CHRONICLES OF THE CARIBOO 7

looking at it and still face down; then Moffitt would lift the card,
turn it up and read it and turn it down again so fast that only he of
those present could name it correctly before he turned it up again
to view.

There was no illusion about this, nothing but pure manual and
visional dexterity. He could also take a playing card, curve it to his
liking and then, taking it between his fingers, with a quick back-
handed flick of the wrist toss it as far as 300 yards. While Moffitt
was an enthusiastic and industrious prospector and miner, he had
little mining luck and none of that sensitiveness to indications that
Crow had, who told him: “Tom, you got the derndest fool luck in allus
pickin’ the wrong places ter dig!”

It is probable Dunlevey picked him up chiefly for his skill with
cards, as he certainly took full advantage of it in his gambling opera-
tions at Beaver Lake from 1860 to
63, the three years he remained
there. Yet Moffitt was never a
gambler for the sake of gambling
or the profits from it, but solely
for love of and skill with cards.
For he never profited himself from
the huge winnings his skill brought
to Dunlevey and Sellers, who had
no such scruples. Many colorful
tales could be told of those three
years at Beaver Lake, but there
is no space for them here.

With the foregoing description of
the five men who composed the
original Dunlevey party, we will
proceed with our story.

When the party arrived at Lil- eee Lan eee
looet they sold their boat and most
of their equipment, retaining, be- PETER C, ae
sides their arms and some pros-
pector’s tools for use on their trip, “All the rest followed him.”
only the sheetiron rocker screen,

a crosscut saw and their precious whipsaw and American axes, their
clothing and bedding.

Although they tried to be as casual and quiet as possible about
their movements to avoid being Swamped by applications to join their
party or of starting a rush that might so easily get in their way, they
well knew the burning fever they were laboring under, because of the
Indian’s news and which was extremely likely to communicate itself
to the other miners, who are ever feverishly alert for any evidence of
news of a new strike, even though they be ever so careful to let no
word escape them. And this proved to be only too true, as we shall see.

They reached Kamloops in record time on foot, having been able
to purchase only two cayuses from Lillooet Indians to pack their