stake him and give him one
hundred dollars in cash when in Dawson City, he would give him half of
what he found. Ben West agreed to Dickey's proposition, and the three
men traveled together to Dawson City.

Their journey was of a most tedious, trying character, the weather being
disagreeable in the extreme. It rained more or less every day, making
the travel exceedingly slow and difficult; it being so muddy and
slippery, you seemed as if you went two steps backward to every one you
went forward. The trail in many places was washed out and had to be
repaired before they could proceed. In some places land-slides had
blocked the trail, and it involved a great amount of labor to clear them
off. Everything around Ben West was of a most discouraging nature. What
with being cold and wet all day; leg weary in the extreme when night
came; bill of fare very meagre, consisting of bread, beans, bacon, and
coffee, the men he hired sometimes felt like throwing up the sponge. For
they met many returning who said the country was hell and no good; many
were sick lying along the side of the trail; some were dying, and they
saw some dead; also a good many dead pack animals were seen. His
surroundings were certainly blue.

One morning he awoke very early, long before it was time to rise. It was
raining hard, and the thought came to him, another long tedious wet
day's journey; how much longer would this fearful traveling last? Would
they ever reach Dawson City, or would they, like many others, die on the
road? Then he thought, why was he here? He could not help contrasting
the difference between his environments here and those in Orangeville.
Here all around him was black, barren, cold, wet, and dismal; with
nearly every one cursing the country and calling it hell; and some felt
like calling for some small boy to kick them because they were fools
enough to come here.

Then he thought of his parents in Orangeville with every comfort inside,
and a perfect paradise of fruits and flowers outside. He thought of
California's lovely skies, its balmy, invigorating breezes, and its
many, many sunny days. He said, what would the people who are
journeying along here think if they had a climate like that in
Orangeville, which is matchless this side of heaven? He continued
interrogating himself. Why did I come here? Did I not always have more
of the very best and greatest variety of food than I could eat? Yes. Did
I not always have more fine clothes