g stove going."

They had taken off their fur garments while in the warm hotel, but, as
Fred and Jerry had to go out to see about their goods, they donned them
again.

It was getting dark, for, though it was early, the winter season had
begun, when the sun would shine but for a little time each day, and
farther north not at all for six long months.

"I should say it was cold!" exclaimed Fred when he and Jerry were
outside. The keen air cut his face like a knife, and he was thankful for
the thick fur garments, the heavy fleece-lined boots, and the big
mittens he wore. Burying his face down below the collar of his coat, an
example which Jerry followed, Fred started back to the steamer dock,
while Mr. Baxter went off to see about getting guides and sledges.

The boys found Johnson still on guard, but the colored man was racing up
and down to get warm, and whipping his long arms about his body to keep
up the circulation.

"What's the matter?" asked Jerry with a laugh.

"Matter, Massa Jerry? Why, it feel laik somebody done gone an' stick a
icicle down mah back, that's what it do, fo' suah! It suttinly am
terrible cold."

"Well, you'll soon be warm," spoke Fred. "We're going to take the things
to a hotel."

"A real hotel, where dey has real things t' eat, Massa Fred?"

"Yes, real things to eat. They charge five dollars a meal."

"Five dollars a meal! Den I reckon dis coon'll git a small po'tion ob
dessert fo' his share," and the colored man laughed so heartily that he
felt no necessity of whipping his arms about.

"Well, come on, let's see if we can't hire a small truck and wheel our
stuff up," suggested Jerry. They were able to, but they had to pay a
good price for the little vehicle, which they got from one of the men on
the dock. Indeed, it seemed that you had almost to pay the weight of
anything in gold in Alaska, as there were so many who wanted the same
article.

It took several trips by the boys and Johnson to get all the things to
the hotel. There was quite a quantity of canned stuff, plenty of bacon,
sugar and tea, for those are staple articles of diet in cold countries,
arms and ammunition for all four, an extra supply of fur garments and
sleeping bags, a heavy tent, a portable alcohol stove, cans of alcohol
for fuel, and other needful supplies.

It was quite dark when they had everything in their room, and there was
little space left to lie down. There were four cots in the apartment,
and no bedclo