ack in an hour, und I lets you know."

Fred was anxious to know right away, but he could not very well urge
the widow to hasten her decision. So he went out and wandered about the
streets, occasionally looking at a clock in a jeweler's window, to see
if the hour was not up. He was back probably a minute or so ahead of the
time.

"Vell," said Mrs. Stults slowly, after she had admitted him, "I haf
considered it, und I am villing dot you should haf a try for der
treasure."

"And can I have a copy of the map?"

"Yah. Widout it you could do noddings. I vill haf my lawyers draw up a
copy for you, und you also has to sign a papers."

"What kind of a paper?"

"You must promise to bear all of der expenses of der expedition, you und
your friends, und I must have half der treasure, if you finds him. Vill
you do dot?"

"That I will, Mrs. Stults."

"Den come here dis afternoon, und I vill haf der map copy und der papers
ready for you. You vos a smart boy. Maybe you vos succeed vere der oders
fail. Anyhow I trust you, because of der letter from Old Bill. Now come
back dis afternoon. Good-by, Willy. Vos dot your name?"

"No, my name is Fred--Fred Stanley."

"Vell, Fred, den. Vos you any relations to dot man vot discovered many
t'ings in Africa?"

"You mean Henry M. Stanley?"

"Yah."

"No. I think not."

"Vell, anyhow, maybe you vos be as better a discoverer as him. Come dis
afternoon."

CHAPTER VI

THE OLD GOLD HUNTER

Fred thought the hour would never arrive when he might again call on
Mrs. Stults. But, of course, it came around in due course, and he was
there on time. He found the widow seated in her parlor, with a bundle of
papers on a table near her, and a man sitting in a chair by a window.

"Here is dot Fred boy, vot I tell you about," said Mrs. Stults to the
man.

"Ah, yes. He seems quite young to undertake such work as hunting for the
lost treasure."

"Dot's vot I tells him."

"I'll grow older," remarked Fred, with a smile, "and I am used to hard
work and exposure. I have done considerable camping out."

"Yes, but not in such a cold country as Alaska, young man."

"No, sir, but I expect to prepare for it."

"Dis is mine lawyer," explained Mrs. Stults, "Mr. Ackerman. He vill make
out der papers."

"Mrs. Stults has told me what you want to do," went on Mr. Ackerman. "I
see no objection to it, provided you can get your father or some other
men interested. I have drawn up an agreement by