explain it, but there are
others besides Eugene Field's kids who are good at 'seein' things at
night,' and a woman can sometimes feel things that we fellows can't see
in broad daylight.

"Now you have my reasons for stakin' for her yesterday. If any of you
fellows want to kick at what I have done, you can just take it out in
kickin'--yourselves. Our new ledge is a jim-dandy; and seem' as I
cheated the woman out of her cassiterite, I'm bound to make it good in
yellow gold.

"But I'm goin' to turn in now, boys, and I'll listen to you to-morrow.
Good night."

[Illustration]

CHAPTER II

UNDER THE TUNDRA

In a little three-room cabin in Nome, a middle-aged woman, wearing
glasses, knitted a gray woollen sock for her boy, as she called him.

"Yes", she said musingly, "my husband and I came here during the rush of
1900. My son, Leroy, had come the year before to pave the way for us, as
he called it, and this he tried his best to do. He staked some gold
claims and a town lot, and put up a one-room cabin, building on to the
latter after we arrived. His idea was to get his father and me away from
the farm (which he hated) and start us in mining in Alaska, he being
exceedingly enthusiastic on this subject and positive that we would
enjoy it as well as he did."

At the conclusion of this introduction to the story the woman laid down
her knitting and pushed her glasses up to the top of her head. Then with
an amused expression about the corners of her mouth, she said:

"The story of all the actual mining that Pa Morrison and I ever did is
not a long one, but it is one he would much rather I did not often
relate. However, as you wish to hear it, and he is too busy at his
book-keeping in the next room to know what is going on, I will tell you
how we began mining in Alaska.

"We had landed safely upon the beach with all our necessary belongings,
as well as feather-beds and pillows, also fruit-cake and other good
things for Christmas. My son had met us with open arms and shown us with
much pleasure to his tiny cabin on a nearby street. To this place all
our boxes were in due time hauled by dog-team, and a big tent set up
temporarily alongside the cabin.

"While unpacking articles to be immediately used we had not forgotten
our mining tools, gold pan, picks and shovels, as well as rubber boots,
and all were spread out in fine array in the sunshine beside the tent.

"Much of our clothing had been especially selected