dred 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, if
you like. No, sir; if you want to go gold-digging, shoulder your swag
and 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 hardly
tramp over three thousand miles of land, and when I did reach the
Pacific, if I could, there's the long sea journey from Vancouver up to
Alaska, and another tramp there. No, uncle,' I said, `it isn't to be
done. 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 that
fifty pounds to leave with poor old aunt. I can't and won't go and
leave 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 do
you 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 horrible
position, burst out into a ringing laugh. "He just said `Bah!' and came
at me as if he were going to bundle me out of the door, for he clapped
his hands on my shoulders and shook me fiercely. Then he banged me down
into a chair, and went to one of those old, round-fronted secretary
desks, rolled up the top with a rush, took a cheque-book out of a little
drawer, dashed off a cheque, signed and blotted it, and thrust it into
my hand.

"`There, it's open,' he said. `You can get it cashed at the bank, and
send your aunt the fifty as soon as you're gone. Be off at once, and
don'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 you
are 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'm
seventy, and not near d