the iron range, big mush spoons were
utilized for stirring, and the precious metal was well dried before
being weighed. As soon as possible afterward it was taken to the Bank of
Nome. A tall, black horse was purchased for this purpose alone, and
after a few such trips the intelligent creature most reluctantly
approached the office where the gold was kept, having learned of the
grievous burden he would have to bear. Sometimes he would snort, throw
himself and pull back, and in every way show his unwillingness to
proceed.

But no shirk was allowed here. The horse was led close to the steps of
the office tent, and a gunny sack tied in the middle brought out by two
men and laid over the back of the unwilling beast. A rain coat or
blanket was flung over the sack, and the man at the halter started for
town, leading the horse, which walked slowly and resignedly after being
compelled to go.

A second man, well armed with revolvers like the first, always
accompanied the pair, and when the three had returned to the claim
another cleanup awaited them. Enormous sums of money were taken from
this claim while we were there, averaging ten thousand to twenty
thousand dollars per day. Seventy men worked for a time when the water
was at its best, part of that number on the day force and part at night.

In August the west bank of the creek was accidentally pricked and found
to be far richer than the bed of the stream. Nuggets worth many dollars
were continually unearthed, the largest one that summer amounting to
ninety dollars. The richest pans contained sixty-four dollars,
seventy-two dollars and seventy-five cents and eighty-four dollars, with
others ranging all the way below.

From a bench claim next to Number Eleven on this creek, and only
one-fourth of a mile above us, great heaps of gold were taken from the
ground, no pan carrying less, it was said, than five hundred dollars.

From seventy men to wait upon when the stream was at high water mark, to
twenty-five when it was lower, at any time our lot was hard. We worked
with chapped, bleeding hands and aching backs. We worked until our tired
limbs sometimes refused to carry us further. By the middle of August the
nights began to grow dark at nine o'clock, and a hold-up or two took
place on the creek. The weather was rainy and cold, with frosty nights
between, and as we were all in tents, and these sometimes leaked, which
did not improve the head cook's temper and he grew almost