from Stewart and Fifty-mile and every
boat brings in a load of newcomers.”
Old Yank lost no time in getting his
pack together and in company with the
two strangers set off for the Klondike.
Once there he saw that the stories were
no exaggeration. Every bench, creek and
coulee was staked as tight as a patchwork
quilt. The old timer spent some time in
looking the place over. There were one
or two places that he could have staked,
but they did not seem worth while to him.

Dibb Printing Company

STATIONERS, OFFICE SUPPLIES,
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BESNER BLOCK
PRINCE RUPERT, B. C.

VALETINE DAIRY

Skeena Brand Creamery
Butter
Summit Ice Cream ©
Phone 657
e

PRINCE RUPERT, B. C.

GORDON’'S HARDWARE

General Hardware, Paints, Linoleum
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PRINCE RUPERT, B. C.

BELMONT HOTEL

J. HOSKINS, Proprietor
Licensed Premises

Prince Rupert, B. C.

It was a dejected, worn out old man
who started the weary trek back to the
cabin. He had stopped fuming at the rank
ingratitude of the Indians to whom he
had shown the secret of the mountains.
Part of the game, he kept telling himself,
the game that he had played all his life,
with varying success.

The route to the cabin lay over the
divide from Rabbit Creek, later named
Bonanza Creek. As he trudged along he
entered a narrow gulch. Much to his sur-
prise it widened into a valley. More
startling still was the absence of cabins
and claim-stakes. Right in the centre of
the region, the valley had been overlooked.
He followed the little stream in the cen-
tre down to Hunker Creek. Here was the
explanation. As he neared the larger
stream, the sides of the valley closed in
again until there was but a narrow open-
ing screened by foliage. The stampeders
passing up and down the creek would
tramp right past the opening without see-
ing it. Few would take time to prospect
the break in the hills. Why waste time

on virgin territory when proven ground
could be had?

Yank went back up the valley. Near
the rim-vock, where he figured bedrock
would be close, he sank a hole. His first
pan showed colours. Nothing unusual, but
worth looking further. Darkness had
settled in before he had the last of his
claim-stakes set up.

That night Joe Chronister sat before
his flickering fire and thought. He was
tired after his day’s work. More tired than
he cared to admit. He could not stand the
gaff much longer. If this claim did not
not pan out, it would be the poorhouse
for him.

“My last chance to clean up,” he mut-
tered to himself. “If the muck runs poor,
there'll be no more prospecting for you,
old fellow.”

Back at Dawson City he entered the
Recorder’s Office and registered his claims.
The thought was still with him. The
‘Last Chance’ placer mine was a real find.
From the cleanups “Old Yank’ made

enough to live in comfort in a fine log
cabin in Dawson City.

B. C. Police detachment at Atlin, B.C., 1898. Left to right: Const. E. W. Bickle, Stipendiary
Magistrate E. M. N. Woods, Const. Harry Heal, Const. W. H. Vickers, Clerk Joseph McKay,
Government Agent and Gold Commissioner J. D. Graham, Clerk Herbert Young, and W. Paxton.

YOU: “What is the difference between a
drama and a melodrama?”

Me: “Well, in a drama the heroine merely
throws the villain over. In melodrama she
throws him over a cliff.”

“T'VE seen better days
tramp.

“So have I,” said the Sergeant’s wife, as
she shut the door, “but I have no time to
talk about the weather just now.”

began the

Cow Bay

WINTER EDITION

When in Town Visit the

SMILES CAFE

“THE HOME OF BETTER FOODS”
Prince Rupert, B. C.

O, MEMORY
CONSTABLE: Why so sad?
Sergeant: I said something to my wife

and she said she wouldn't speak to me for
a week.

Constable:
happen?

Too bad. When did this

Sergeant: About a month ago.
Constable: Well, why so sad now?
Sergeant: Forgotten what I said.

For Good Eats, Try

ROYAL LUNCH

MRS. KATE SMITH, Proprietress
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT

Prince Rupert, British Columbia

Page Forty-nine