f
ever going home, and even if he makes a fortune, they say, he stays on
here. And year by year he sinks lower and lower, till he's farther down
in the scale of things human than his savage wife."

"Yes, it's awful to think how the life up here can take the stiffening
out of a fella."

He looked darkly at the two out there in the mud. Keith nodded.

"Strong men have lain down on the trail this winter and cried." But it
wasn't that sort of thing the other meant. Keith followed his new
friend's glowering looks.

"Yes. That's just the kind of man that gets taken in."

"What?" said the Boy brusquely.

"Just the sort that goes and marries some flighty creature."

"Well," said his pardner haughtily, "he could afford to marry 'a
flighty creature.' The Colonel's got both feet on the ground." And
Keith felt properly snubbed. But what Maudie was saying to the Colonel
was:

"You're goin' up in the first boat, I s'pose?"

"Yes."

"Looks like I'll be the only person left in Minook."

"I don't imagine you'll be quite alone."

"No? Why, there's only between five and six hundred expectin' to board
a boat that'll be crowded before she gets here."

"Does everybody want to go to Dawson?"

"Everybody except a few boomers who mean to stay long enough to play
off their misery on someone else before they move on."

The Colonel looked a trifle anxious.

"I hadn't thought of that. I suppose there will be a race for the
boat."

"There'll be a race all the way up the river for all the early boats.
Ain't half enough to carry the people. But you look to me like you'll
stand as good a chance as most, and anyhow, you're the one man I know,
I'll trust my dough to."

The Colonel stared.

"You see, I want to get some money to my kiddie, an' besides, I got
m'self kind o' scared about keepin' dust in my cabin. I want it in a
bank, so's if I should kick the bucket (there'll be some pretty high
rollin' here when there's been a few boats in, and my life's no better
than any other feller's), I'd feel a lot easier if I knew the kiddie'd
have six thousand clear, even if I did turn up my toes. See?"

"A--yes--I see. But----"

The door of the cabin next the saloon opened suddenly. A graybeard with
a young face came out rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He stared
interrogatively at the river, and then to the world in general:

"What time is it?"

"Half-past four."

"Mornin' or evenin'?" and no one thought the question strange.

Ma