and take him before the
Commissioner in White Horse and find out the reason for his leaving all of
a sudden. If there's anything important in that ivory horn he's got I'm
going to find it out for you boys and see if he can be of any use to you.
We can leave this camp shipshape in two days. We'll simply drift down the
Gold, and wait at the entrance to the Lewes for the steamer up from Dawson
to White Horse."

On the following Monday morning the Scouts went heartily to work, and by
night had erected a rough house of planks without windows, and raised from
the ground about a dozen feet on spars built in bridgework shape. Into
this was conveyed all the remaining stores and the machinery, the whole
being covered with heavy tarpaulins and tightly tied.

The cache was raised from the ground to prevent bears and other marauders
from reaching the provisions it contained, and the shelter was sufficient
for all the stuff left behind.

On Wednesday morning the tent was pulled down, the provisions necessary
for their few days' journey placed aboard, the wounded chief helped into
the craft, and as the boat drifted out into the stream the Creston Patrol
of Scouts stood at attention, and with their bugle sounded a salute to
their first camp in the wilderness.

CHAPTER XII.

ALASKA'S FIRST AIRSHIP.

The Scouts and their commander reached the mouth of the Gold early in the
evening, and made camp on their old ground, the sandy spit between the two
rivers. The steamer from Dawson was due some time during the night, and
before they turned in they set up a red lantern on the long steering sweep
as a signal. The dawn had broken when the hoarse siren of the steamer was
heard down the Lewes, and by the time all hands were awake she was backing
water at the mouth of the Gold. The flat boat was quickly poled out to
her, and what Swiftwater called their "dunnage" was placed aboard. Then,
with the steamer's boat in tow the batteau was taken back into the mouth
of the creek and securely anchored to the bank to be called for by Colonel
Snow's men the following fall.

The trip to White Horse was uneventful, and from there the boys, after a
call on Major McClintock at the Mounted Police post, where they left
thanks for their rescuers, who had not yet returned from their patrol
duty, took a train to Skagway. They found Colonel Snow awaiting them, and
after Swiftwater had given an account of the work at the camp on the Gold,
preparations