Produced by Al Haines
[Illustration: Cover art]
[Frontispiece: ALONE IN THE VAST SOLITUDE.]
A CLAIM ON KLONDIKE
A Romance
OF
THE ARCTIC EL DORADO
BY
EDWARD ROPER, F.R.G.S.
AUTHOR OF
'BY TRACK AND TRAIL THROUGH CANADA,' ETC., ETC.
_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS_
WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS
EDINBURGH AND LONDON
MDCCCXCIX
_All Rights reserved_
ILLUSTRATIONS.
ALONE IN THE VAST SOLITUDE . . . . . . _Frontispiece_
SHOOTING MYLES CANYON
LAKE LA BARGE
FIVE FINGERS RAPIDS
ON THE YUKON AT THE MOUTH OF THE KLONDYKE RIVER
OUR DUG-OUT, OUR TUNNEL, AND OUR SLUICE
"WHEN SHE APPEARED AGAIN I WAS GREATLY EMBARRASSED"
MAY AND I IN THE DUG-OUT
"IT WAS A MELANCHOLY UNDERTAKING"
"WELCOME, FRIENDS."
A CLAIM ON KLONDYKE
PREAMBLE.
Somewhere near midnight in January 1897, a man--important to this little history--stood on an expanse of glittering snow, amidst low forest-covered hills and rugged mountains which were draped in the same white garb. He was looking eagerly towards the north-west, and was listening intently.
This man was muffled to the eyes in furs, he wore a rough bearskin coat, and his head was enveloped in a huge capote. He wore snow-shoes, and a gun lay across his arm.
A grand long-haired dog was by his side; he was listening, seemingly as intently as his master.
The moon was shining full, the deep purple sky was sown thick with brilliant stars,--one could have read small print easily, it was so light.
Not a breath of air was stirring.
The intensity of the cold was indescribable: if there had been the slightest wind, this man could not have stood thus, in this open space, and lived.
He was a large man really, but the immensity of his surroundings, the vast field of dazzling snow on which he stood, made him appear to be a pigmy, whilst his loneliness and solitude gave a note of unutterable melancholy to the scene.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Claim on Klondyke by Edward Roper
- 2: The far off woods resounded with frequent sharp reports
- 3: Looking eagerly and joyfully into his master's face
- 4: Meade said little more that day
- 5: Up a river which joined the Yukon there
- 6: And have a decent little bag of nuggets still unsold
- 7: But most of the business is done in Juneau
- 8: We arrived in Skagway Inlet on the second day
- 9: 'n you're fixed to pay 140 dollars for this yere job
- 10: Resulting in some of them starting back to Skagway
- 11: We had come about sixty five miles from Skagway
- 12: And Meade and I were left alone in our glory
- 13: By'me by we get plenty freeze once more
- 14: We sailed off cheerfully next morning down Lake Tagish
- 15: Tagish House is but a rough log affair
- 16: Our only real suffering had been from the mosquitos
- 17: We had arrived at Myles Canyon
- 18: Illustration SHOOTING MYLES CANYON
- 19: Jim and Fan were perfectly unconcerned
- 20: And a few grouse probably ptarmigan
- 21: 'n zare I ketch Jim's lifle and katlidges
- 22: Thirty miles below the Hootalinqua the Big Salmon joins
- 23: Which navigates the Yukon between there and Fort St Michael
- 24: There was no very strong current down the Klondyke
- 25: She was an Englishwoman from Eastbourne
- 26: In this dug out Meade had lived
- 27: Dust and small nuggets bright
- 28: Meade had said farewell to them already
- 29: Our creek was now alive with salmon
- 30: We put bars or riffles a foot apart
- 31: But Meade was ready with his rifle
- 32: Or tramp through the softest sleughs
- 33: Next we turned seriously to building the raft
- 34: Get that log entirely clear of him
- 35: I remembered the bearskin we had would that do
- 36: And a number of shorter and thinner pieces for splints
- 37: I took my seat upon an upturned sluice box
- 38: Meade was in better spirits that evening again
- 39: Or showing anything but the most perfect amiability
- 40: And found it would be bad but bearable
- 41: Just fancy a mutton chop at Pimm's
- 42: The still water everywhere was frozen
- 43: Dry snow was forced through every crevice
- 44: He begged me to remove the bandages
- 45: So I undid the splints and took them off
- 46: I concluded that he still slept
- 47: I gazed fearfully around avoiding the face
- 48: For Patch jumped from his nook beside the fire
- 49: The storm raged furiously and ceaselessly
- 50: I strewed spruce branches over it
- 51: Or carrying out faithfully the promises I had made to Meade
- 52: And somehow get down to Dawson
- 53: Tongues of rose tinted lurid fire
- 54: The brilliant lights were fading slowly
- 55: There were the frost sounds frequent enough
- 56: Patch had been running ahead barking
- 57: Patch all the time barking exuberantly
- 58: And drawing a curtain across it
- 59: And unfolded the cake of chocolate
- 60: He was taking spoonful after spoonful of the chocolate now
- 61: Away back in the Yukon territory
- 62: But that Patch had his work to do
- 63: The awful cold and my loneliness were clean forgotten
- 64: I packed the toboggan with a selection
- 65: Having visited in the neighbourhood
- 66: But added that as everything I possessed was in our dug out
- 67: Then removed the dirt thus thawed
- 68: However it rarely is when the sky is overcast
- 69: Entering with the sleigh as before
- 70: This shanty was perhaps twenty feet by twelve
- 71: And had then continued up the Yukon
- 72: Where we entered the Thronda or Klondyke
- 73: The Canadian Government Surveyor
- 74: It is not so good a part as that round Carberry
- 75: The proprietors of the newspaper
- 76: They passed by the Klondyke with scorn
- 77: For the bottom of it was covered with gold and coarse gold
- 78: Fifty dollars to the pan is about my figure
- 79: Don't allow these sad ideas to take hold of you
- 80: After all the struggles and trials of life
- 81: Bertie Singleton quite hopeless
- 82: Clasping her father in her arms
- 83: With its pile of smouldering logs
- 84: The position was terribly distressing
- 85: Patch and I harnessed to the sled
- 86: Completely outweighed all my discomforts
- 87: How we would live our future lives
- 88: And as usual called me Mr Singleton
- 89: She knew I went out with pick and shovel
- 90: Patch and I hauled in front usually
- 91: There was a high and rocky bank near the margin of the creek
- 92: Perceiving a trail of some kind
- 93: Supposing it was bear or wolf that had thus excited Patch
- 94: How terribly cautious and careful you are
- 95: She interjected but why are you so sad
- 96: With that he led us to the shanty
- 97: It's bad eneuch for her to stop here in this wee hoose
- 98: What for d'ye want to take your lady freend to Dawson
- 99: But there's a wheen suspicious bodies
- 100: Until ye can gae doon stream in boats
- 101: Mrs Bain never went outside the shanty
- 102: I had the curiosity to go out on to the Klondyke
- 103: Two persons had gone up one wore moccasins
- 104: It was White eyed Williams and Coney
- 105: Frank and Sandy Bain would stake out theirs
- 106: And took our gold from its hiding place
- 107: White eyed Williams and Coney came in to supper
- 108: And asserted that there is a trail from it to Teslin Lake
- 109: And so permanently developing the country
- 110: Those who had not good rubber or waterproof boots
- 111: There was only one steamboat at Dawson preparing to go down
- 112: Started up the Klondyke for home
- 113: Covered with sacking or even tarred paper
- 114: The Yukon is here five hundred yards in width
- 115: It had been a village of importance before Dawson existed
- 116: I was jealous of her close association with Mrs Parker
- 117: Have you forgotten your promise to your friend Meade
- 118: She was perfectly still and speechless
- 119: Don't you wish that you could tell the Bains and Sandy
- 120: I saw her being haled ashore by her female admirers
- 121: And all the inland towns of Canada
- 122: We went on board the Yosemite late one evening
- 123: Sandy Bain went down as far as St Michael's
- 124: Bain had very good news to tell