r
fur garments the little party of adventurers felt it keenly.

On every side there was a rush and confusion. Almost as many as had come
on the ship wanted to take passage back in her. Some had made their
fortunes and were returning happy. Others had failed to find any gold,
or had lost it by theft or gambling. Some had barely enough to pay their
way home.

There were only the rudest kind of shacks, which served for houses,
stores and hotels.

With the help of Johnson, whose great strength stood the travelers in
good stead, the baggage of the four gold hunters was landed. It was
piled up on the wharf, together with that of scores of other
adventurers, for so great was the gold rush that there were no
facilities for caring for freight as it should be.

"What are we going to do, dad?" asked Jerry as he and Fred gazed in
wonder at the scene of confusion about them.

"Well, we'll see if we can't find quarters in some hotel, or what passes
for one here. Then I'll have to see about getting guides and dog teams."

"Are we going to travel with dogs and sledges like the Eskimos?" asked
Fred.

"That's about the only way we can travel where we're going," replied Mr.
Baxter.

"Let's discover the north pole while we're at it," suggested Jerry
jokingly.

"I'd rather discover a warm place where I could get something to eat,"
remarked Fred.

"Come along," invited Mr. Baxter. "If we don't hurry all the places in
the hotels will be taken, and we'll have to camp out our first night
here."

Fred was scarcely able to realize that he was really in Alaska; that
wonderful land of gold, of which he had heard so much, and which might
hold for him a great treasure. Would they find it? Would they get it
safely home?

These were questions that came to the young treasure hunter, and he
tried to find a hopeful answer to them as he followed Mr. Baxter and
Jerry. As they turned away from the wharf, leaving Johnson in charge of
their goods, the man with the glass eye arose from behind a pile of
boxes.

"I must keep my one good optic on you," he muttered. "I think you're up
to something besides prospecting."

CHAPTER IX

INTO THE INTERIOR

With all the assurance of an old campaigner Mr. Baxter made his way
through the throng of miners and others, down the single street of the
settlement which ran along the river until he saw a hotel he thought
would answer. On making inquiries he found that there was only one room
left.