Part 26 (2/2)
”I wonder how Captain Zoss and Dr Barwaithe areout,” said Earl
They had not heard from their forht word to the effect that they had just located a clai into Hunker Creek, the third strike since leaving Mosquito Hollow
”I i any better than we are,” replied his uncle ”If they were, we should have heard of it It iving a clai it”
Less than a week later it began to snow again The sky was heavy, and even at ulch directly after breakfast, but now returned to the cabin, to fix up the stovepipe as previously h small wood to last for several weeks All were hard at hen they sahitebefore thees, piled high with miners' outfits
The two ood fer sore eyes to see ye ag'in!” exclaimed the captain, as he shook hands with Mr Portney and the boys ”I couldn't keep away no longer How are ye all?”
”We are very well,” said Foster Portney ”How have you been doing?”
”Only fairly well,” answered the doctor ”To tell the truth, I don't think it paid to strike out We have a little dust, but no ine, than we should have had had we remained with you”
The pair had coe to re that they would find it very loneso all their things, including a stock of provisions, and illing to pay whatever was fair in addition As their co, cheerless days to come, they were taken in without question
”We can put up two h we e it” He had taken a great fancy to the doctor, and was pleased to think he would not have to depend altogether on the boys for companionshi+p As for the boys, Randy declared that the presence of the jovial captain would make every day seem several hours shorter Fred, whose story had been told in secret, also took to the newcoether they forht of the winter was now on the weeks and months to come The storm that had started on the day the doctor and the captain arrived kept up with or for a week, and by that time they found the down steadily, registering as low as fifteen degrees below zero, and on ainst the side of the stove was frozen solid To keep thoroughly as ih they wrapped the and blankets their outfits afforded
CHAPTER XXIX
WAITING AND WATCHING FOR SPRING
”Perhaps it isn't cold! I never felt so frozen up in my life!”
It was Randy who uttered the words, as he danced around the floor of the living-roo the night, and he had just shoved in so to the littleof the sleeping-apartlass at the ther on the caserees below zero
”Twenty-two degrees below, and this is Christ!” he went on, with another shi+ver ”The best thing Santa Claus can bring us is war out of his bunk, and his cry awoke the others, and the greeting went the whole round The fire was now blazing with a vigor which threatened to crack the stove, yet as they talked they could see each other's breath Every one was staive ye some hot coffee and Christmas flap-jacks!” said the captain; and soon a sh the air, and they sat down at the table, which had been placed as close to the fire as possible Indeed, ”hugging the stove” was a corumbled because he could not take the stove to bed with hi up to the fact that an Alaskan winter was ”tinters in one,” as Earl said, when compared with those experienced at hoain; indeed, it snowed about half the time now, and even in the middle of the day it was so dark they could scarcely see, excepting right in front of the s Some time previous several Indians had appeared with fish oil and some dried fat fish to sell, and they had purchased a quantity of both for lighting purposes The oil was used in a la over the side The fat fish, dried very hard, were slit in strips and set up, to be lighted and burnt as tallow candles Many of the Indians and the Esquihts but these dried-fish candles The smell from them is far fro
As it was a holiday, the boys felt theyBut what to do was the question, until Fred suggested they try their hand at ar by the men, and worked themselves half sick over the wood fire until noon, when the candy was declared done It was a sort of taffy; and although it would not have added to the reputation of a skilled confectioner, all hands partook of their share of it, and declared it excellent
Just before being snowed in Mr Portney had becoazine, and much of the tiazine was rather a heavy one, yet the boys read it through fro all the advertise other stories one which was continued, and to pass away the time they tried to invent a conclusion This self-imposed task amused the doctor also, and he took a hand and finished the tale in a s to tell
And so New Year's Day came and went, and still they found themselves housed up with the therrees below Once it went down to twenty-six below, and everything fairly cracked with the cold To keep froht, that the firethat tih the cabins along the under side of the cliff were less than seventy yards apart nobody cared to venture out, and even opening the door was soh the doctor insisted on having a little fresh air
”Providence help the poor chaps who are not well provided for this winter,” said Mr Portney, one day ”I shouldn't wonder if so”
”To be sure,” answered the captain ”I looked ter somethin' putty bad ht jest as well be a-sittin' on the top o' the North Pole Hain't been a blessed streak o' sunshi+ne fer eight days, an' every time it snows the stuff piles up a foot or so ulch”
”We'll have to econo,” put in the doctor
”Flour is running pretty low Captain, you'll have to give us less flap-jacks--they're too toothsome”