e boys had heard
through Mr. Portney. In former days Circle City had been the banner
mining town on the upper Yukon, but now its glory was departed, for over
three-quarters of its inhabitants had pulled up stakes and moved on to
the Klondike district.

From Circle City the river, already broad, widened out to such an extent
that it looked more like a lake than anything else. It was dotted with
numerous islands, and the pilot of the boat had his head full with
keeping track of the proper channel to pursue. The run was north to the
ruins of Fort Yukon, the highest point gained by the mighty river upon
which they were sailing.

From Fort Yukon the run was mostly to the southwestward, past the
settlements of Shaman's, We Are, Nulato, and a dozen similar places,
Indian villages, the home of fur traders, missionaries, and of fishers.
At many of the places the main things to be seen were the totem poles
stuck up in front of the Indian huts--poles of wood, curiously carved
with hideous-looking images and undecipherable hieroglyphics.

At last St. Michael's Island was gained, and here they found themselves
again in luck, for an ocean steamer was in waiting to take the
passengers from the river boat. The transfer was made before nightfall,
and at dawn of the day following the steamer started on her long voyage
down Norton Sound, Bering Sea, and the Pacific Ocean to Seattle. But one
stop was made, that at Dutch Harbor, on one of the Aleutian Islands, and
then one glorious afternoon early in the fall they steamed through the
Straits of San Juan de Fuca and swept into the grand harbor at Seattle.

"The United States at last!" cried Randy. "Oh my, how good civilization
does look!"

"We don't know what we have at home until we miss it," said Fred, but in
such a low tone that nobody heard him.

They stopped in Seattle two days, and then took steamer direct for San
Francisco. The trip down the coast was an uneventful one. They were
impatient to finish it, and a glad cry rang everywhere through the
vessel when land was sighted and they ran through the Golden Gate.

A crowd was at the wharf to receive the latest news from the gold
fields. "How are the diggings up there?" "Is there any show for a fellow
staking a good claim?" "How much did you bring along?" "Is it true about
provisions being scarce?" These and a hundred other questions went the
rounds, as the fortunate ones came ashore. Foster Portney managed to
keep the boys toget