n from bed rock on his own
claim and carried it into his cabin. Here a fire burned and enabled
him to keep water unfrozen in a canvas tank. He squatted over the tank
and began to wash. Earth and gravel seemed to fill the pan. As he
imparted to it a circular movement, the lighter, coarser particles
washed out over the edge. At times he combed the surface with his
fingers, raking out handfuls of gravel. The contents of the pan
diminished. As it drew near to the bottom, for the purpose of fleeting
and tentative examination, he gave the pan a sudden sloshing movement,
emptying it of water. And the whole bottom showed as if covered with
butter. Thus the yellow gold flashed up as the muddy water was flirted
away. It was gold--gold-dust, coarse gold, nuggets, large nuggets. He
was all alone. He set the pan down for a moment and thought long
thoughts. Then he finished the washing, and weighed the result in his
scales. At the rate of sixteen dollars to the ounce, the pan had
contained seven hundred and odd dollars. It was beyond anything that
even he had dreamed. His fondest anticipation's had gone no farther
than twenty or thirty thousand dollars to a claim; but here were claims
worth half a million each at the least, even if they were spotted.

He did not go back to work in the shaft that day, nor the next, nor the
next. Instead, capped and mittened, a light stampeding outfit,
including his rabbit skin robe, strapped on his back, he was out and
away on a many-days' tramp over creeks and divides, inspecting the
whole neighboring territory. On each creek he was entitled to locate
one claim, but he was chary in thus surrendering up his chances. On
Hunker Creek only did he stake a claim. Bonanza Creek he found staked
from mouth to source, while every little draw and pup and gulch that
drained into it was like-wise staked. Little faith was had in these
side-streams. They had been staked by the hundreds of men who had
failed to get in on Bonanza. The most popular of these creeks was
Adams. The one least fancied was Eldorado, which flowed into Bonanza,
just above Karmack's Discovery claim. Even Daylight disliked the looks
of Eldorado; but, still riding his hunch, he bought a half share in one
claim on it for half a sack of flour. A month later he paid eight
hundred dollars for the adjoining claim. Three months later, enlarging
this block of property, he paid forty thousand for a third claim; and,
though it w