soon which would be a comfortable home until, after
the further growth of our bank account, we could leave the country
forever.

Before that time arrived, however, a thunder bolt had fallen--Olga was
dead.

I had gone for two days to my claims on the creeks ten miles away,
leaving her alone. At night she was to have the company of a woman
friend in order that she might not feel lonely, and the following
evening I was to be at home again.

How I hated to leave her! Something like an unseen hand upon my arm held
me back; but my men were even then awaiting my orders and I was obliged
to go. To remain at home now meant a loss of thousands of dollars as the
late rains had so swollen the creeks that sluicing was in full blast
after many weeks of waiting on account of scarcity of water.

Olga was in her usual health and smiled brightly, standing in the
doorway when I pressed my lips to her for a good-bye.

"Don't get lonesome, dear, I'll be back as soon as possible, and bring a
good-size poke full of nuggets with me, too," said I hurrying away in
the direction of the hills where my claims were situated.

Looking back from the tundra trail which I had been putting behind me as
fast as possible for some time, I saw her standing in the doorway
looking after me, but whether she had remained as I left her, or whether
she had returned to the door after going inside, I never knew.

The next time I saw her she was dead.

I had walked ten miles to my claim and superintended the daily
"clean-up" at the sluice boxes, securing as I had said I would a poke
full of golden nuggets worth several thousand dollars.

It was a splendid clean-up, but for some unexplainable reason I was
restless and uneasy. I had seen so much gold it was getting to be an old
story; or my meals had not digested well; or perhaps I was working too
hard--I tried in these ways to account for my indifference. My mind
wandered from the work in hand. I looked often in the direction of home
and Olga, but the hills were between us. I slept fitfully at night,
after waking with a start which disturbed me greatly. At last I looked
at my watch. It was past midnight, and I determined to go home.

Going to the creek where the night gang was at work, shoveling into the
sluice boxes, I told the foreman I was starting for home, as I believed
something had happened.

"You're nervous!" he said.

"I don't care what you call it; I'm going home to see how things are
there,"