Part 23 (1/2)
It was several minutes before Fred could do this ”I came up by the way of the Chilkoot Pass,” he said, when he felt able to speak ”I joined a party I o, and they proh if I would do my share of work But the as too hard for , and at Baker's Creek they kicked me out of ca ago was this?”
”A week ago Since that ti for soh to eat I did get one job in Dawson City washi+ng dishes in the restaurant, but even there the food the boss wantedbut leavings”
”And when did you hear of us?”
”Yesterday I struck a ave me your directions Oh, Randy, what a fool I was to coone back to Basco!” And it was only by an effort that Fred Dobson kept hiry, had had scarcely a kind word for weeks, and was on the point of giving up in despair
”Do your parents knohere you are?” asked Randy, after another pause
”Yes, I wrote to the so far aithout doing that”
”Well, that was at least one sensible ht for a moment ”Our camp is about half a mile from here, over that hill Can you walk that far?”
”Oh, yes, Randy; I can walk a good way now I've found a friend” Fred arose as quickly as he could ”Are you and your friends all together yet?”
”No; there are only my uncle, Earl, and myself now”
The tere soon on the journey over the hill Fred was still rather shaky, and Randy gave him his arm to help him at the difficult places
When they reached ca tidied up
”So it is you, Fred?” he said, as he held out his hand ”I thought you back in Basob this tiest mistake of my life when I ran away, so there! and I don't care who knows it!” And Fred threw himself on a bench in front of the tent
”If there is any of that bean soup left, you had better give Fred solance which did not escape Earl ”And I'ht over in the river last night”
Half an hour later the wanderer was sitting down to as appetizing a supper as he had tasted since leaving the States While he ate he told his story in detail, to which Randy and Earl listened with much interest That Fred had had a hard time of it there could be no doubt; and that he had learned a lesson he would never forget was also apparent
”If there was only so home, I'd start to-ot to do for myself--somehow” He looked wistfully at Earl and Randy ”Do you think I could make some kind of a deal with your uncle to keepand hardy as you, but I can do so, and I won't look for any pay”
”I don't knohat uncle will say,” said Earl ”He has gone to Dawson, and won't be back before Monday or Tuesday I guess you can stay here till that time”
”Yes; and if he won't take you in, I'll help you some,” added Randy
”We've been more fortunate than you”
Fred was curious to kno they had made out, and Earl and Randy told him He was ahtened a good deal when he remembered how Randy had said he would help him
Sunday was spent in careater part of the day, although atthe dishes and the pots and kettles, just to show that he was in earnest about working This made Earl and Randy s dishes like that at home,” whispered Earl to his brother ”If only the squire could see hi away!”
On Monday the two brothers went to work as usual in the Hollow Fred followed them over and wasup the sand and dirt, but Earl told hith; and then he walked back to the tent, to spend the balance of the day in , which was sadly in need of repairs When the boys came back, he had supper ready for them, and never had they had awas the one thing I learned coro in the party who had been a chef in a Chicago hotel; and he was the one soul in the crowd that treated me half decently”