth of the fire hadcombined to conquer, and Abel sank sidewise on the rough packing-casewhich formed his easy chair, and slept soundly till the short daylighthad passed, and they were well on towards the evening of another day. 

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT. 

THE RED GLOW. 

Weary month after month passed by, with the indefatigable adventurersleading the life of labourers working in a terrible climate to win justa bare existence from the soil. 

"I would not care so much if we could feel safe, " said Dallas; "but bigas the country is, that scoundrel seems to be always on our track. "

"He do, he do, my son, " said Tregelly. "He means paying us off. "

"Well, we are doing no more now than when we started, while others aremaking fortunes. Let's strike right up into the mountains, make a boldstroke for fortune, and give that scoundrel the slip. "

The start was made, the little party striking right away into one orother of the lonely valleys running northward; but it was always thesame--the gold was no more plentiful, and again and again they had ampleproof that their enemy, who seemed to have a charmed life, was stillfollowing them. 

Constant disappointment had been their portion, and a general feeling ofbeing utterly worn out was dulling their efforts, when toward the closeof a dreary day Tregelly exclaimed:

"Look here, my sons; I think we've seen the end of that red-headedruffian at last. "

"I wish I could think so, " said Dallas. 

"No, " said Abel; "we shall see him again. I feel that he'll be thedeath of us all. "

"Bah! you're in the dumps again, " said Tregelly. "I feel that we musthave completely given the scoundrel the slip by our last move. I'm notone of your grumbling sort, am I?"

"No, Bob, no, " said Dallas sadly. "I envy you the calm patience andperseverance you possess. "

The Cornishman laughed. 

"Did possess, my son. I did have a lot, but it's all used up to thelast scrap, and I'm regularly done. "

Abel looked at him in surprise, but Dallas seemed too dejected to noticeanything, and sat forward, haggard and staring, with his eyes fixed upontheir struggling fire. 

"Well, don't you believe me?" said Tregelly. 

"I always believe what you say, Bob; but I don't understand what youmean now. "

"You don't? Well, then, I'll soon make you, my son. It's like this: Ifeel just like a squirrel in a cage, galloping on over miles of wire andnever getting a bit farther, or like one of those chaps on theold-fashioned treadmill, who were always going upstairs, but never gotto the top. "

"Look here, " said Dallas, springing up suddenly from his seat in therough shelter made with pine-boughs, where they had been now for somedays, while they tried the banks of a tiny creek, one of many which theyhad followed to their sources in their daring quest. "This is no timefor idle talk; which is it to be? Shall we retreat at once, and try toget back to the main river, where we may find help, and perhaps save ourlives, or go on?"

There was a dead silence, and then a gust of wind swept down the narrowvalley, laden with fine, dusty snow, evidently a forerunner of a wintrystorm. 

"If we start back now, " said Abel at last, "we are not sure of reachingthe settlement before the winter sets in. "

"And if we do we've nothing left to live upon, my sons. You see, thoselast supplies emptied the bag, and we've never settled down since. Youboth said, `Let it be a man or a mouse. '"

"And you said `All right, '" cried Dallas angrily. 

"So I did, my son; but I hoped we should turn out men instead of mice. "

"Well, " said Dallas bitterly, "we must not find fault with one another. We did our best. "

"That's true, " said Tregelly. "Hear, hear. Go on. What were you goingto say?"

"That I have had it my own way for long enough, but now I'll give up toyou two. There's no gold worth getting here, so if you both say, `Let'smake a dash back for life before we are shut in by the winter that seemsto be coming on early, ' I'm ready, and we'll make a brave fight for it. "

"And if we say, `No! Let's go on and fight for the stuff to the last'--what then?"

"We will not look back, " cried Dallas, stepping outside, to standgazing, with a far-off look in his eyes, straight along the narrowravine running up into the savage-looking snow-covered mountains. 

"Go on, " said Abel, who seemed to catch his cousin's enthusiasm as hestood there, gradually growing whitened by the fine drifting snow. 

"Go on?" said Dallas, without turning his head; "well, let's go on. Thegold must be up yonder, where it crumbles or is ground out of the rockymountains, to be washed, in the course of ages, down the streams intothe gravel and sand. "

"Ay, there must be plenty of it up yonder, my son, " said Tregelly, stepping out to shade his eyes and gaze upward towards the wilderness ofmountains to the north, probably never yet trodden by the foot of man. 

"Then I say, as we have come so far, let's go on and find it, " criedDallas; "and if we fail--well, it is only lying down at last to sleep!No one will know, for our bones will never be found. I feel as if Ican't go back--and you, Bel?"

For answer Abel laid his hand upon his cousin's shoulder, and stoodgazing with him into the dimly seen, mysterious land, just as, high up, one of the snowy summits suddenly grew bright and flashed in the feeblesunshine which played upon it for a few minutes before the snow-cloudsclosed in again. 

And as if the one bright gleam had inspired him, Tregelly began towhistle softly. 

"Look here!" he cried, "never say pitch a thing up when there's a bit ofhope left. `To win or to die' is my motto!"

"And mine, " cried Dallas, enthusiastically. 

"And mine, " said Abel, in a soft, low, dreamy voice. 

"Then look here, " said Tregelly; "we've got enough to give us all asmall ration for seven days, so let's load up one sledge and leave theothers. Then we can take it in turns and push right on up into themountains with nothing to hinder us. Snow don't make a bad shelter whenyou've plenty of blankets, and there's nothing to fear now. OldRedbeard never could have come up here; he must have gone off by one ofthe side gulches, and got round and back to where he can rob some oneelse. "

"Yes; we must have passed him days ago, " said Dallas. 

"Very well, then, we can all sleep o' nights without keeping watch. "

"And we can push on and on, just trying the rocks with the hammer hereand there wherever we find a place clear of ice. "

"That's the way, my son, and who knows but what we may shoot a bear orsomething else to keep us going for another week, eh?"

Abel nodded--he could not trust himself to speak; and then, withdetermination plainly marked in their haggard faces, they set to work inthe shelter of the dwarfed pines around them, and packed one sledge withall they felt to be necessary to take on this forlorn hope expedition, and with it the last of their dwindling store of food. 

"There, " cried Dallas, pointing up the narrow gully, as they finishedtheir preparations, "how could we despair with such a sign as thatbefore us?"

His companions stood and looked up in the direction indicated, where thetransformation that had taken place was wonderful. 

An hour before they had gazed through drifting, dusty snow at forbiddingcrags and wintry desolation. For a few minutes that one peak hadflashed out hopefully, but only to fade away again, while now their eyesliterally ached with the dazzling splendour of what seemed to be agrotto-like palace of precious stones, set in frosted silver andburnished gold; for the mountains blazed in the last rays of the settingsun with the hues of the iris magnified into one gorgeous sheen. 

"Yes, that looks as if we'd got to the golden land at last, my sons, "said Tregelly. "It's something like what one has dreamed of afterreading the `Arabian Nights'; only you see they aren't fast colours, andthey won't wash. "

"Never mind, " said Dallas; "we know that the gold must be there, andwe'll find it yet. Ready?"

For answer Tregelly picked up the trace, and was about to pass it overhis head, but he paused and looked round. 

"Here, " he cried; "where's that there dog?"

Abel went into the rough shelter they had made, to find Scruff curled-upfast asleep beneath one of the skins they were going to leave behind;but he sprang up at a touch, and trotted out to take his place byTregelly, who slipped his slight harness over the sturdy animal's head. 

"No shuffling now, my son, " he said merrily. "You're stores, you know, and we shall want you to eat when the rest of the prog is done. Forward! we're going to do it now. "

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE. 

THE LAST BIVOUAC. 

Shortening days and shortening distances in and out of the wild ravine, where the water ran trickling merrily along in the brief sunny hours, but froze hard again at night. Every halting-place was more difficultto reach than the last, and climbing up the slippery sides of the streambed was as often the means of progression as the simple tramp. 

The sledge grew more difficult to draw, though its weight was reallyless and less: but in a mechanical way all joined hands in getting itover masses of rock, or through cracks where at times it became wedgedin fast. For it could not be left behind, loaded as it was with thelinks which held them to life. 

And at last the brief day came to an end, when the shortest journey ofall had been made, little more than a mile along the narrow rift withits often perpendicular sides, where the greater part of the way hadbeen one constant climb over the rock-burdened bed of the stream, whosesources were somewhere in the icy region, apparently as far away as whenthey started on their journey. 

They had halted in a narrow amphitheatre of rocks, on one side of whichlay a shelf dotted with dwarf pines, thick, sturdy, and old, many havingshed their last needles years before, and displaying nothing now butthin bare trunks and a few jagged, weather-worn boughs. Snow had fallenheavily in the mountains during the previous night, and the side of theamphitheatre at the back of the shelf to which they had dragged thesledge was glazed with ice, where the snow above had melted in the warmmid-day rays, and _frozen_ again and again. 

It was bitter winter all around as the short day began to close in; butthere was plenty of wood, and they felt if they climbed higher next dayit would be into the region of wiry heaths and moss. 

Quite instinctively, axe in hand, each of the weary three made for thedead wood and began to cut and break down the brittle boughs. 

"Ay, that's right, my sons, " said Tregelly, with the ghost of a smile;"let's have a good fire if it is to be the last. "

The smile was reflected in Dallas's face, and he nodded; but he did notspeak--only went on hacking away in a mechanical fashion, and the smallwood was heaped-up against the icy wall at the back of the broad shelf. Then a match was struck and sheltered till the smallest twigs caught;these communicated with the larger, and in a very short time there was aroaring fire, whose heat was reflected from the glazed surface of therock, making the snow melt all around and run off till there was drybare rock, on one piece of which, full in the warm glow, Scruffcurled-up and went to sleep. 

Outside the snow lay deep and high, as it had been drifted in the heavyfall, forming a good shelter from the wind; and by a liberal use oftheir axes the dwarf firs that they cut down proved a good shelter whenlaid in a curve on the other side, while when no longer wanted for thatpurpose they would be free from the clinging snow and more fit to burn. 

Roof there was none save the frosty sky, spangled with myriads of stars;but the weary party paid no heed to that want. There was the fire, andin due time the tin of hot tea to pass round, and the roughly madebread. They seemed to want no more, only to lie down and rest in thewarmth shed by the crackling wood--to take a long, long rest, and wake--where?

The question was silently asked by each of his inner self again andagain, but never answered, for no answer seemed to be needed. Theweary, weary day two years long was at an end. They had worked well andfailed; they could do no more; all they wanted was rest andforgetfulness--peace, the true gold after all. 

Sleep was long coming to Dallas, weary though he was; and he lay therewith his head slightly raised, gazing at the weird scene, distorted andfull of strange shadows, as the fire rose and fell. 

There lay, big and heavy, the sturdy friend and companion in so manyadventures, just as he had lain down; and close by, poor Abel, the mostunfortunate of the party, so near that he could rest his hand upon therough coat of the dog. 

"Poor Bel!" mused Dallas; "how unfortunate he has been!"

But the next minute he was thinking of how trivial the troubles of thepast seemed to be in comparison with this--the greatest trouble of themall. For though they had all lain down to sleep so calmly, and with thesimple friendly good-night, they had all felt that it was for the lasttime, and that their weary labours were at an end. 

"All a mistake--a vain empty dream of a golden fortune, " Dallas said tohimself. "The idea was brave and strong, but it was the romance of aboy. Fortunes are not to be made by one stroke, but by patient, hardwork, long thought as to how that work shall bring forth fruit, and thenby constant application. Ah, well, we are not the first to make suchmistakes--not the first to turn our backs upon the simple substance tograsp at the great shadow. "

He lay gazing sadly at the crackling fire, whose flames danced, andwhose sparks eddied into spirals and flew upwards on the heated air; andthen with eyes half-closed he watched the glowing embers as the greatpieces of wood became incandescent. He was still gazing into the firewith a dull feeling of pitying contempt for himself, seeing imaginarycaverns and ravines of burnished gold, when with a sigh upon his lip ashe thought of the simple-hearted, loving mother watching and waiting athome for those who would never cross the threshold again, sleep came topress heavily upon the half-closed eyelids, and all was blank. 

CHAPTER FORTY. 

THE SOLID REALITY. 

A strange feeling of stiffness and cold so painful that for some momentsDallas could not move, but lay gazing straight before him at the heap ofashes, which gave forth a dull glow, just sufficient at times to showthe curled-up form of the great dog, and beyond him, rolled up like amummy and perfectly still, Abel, just as he had last seen him before heclosed his eyes. It was so dark that he could not see Tregelly, and helay trying in vain to make him out. 

His head was dull and confused, as if he had slept for a great length oftime, and his thoughts would not run straight; but every train ofthought he started darted off into some side track which he could notfollow, and he always had to come back to where he had made his start. 

There it was--some time ago, when they had piled up the fire to a greatheight so that it might burn long and well while they all sankpainlessly and without more trouble into the sleep of death. 

And now by slow degrees he began to grasp what seemed to be the fact, that while his companions, even the dog, had passed away, he was oncemore unfortunate, and had come back, as it were, to life, to go alonethrough more misery, weariness, and despair. 

He shivered, and strangely inconsistent worldly thoughts began to crawlin upon him. He felt he must thrust the unburned pieces of pine-woodcloser together, so that they might catch fire and burn and radiate somemore heat. It was so dark, too, that he shuddered, and then lay staringat the perpendicular wall beyond the fire--the wall that looked so icyand cruel over-night, but now dim, black, and heavy, as if about to leanover and crush them all out of sight. 

Yes, he ought, he knew, to thrust the unburned embers together and puton more wood, so as to make a cheerful blaze; but he had not the energyto stir. He wanted another rug over him; but to get it he would havehad to crawl to the sledge, and he was too much numbed to move. Besides, he shuddered at the idea of casting a bright light upon hissurroundings, for he felt that it would only reveal the features of hispoor comrades hardened into death. 

And so it was that he lay for long enough in the darkness, till the numbsensation began to give way to acute pain, which made him moan withanguish and mentally ask what he had done that he should have beenchosen to remain there and go through all that horror and despair again. 

The natural self is stronger than the educated man in times of crisis. A despairing wretch tells himself that all is over, and plunges into ariver or pool to end his weary life; but the next moment the naturewithin him begins to struggle hard to preserve the life the trainedbeing has tried to throw away. 

It was so here. Dallas made a quick movement at last, turned over, andpicked up a half-burned, still smouldering piece of pine, painfullyraked others together with it, and threw it on the top, glad to cowerover the warm embers, for the heat thrown out was pleasant. 

As he sat there after raking the ashes more together, and gettingcloser, it was to feel the warmth strike up into his chilled limbs, andfill the rug he had drawn round his shoulders with a gentle glow. 

Soon after, the collected embers began to burn, and a faint tongue offlame flickered, danced, went out, and flickered up again, illuminatingthe darkness sufficiently to let him make out that the banked up snowhad largely melted, and that Tregelly had crawled away from where he hadlain, and come over to his, Dallas's, side, apparently to place hisheavy bulk as a shelter to keep off the bitter wind from his youngcompanion. 

There was something else, too, which he did not recognise as having seenbefore he lay down--something dark where the bank of snow had been, which had wonderfully melted away in the fierce glow of the fire; forthat sheltering bank had been so big before. 

What did it matter to one who was suffering now the agonising pangs ofhunger to augment those of cold?

But the sight of the big motionless figure dimly seen by the bluishflickering light appealed strongly to the sufferer, and something like asob rose to his throat as he thought of Tregelly's brave, patient ways, and the honest truth of his nature. 

These feelings were sufficient to urge him forward from where hecrouched, to go and lean over the recumbent figure and lay a hand uponthe big clenched fist drawn across the breast of the dead. 

It was a hand of ice, and with a piteous sigh Dallas drew back and creptto where Abel lay rolled in his rugs. Just then the dancing flame diedout, and it was in the pitchy darkness that Dallas felt for his cousin'sface. 

The next moment he uttered a cry, and there was a quick rustling soundas of something leaping to its feet. Then the dog's cold nose touchedhis cheek, and there was a low whine of satisfaction, followed by apanting and scuffling as the dog transferred his attentions to Abel. 

"And we're both left alive, " half groaned Dallas; but the dog uttered ajoyous bark, and he sprang painfully to his feet, for a familiar gruffvoice growled:

"Now, then, what's the matter with you, my son?" And then: "Fire out?How gashly dark!"

"Bob!" faltered Dallas. 

"You, Master Dallas? Wait a bit, my son, and I'll get the fire going. How's Mr Wray?"

There was a weary groan, and Abel said dreamily: "Don't--don't wake me. How cold! How cold!"

Tregelly sighed, but said nothing for the moment, exerting himself thewhile in trying to fan the flickering flame into a stronger glow, andwith such success that the horrible feeling of unreality began to passaway, with its accompanying confusion, and Dallas began to realise thetruth. 

"I--I thought you were lying there dead, " he said at last. 

"Oh, no, my son; I'm 'live enough, " said Tregelly, who still bent overthe fire; "but I never thought to open my eyes again. Shall I melt somesnow over the fire? There is a scrap or two more to eat, and when it'slight we might p'r'aps shoot something. But I say, we must have sleptfor an awful long time, for we made a tremendous fire, and the snow'smelted all about wonderful. "

"Yes, wonderfully, " said Dallas, who crouched there gazing at the figurewhere the bank of snow had been. 

"It's my belief that we've slept a good four-and-twenty hours, and thatit's night again. "

"Think so?"

"I do, my son, and it's to-morrow night, I believe. I say, how the snowhas melted away. Why, hullo!" he shouted, as the flames leapt upmerrily now, "who's that?"

"I don't know, " faltered Dallas; "I thought at first it was you. "

"Not a dead 'un?" whispered Tregelly in an awestruck tone. 

"Yes; and whoever it was must have been buried in that bank of snow, sothat we did not see him last night. "

Tregelly drew a burning brand from the fire, gave it a wave in the airto make it blaze fiercely, and stepped towards the recumbent figurelying there. 

"Hi! Look here, my son, " he cried. "No wonder we didn't see him comeback. "

Dallas grasped the fact now, and the next moment he too was gazing downat the fierce face, icily sealed in death, the light playing upon thehuge red beard, while the eyes were fixed in a wild stare. 

"Hah!" ejaculated Tregelly. "He'll do no more mischief now, my son. But what was he doing here? Rather a chilly place for a man to choosefor his lair. Thought he was safe, I suppose. Only look. "

For a few moments Dallas could not drag his eyes from the horriblefeatures of their enemy, about which the dog was sniffing in a puzzledway. But at last he turned to where Tregelly was waving the greatfirebrand, which shed a bright light around. 

"It was his den, Master Dallas, " growled Tregelly. "Look here, this wasall covered with snow last night when we lit the fire, and it's allmelted away. Why, only look, my son; he spent all his time trying to dofor us, and what's he done?--he's saved all our lives. Flour, bacon, coffee. What's in that bag? Sugar. Why, this is all his plunder ashe's robbed from fellows' huts. There's his gun, too, and his pistol. But what a place to choose to live in all alone! You'd ha' thought he'dhave had a shelter. Here, I'm not _going_ to die just yet. "

A wave of energy seemed to inspire the great fellow, who picked up therug that had sheltered him during the night, and gave Dallas a nod. 

"When a man dies, " he said solemnly, "he wipes out all his debts. Wedon't owe him nothing neither now. "

As Tregelly spoke he drew the rug carefully over the figure lying there, and the next minute set to work to make the fire blaze higher, whileDallas, with half-numbed hands, tried to help him by filling the billywith pieces of ice, setting it in the glowing embers, and refilling itas the solid pieces rapidly melted down. 

They were both too busy and eager to prepare a meal from the life-savingprovender they had so strangely found, to pay any heed to Abel. 

"Let him rest, my son, till breakfast's ready; he's terribly weak, poorlad. Mind, too, when we do rouse him up, not to say a word about what'slying under that rug. I'll pitch some wood across it so as he shan'tnotice before we wake him up. "

Dallas nodded, and with a strange feeling of renewed hope for which hecould not account, he worked away; for it seemed the while that thestore of provisions they had found would do no more for them thanprolong their weary existence in the wild for two or three weeks. 

Tregelly brought forward more wood from the shelter they had formed; thefire burned more brightly; bacon was frying, and the fragrance of coffeeand hot cake was being diffused, when, just as Dallas was thinking ofawakening his cousin to the change in their state of affairs, a hoarsecry aroused him and made him look sharply at where, unnoticed, Abel hadrisen to his knees; and there, in the full light of the fire, he couldbe seen pointing. 

"We're too late, my son, " growled Tregelly; "he has seen it. Meant tohave covered it before he woke. "

"No, no; he is not pointing there. "

"Look! Look!" cried Abel. 

"Poor lad, he's off his head, " whispered Tregelly. 

"Do you hear me, you two?" cried Abel hoarsely. "Look! Can't you see?"

"What is it, Bel?" said Dallas soothingly, as he stepped round to theother side of the fire; and then, following the direction of hiscousin's pointing finger, he too uttered a wild cry, which broughtTregelly to their side, to gaze in speechless astonishment at the sightbefore them. 

For the thick glazing of ice had been melted from the perpendicular wallof rock at the back of their fire, and there, glistening and sparklingin the face of the cliff, were veins, nuggets, and time-worn fragmentsof rich red gold in such profusion, that, far up as they could see, thecliff seemed to be one mass of gold-bearing rock, richer than theirwildest imagination had ever painted. 

The effect upon the adventurers was as strange as it was marked. 

Abel bowed down his face in his hands to hide its spasmodiccontractions; while Dallas rose, stepped slowly towards it, and reachedover the glowing flame to touch a projecting nugget--bright, glowing inhue, and quite warm from the reflection of the fire. 

"Ah!" he sighed softly, as if convinced at last; "it is real, and not adream. "

Tregelly turned his back, began to whistle softly an old tune in a minorkey, and drew the coffee, the bacon pan, and the bread a little fartheraway. 

"Ahoy there, my sons!" he cried cheerily; "breakfast! Fellows must eateven if they are millionaires. "

It was too much for Dallas, before whose eyes was rising, not the gold, for he seemed to be looking right through that, but the wistful, deeply-lined face of a grey-haired woman at a window, watching ever forthe lost ones' return. 

At Tregelly's words he burst into a strangely harsh, hysterical laugh, and then, too, he sank upon his knees and buried his face in his hands, remaining there motionless till a hand was laid upon his shoulder, andhe started to find it was Abel who was gazing in his eyes. 

"Dal, " he cried, in a voice that did not sound like his own, "we shallpay the old uncle now. "

At that moment the dismal tune Tregelly was whistling came to an end, and they saw that he was sitting with his back to them, looking straightaway. 

They stepped quickly to his side, and he started up to hold a hand toeach. 

"To win or to die, didn't you say, my sons?" he cried cheerily. 

"Yes, something like that, " replied Dallas huskily. 

"Well, it means winning, my sons, " cried Tregelly, "for we won't dienow. "

CHAPTER FORTY ONE. 

SHOWING HOW GOOD CAME OUT OF EVIL. 

The store of provisions proved on examination to be far greater than hadbeen anticipated, and it seemed plain enough that their enemy had, whileseeking a place of refuge from which he might carry on his nefariouscareer, hit accidentally upon the greatest discovery of gold that hadbeen made; and after decently disposing of his remains, the threeadventurers began to examine with something approaching breathless awethe vast treasure that they could claim as theirs. 

The first thing to be done, though, was to make use of their axes andcontrive a shelter right in the centre of the patch of dwarf pine, theirplan being to hack out the size of the hut they intended to make in thedense scrub, saving everything approaching to a straight pole to use forroofing. 

They worked well, for the discovery of the gold and a fair supply ofprovisions seemed to send new life into them; and before many hours hadpassed they were provided with shelter for themselves and their stores. 

Their next step was to mark out and peg what was legally allowed to eachman as discoverer of a new field's claim. And now, in spite of thelateness of the season and their height up in the mountains, it seemedas if fate had ceased to persecute them and was ready to help them makethe treasure they had found safely their own. 

It was too late to expect to do much before the winter closed in withits inclement darkness, so the energies of all were devoted to makingthe most of the glorious spell of fine weather which now ensued, andpreparing for the winter. 

"We've found it; and after it has been lying here ever since the worldbegan, " said Tregelly, "it isn't likely to fly away now, and nobody'sgoing to take it away from us. First thing is, have we got as much onour claim as ever we're likely to want?"

"More, " said Dallas; "and I propose that one of us goes down to the oldspot to give the news to Norton and our old friends, that they may comeand be the first to take up claims. "

"That is what I meant to propose, " said Abel. 

"Good nails driven in, and I clinch them, " said Tregelly. "Only lookhere: I always like to do a good turn to a man who means well. "

"Of course, " said Dallas; "but what do you mean?"

"There's that judge. I think he ought to have a pull out of this, too. He nearly hung us up on a tree, but he meant well, and it was all forlaw and order. What I propose is this. We'll make our own claims sure, and get our friends up to secure theirs; and then let's tell the judge, and he'll come up with a picked lot to keep all right. "

"Excellent, " said Dallas. "But who goes down first to see aboutstores?"

"I will, my sons. I'm strongest, and as to bringing up plenty, I shallhave plenty ready to help. But I say, play fair; you won't run awaywith my third while I'm gone?"

Tregelly started down the ravine in company with Scruff the very nextday, and many more had not elapsed before he was back with the wholeparty from their old workings, eager to congratulate the fortunatediscoverers and place ample stores at their service. 

They had just time to get up another supply, enough for the comingwinter, before it seemed to sweep down like a black veil from thenorthern mountains. 

But building does not take long under such circumstances. Wood had beenbrought up from out of a valley a few miles lower down, and in theshelter of a dense patch of scrub pine in a side gully, where thenew-comers found the gold promising to their hearts' content, they wereready to defy the keenest weather that might come. 

Two years had elapsed, and winter was once more expected, for the dayswere shortening fast, when three men sat together in their humble hut, discussing the question of going home; and the thought of once moremeeting one whose last letter had told of her longings to see her boysagain, brought a flush to the young men's cheeks and a bright light totheir eyes. 

They had been talking long and loudly, those two, while Tregelly had satsmoking his pipe and saying nothing, till Dallas turned to him sharply. 

"Say something, my son?" the big fellow cried. "Of course I will. Hereit is. I've been thinking of all that gold we've sent safely homethrough the banks, and I've been thinking of what our claim's worth, andwhat that there company's willing to give. "

"Well, " said Abel, "go on. "

"Give a man time, my son. I warn't brought up to the law. What I wasthinking is this: we three working chaps in our shabby clothes are richmen as we stand now. "

"Very, " said Dallas. 

"And if we were to sell our claim now we should be very, very rich. "

"Very--very--very rich, " said Abel, laughing as a man laughs who is inhigh spirits produced by vigorous health. 

"Well, go on, " said Dallas. 

"Here it is, then: what's the good of our going grubbing on just to beable to say we're richer still? `Enough's as good as a feast, ' sowhat's the good of being greedy? Why not let some one else have a turn, and let's all go home?"

"What do you say, Bel?"

"Ay! And you, Dal?"

"Ay!"

"The `Ays' have it, then, " cried Tregelly. 

"Well done, my sons. Hooroar! We're homeward bou-wou-wound!" he roaredin his big bass voice. "Hooroar! We're homeward bound!"

Business matters are settled quickly in a goldfield, and the next day itwas known in the now crowded ravine, where every inch of ground wastaken up, that the big company of which the judge was the head hadbought the three adventurers' claim, known far and near as Redbeard's, for a tremendous sum. But all the same, heads were shaken by the wiseones of the settlement, who one and all agreed that the company had gotit cheap, and they wished that they had had the chance. 

"You're one of the buyers, aren't you, Norton, and your lot who came upfirst are the rest?"

"That's right, " said Norton, smiling. "Hah!" said the man. "Kissinggoes by favour. "

"Of course, " said Norton. "But then, you see, we were all old friends. "

"We said it was to win or to die, Bel, " said Dallas one day, when allbusiness was satisfactorily settled and they were really, as Tregellyhad sung, homeward bound. 

"Yes, " said Abel quietly, "and it all seems like a dream. "

"But it's a mighty, weighty, solid, golden sort o' dream, my son, " saidthe big Cornishman, "and there's no mistake about it, you've won. Isay, though, I'm glad we're taking the dog. "

THE END.