opening beneath the slit which was a yard wide and
twice as deep. This opening was filled with loose sand and dirt, and at
the bottom of all was a thick layer of gold dust, slightly mixed with
silver. They scraped the dust up with great care, and found that it
would very nearly fill a quart measure. They hunted eagerly for nuggets,
but no more could be found, and the quartz rock Earl had hoped for
failed to appear.

"Never mind; we can't expect too much luck," said Mr. Portney. "A heap
of dust like this is find enough for one day. Let us scrape the hole
thoroughly and cart the dirt down to the nearest sluice box." This was
done and they examined the vicinity carefully for another slit, but none
appeared. This pocket, like that on Prosper Gulch, was now exhausted,
and with a sigh Randy and Earl turned away to the regular work of
washing for dust. Each had one of the boxes allotted to him, while
Foster Portney took the third. Fred occupied his time between the three
and in cooking the meals; and thus the balance of the summer slipped by
until the day came when Mr. Portney announced that they must begin
building a cabin and prepare for the long Alaskan winter which would
speedily close in around them.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE END OF THE SUMMER SEASON.

Mr. Portney and the boys had long since decided where the cabin should
be built, up against the side of a cliff, ten feet in height, which
overlooked the head of the gulch. All the miners in the locality had
agreed that this would be the best spot, and six cabins were to be
placed there, for hospitality's sake if for no other reason. Mr. Portney
had already ordered the dressed lumber needed from the saw-mill; but as
this was costly stuff, and expensive to transport, Earl and Randy had
declared their intention to go into the timber back of the cliff and get
out whatever of rough wood could be made to do.

"We're not going in for style," declared Earl. "You can get the window
frames and glass, and the door and the finishing boards, and we'll get
out the rest, won't we, Randy?" And his brother agreed with him.

A week later found the party building in earnest. Over a hundred
dollars' worth of lumber had been purchased, and it had cost as much
again to bring it over. In the meantime Earl and Randy, aided by Fred,
had brought out from the woods four sticks of timber for the corner
posts of the cabin and had whip-sawed two-score of rough boards. With
this material they