ed the strain even more severely,
for his flesh was tender, and he had traveled the last hours on pure
nerve. His jaws were locked and corded, however, while his drooping eyes
shone unquenchably.

Eventually they rounded a bluff on to a cabin nestling at the mouth of a
dark valley. Near it men were working with a windlass, so, stumbling to
them, they spoke huskily.

"Sorry we 'ain't got room inside," the stranger replied, "but three of
the boys is down with scurvy, and we're all cramped up. Plenty more
folks coming, I s'pose, eh?"

The two had sunk on to the wet ground and did not answer. Buck fell with
his pack still on, utterly lost, and the miner was forced to drag the
bundle from his shoulders. As he rolled him up he was sleeping heavily.

Crowley awakened while the sun was still golden; his joints aching
excruciatingly. They had slept four hours. He boiled tea on the miners'
stove and fried a pan of salt pork, but was too tired to prepare
anything else, so they drank the warm bacon-grease clear with their tea.

As Buck strove to arise, his limbs gave way weakly, so that he fell, and
it took him many moments to recover their use.

"Where's the best chance, pardner?" they inquired of the men on the
dump.

"Well, there ain't none very close by. We've got things pretty well
covered."

"How's that? There's only six of you; you can't hold but six claims,
besides discovery."

"Oh yes, we can! We've got powers of attorney; got 'em last fall in St.
Michael; got 'em recorded, too."

Crowley's sunken eyes blazed.

"Them's no good. We don't recko'nize 'em in this district. One claim is
enough for any man if it's good, and too much if it's bad."

"What district you alludin' at?" questioned the other, ironically.
"You're in the Skookum District now. It takes six men to organize. Well!
We organized. We made laws. We elected a recorder. I'm it. If you don't
like our rules, yonder is the divide. We've got the U. S. government
back of us. See!"

Crowley's language became purely local, but the other continued
unruffled.

"We knew you-all was coming, so we sort of loaded up. If there's any
ground hereabouts that we ain't got blanketed, it's purely an oversight.
There's plenty left farther out, though," and he swept them a mocking
gesture. "Help yourselves and pass up for more. I'll record 'em."

"What's the fee?"

"Ten dollars apiece."

Crowley swore more savagely.

"You done a fine job of hoggin', didn't you?