used to obsarve whin she
looked into the impty coffee-pot; Jiff won't pretind that he knows
anything of this country so long as he is in the prisence of mesilf."

"Very true," gravely replied the old miner; "but if I do scoop in any
gold, I think I'll know 'nough to shoot any man that tries to steal
it."

As he spoke he darted a glance at Hardman, who was sitting a little
back from the fire, also smoking, but glum and silent. The boys
wondered why Jeff should make these pointed references, when he had
never hinted anything of the kind before, but the old miner had a
purpose in mind. While not seeming to pay any special attention to
Hardman, he had studied him closely for the past few days, and felt
little doubt that he was planning mischief. The words, therefore, that
Jeff uttered were meant as a warning to the rogue of what he might
expect if he attempted any crooked work.

No further reference was made to the unpleasant subject, although Jeff
and Tim chaffed each other for a long time, even after the boys had
wrapped themselves in their blankets and lain down to sleep. No watch
was set, as would have been the case had they been journeying through a
wild part of their own country, for there was nothing to be feared from
wild animals or Indians. The only being whom Jeff and the boys
distrusted was a member of their own company, and they did not believe
he would do anything wrong until after the party had secured something
worth the risk on his part.

Deprived of many of the comforts of home and a mother's care, it did
not take the boys long, under the tutelage of the older ones, to attend
to their own wants. Roswell and Frank soon learned how to sew on a
button and do the mending which their garments occasionally required.
They washed their clothing and kept themselves in better form than do
many men when placed in a similar situation.

With the weather growing more summery and hardly a bit of ice in the
river, the raft glided down the Upper Yukon. Ninety-eight miles from
the head of the Yukon, the craft passed the mouth of the Milk River,
and in this case the party saw the appropriateness of the name, for its
water has a perceptible whitish color.

A goodly distance remained to be passed, for it was ten miles to
Stewart River, and twenty-five more to Fort Ogilvie, where they spent
the night. They were now nearing their journey's end, and all showed a
peculiar agitation, such as is natural when we feel ourselves