,--up the Stuart River to McQuestion; up
McQuestion and back again down the Mayo; then across country to Mazy
May, winding up at Henderson Creek--"

"On the Indian River?"

"No," Corliss replied, as he dealt the hands; "just below where the
Stuart taps the Yukon. And then back to Dawson before the ice breaks."

The pocket-miner's eyes sparkled. "Keep us hustlin'; but, say, it's a
trip, isn't it! Hunch?"

"I've received word from the Parker outfit on the Mayo, and McPherson
isn't asleep on Henderson--you don't know him. They're keeping quiet,
and of course one can't tell, but . . ."

Bishop nodded his head sagely, while Corliss turned the trump he had
cut. A sure vision of a "twenty-four" hand was dazzling him, when
there was a sound of voices without and the door shook to a heavy knock.

"Come in!" he bawled. "An' don't make such a row about it! Look at
that"--to Corliss, at the same time facing his hand--"fifteen-eight,
fifteen-sixteen, and eight are twenty-four. Just my luck!"

Corliss started swiftly to his feet. Bishop jerked his head about.
Two women and a man had staggered clumsily in through the door, and
were standing just inside, momentarily blinded by the light.

"By all the Prophets! Cornell!" The pocket-miner wrung the man's hand
and led him forward. "You recollect Cornell, Corliss? Jake Cornell,
Thirty-Seven and a Half Eldorado."

"How could I forget?" the engineer acknowledged warmly, shaking his
hand. "That was a miserable night you put us up last fall, about as
miserable as the moose-steak was good that you gave us for breakfast."

Jake Cornell, hirsute and cadaverous of aspect, nodded his head with
emphasis and deposited a corpulent demijohn on the table. Again he
nodded his head, and glared wildly about him. The stove caught his eye
and he strode over to it, lifted a lid, and spat out a mouthful of
amber-colored juice. Another stride and he was back.

"'Course I recollect the night," he rumbled, the ice clattering from
his hairy jaws. "And I'm danged glad to see you, that's a fact." He
seemed suddenly to remember himself, and added a little sheepishly,
"The fact is, we're all danged glad to see you, ain't we, girls?" He
twisted his head about and nodded his companions up. "Blanche, my
dear, Mr. Corliss--hem--it gives me . . . hem . . . it gives me
pleasure to make you acquainted. Cariboo Blanche, sir. Cariboo
Blanche."

"Pleased to meet you." Cariboo Blanche put ou