conversation to
her husband and asked him if he knew Penloe or his mother.

"Penloe I have seen a few times, but his mother I have never seen,"
replied he.

"What kind of a man is he?" asked his wife.

"Well," said Charles, "I hardly know him. He is certainly a remarkable
appearing young man. He is so different in his looks and expression from
any man I have ever met or seen; so different from the kind that I have
always associated with, that I could be no judge of such a man any more
than I could be a judge of millinery or silks and satins, for I have had
just about as much to do with one as I have with the other."

"Well," said his wife, "I want you to arrange in some way so we can meet
them, for I am all worked up over them after what Mrs. Cullom has told
me, and am very curious to see them."

"Something will happen in some way, so that we will meet them," he
replied.

CHAPTER VIII.

BEN WEST'S EXPERIENCE IN THE KLONDIKE.

At the time Ben West went to the Klondike, a long tedious journey on a
trail had to be made. He realized that whatever ability he possessed for
making his way in that country, he lacked experience as a miner. So he
was on the lookout to see if he could find one or two men of experience.
He met many men on his journey, some of them having had most remarkable
experience in mining and everything else. He met a man by the name of
Adams that he thought would fill the bill; for he said he had mined in
Colorado, Idaho, Arizona, and Nevada. From the talk Ben West had with
different men, he knew now that he was in a country where men had no
known reputations to back them; where every man was looked upon by every
other man as being "on the make," without any scruples of conscience;
where you would be laughed at if you took in all men said about
themselves; where a man's word was worth very little and the only thing
that counted was "something was in sight."

Adams told Ben West if he wished to secure his services, he would have
to pay his expenses to Dawson City and give him five hundred dollars in
cash before leaving Dawson City to go prospecting, and furnish him all
supplies, and he, in return, would give Ben West half of whatever he
found. Ben West, having several thousand dollars with him, was willing
to take chances, and hired Adams. He also met another man in his travels
who had had some experience, but was "dead broke." His name was Dickey,
and he told Ben West if he would grub and