ere propitious for "mushing". The
men were clothed in reindeer skins, with sleeping bags of the same
material; their dogs were fresh, and they themselves were well fed and
rested.

A hundred miles or more were as nothing to them as compared to the trip
from Nome.

At last the head waters of the Selawik were reached under Kuiktuk's
guidance. No white man had they seen. A few Eskimo huts were passed;
game was more abundant, and as they came into heavily wooded country
with guns and ammunition they supplied themselves with ptarmigan and
other winter fowl of various kinds. Then they hoped to kill a caribou or
reindeer which would furnish food for the malamutes as well as for
themselves.

By this time three of the party hung back. With the Eskimo guide they
numbered six. To penetrate still farther into an unknown wilderness at
this season with an insufficient food supply would be foolhardy; it
would be better for them to return to Nome by the shortest trail and
again secure provisions.

This course was finally adopted.

Dunbar and Gibbs, accompanied by their guide, one day longer, were to
push on as speedily as possible to the wonderful creek, while the others
would return to Nome. Here they were to rest quietly until the two had
made fast their stakes on Midas, and also returned to the city for
supplies. In the meantime, the ones to reach the latter place first were
to give out the news of the discovery of a magnificent new section, the
center of which was a gold-bearing creek of amazing richness. Here was a
chance to excite the credulity of the people of Nome, than whom there
were none more willing and anxious to learn of new and rich gold
discoveries; and the possibility occurred to the miners that money with
which to prospect the new Midas might be collected from the citizens.

With this understanding the men parted; Kuiktuk remaining with Dunbar
and Gibbs for another day, when, giving them full and explicit
directions as to the route to the creek, as well as a complete
description of the same, he started back to his own camp.

Again the two men pushed southward.

"We're up against it now, Dunbar," laughed Gibbs, "and its a question of
who'll win out. If it hadn't been for the old rascal's appetite we would
have made Kuiktuk come the entire way to Midas; but he lowered our grub
so fast it was no use."

"No, but be sure you don't lose his rude map and directions to Midas in
your notebook. Without them we would