ay, and be
guided in your thoughts, words, and deeds by its blessed precepts. Then
it shall always be well with thee."

There were two of the small Bibles, the other being similarly inscribed
with the name of Frank Mansley. The boys and their parents were
standing around the seated miner, and no one spoke. He looked at each
precious volume in turn, and then reverently laid them among the pile
of indispensables.

"That's the mother of it," he said, as if speaking with himself; "it's
a good many years since my poor old mother done the same thing for me
when I started for Californy, and I've got the book among my things
yet, though I don't read it as often as I should. _Them_ go if we have
to leave everything else behind."

When the task was completed, every one acknowledged the excellent
judgment displayed by Jeff Graham. The three were arrayed in strong,
thick, warm clothing, and, in addition, each carried a heavy overcoat
on his arm. In the valises were crowded underclothing, shirts,
handkerchiefs, and the articles that have been already specified. It
was wonderful how skilfully the mothers did the packing. When it looked
as if every inch of space was filled, they found a crevice into which
another bottle of standard medicine, an extra bit of soap, more thread
and needles and conveniences of which no other person would think were
forced without adding to the difficulty of locking the valises.

Nothing remaining to be done, on the following day the boys kissed
their tearful mothers good-by, and warmly shook hands with Mr. Palmer,
who brokenly murmured, "God bless you! be good boys!" as he saw them
off on the steamer bound for Seattle, and thence to Juneau, where they
safely arrived one day early in April, 1897.

In making such a voyage, many people are necessarily thrown together in
more or less close companionship, with the result of forming numerous
acquaintances and sometimes lasting friendships. Following the advice
of Jeff, the cousins had little to say about their plans, though they
became interested in more than one passenger, and often speculated
between themselves as to the likelihood of certain ones meeting success
or failure in the gold regions.

There were three sturdy lumbermen all the way from Maine. A curious
fact about them was that, although they were not related at all, the
name of each was Brown. They were light-hearted and the life of the
large party. One Brown had a good tenor voice, and often