here must be some mistake. The
public would not "stand for" such things.

There was quite a number ahead of me, and I knew I was in for a long
wait. I will never forget it. For three days, with the exception of two
brief sleep-spells, I had been in a fierce helter-skelter of excitement,
and I had eaten no very satisfying food. As I stood in that sullen crowd
I swayed with weariness, and my legs were doubling under me. Invisible
hands were dragging me down, throwing dust in my eyes, hypnotising me
with soporific gestures. I staggered forward and straightened up
suddenly. On the outskirts of the crowd I saw the Prodigal trying to
locate me. When he saw me he waved a paper.

"Come on, you goat," he shouted; "have a little sense. I'm all fixed
up."

I shook my head. An odd sense of fair play in me made me want to win the
game squarely. I would wait my turn. Noon came. I saw Jim coming out,
tired but triumphant.

"All right," he megaphoned to me; "I'm through. Now I'll go and sleep my
head off."

How I envied him. I felt I, too, had a "big bunch" of sleep coming to
me. I was moving forward slowly. Bit by bit I was wedging nearer the
door. I watched man after man push past the coveted threshold. They
were all miners, brawny, stubble-chinned fellows with grim, determined
faces. I was certainly the youngest there.

"What have you got?" asked a thick-set man on my right.

"Eight below," I answered.

"Gee! you're lucky."

"What'll you take for it?" asked a tall, keen-looking fellow on my left.

"Five thousand."

"Give you two."

"No."

"Well, come round and see me to-morrow at the Dominion, and we'll talk
it over. My name's Gunson. Bring your papers."

"All right."

Something like dizziness seized me. Five thousand! The crowd seemed to
be composed of angels and the sunshine to have a new and brilliant
quality of light and warmth. Five thousand! Would I take it? If the
claim was worth a cent it ought to be worth fifty thousand. I soared on
rosy wings of optimism. I revelled in dreams. My claim! Mine! Eight
below! Other men had bounded into affluence. Why not I?

No longer did I notice the flight of time. I was ready to wait till
doomsday. A new lease of strength came to me. I was near the wicket now.
Only two were ahead of me. A clerk was recording their claims. One had
thirty-four above, the other fifty-two below. The clerk looked
flustered, fatigued. His dull eyes were pursy with midnight debauches;
his fl