rned it with a smile of acknowledgment. At
the same moment Swiftwater Jim entered the saloon.

"Young men, your commander," said Colonel Snow, waving a hand toward the
miner. With one accord the patrol turned toward the grizzled Alaskan and
saluted. Jim turned red with pleasure and waved a knotted hand in
recognition.

"Glad to see ye, boys, but salutin' won't be necessary ev'ry time we meet.
I used ter be satisfied on shipboard if a man jumped about a foot high
every time I spoke real serious, but I guess we can get through this job
without much loud bossin'. I simply want ter sejest that I ain't very good
at argying, so I hope we shan't have much of that."

One by one, the boys shook hands with the miner in token of fealty, and
from that time until the steamer reached Skagway spent several hours a day
with him in what he called his "first class in gettin' on the job." The
most of this work included thorough instruction in the geography of
Southeastern Alaska and Southern Yukon territory, the Colonel's land being
located in the Canadian dominions. Especially was their attention drawn to
numerous waterways as shown on the maps, which must form the highways for
all transportation during the summer time, and knowledge of whose
location, size and tributaries formed a man's best safeguard in this
almost pathless wilderness.

A visit was paid to the hold, this time with the captain's permission, to
enable Swiftwater to estimate the amount of freight that was to be handled
and the best way of distributing it among the transports. The boys went
with him to learn something of their new duties in this connection.

"I move," said Rand, "that that earnest young sleuth, Mr. Jack Blake, be
appointed guide to this expedition to the dark and creepy hold. He knows
where everything is, for he has fallen over it all, I hear."

"He might meet Monkey Rae," said Dick with a mock shudder, "then think of
the carnage."

Dublin and the Raes, fearing Captain Huxley's possible report to the
authorities at Skagway, had "jumped the ship" as the commander of the
"Queen" expressed it at Ketchikan, the first port of call in Alaska, and
Dick's fears were therefore groundless, but Jack, who had learned the
lesson of taking a joke goodnaturedly grinned feebly, and readily dived
into the hatchway and down the ladder. The electric lights had been turned
on, and the hitherto Egyptian darkness of the hold had vanished. They
readily found their consign