frost. The picks,
shovels, and other tools were brought out and cleaned up, and two days
later found them at work as during the previous summer. It was
marvellous how the seasons changed when once there was a start.

Before the end of the month Mr. Portney made another trip to Dawson
City, and this time he took with him both Randy and Earl. They had
settled that they should remain in the gulch until the first of August,
and now they took back, by Indian carriers, enough provisions to last
the camp until that time.

The stop in Dawson lasted two days, and the boys had a chance to walk
about the town and see how it had improved. There were now at least
two-score of buildings, and several of them were quite pretentious. At
the dock were two steamboats, both nearly free of the ice which had held
them fast all winter.

In the town there was much news to be heard of the many wonderful
strikes which had been made. Several had taken out over a hundred
thousand dollars in dust and nuggets, and were waiting for navigation to
open on the Yukon, that they might sail for home with their riches. No
one who had accumulated a pile cared to remain in that forsaken country.

Just before they were to start for the gulch, Mr. Portney brought news
of Tom Roland. The man had been captured at Circle City two months
before, and the gold stolen from Cozzins taken from him. He had escaped
from his temporary jail and fled to the mountains, and now his dead body
had been found at the foot of a lofty canyon, down which he had most
likely tumbled during the snowstorm which was then raging. It was a sad
ending to a misspent life, and the boys could not help but shudder as
they heard the story. They wondered what had become of Jasper Guardley,
but nothing further was ever heard of that cowardly rascal.

By the first of June the gulch was as active as it had ever been during
the previous summer, and the mosquitoes and flies were just as numerous
and troublesome. No more finds of nuggets of large size were made, but
the sluice boxes yielded heavy returns of dust, and all were very well
content, and Dr. Barwaithe and Captain Zoss gave up all thoughts of
leaving.

"We know what we have here," said the doctor, "and I am convinced that
too much prospecting does not pay."

"An' besides, it's something ter be in company which is congenial,"
added the captain. "Over to the other claim it was nuthin' but fight the
whole day long with yer neighbors about