nued clear, although the
sea never became sufficiently smooth for a trip with the whale-boat.
Each day the men of the party went down to the first camp to pack
provisions across the Island to what they called the West Camp, the
place from which they expected to load them into the whale-boat and
take them by water to the cabin. When the entire outfit had been
packed across, the whale-boat was also skidded over on small drift
logs. By this means they avoided the long shoals which ran so far out
into the sea.

"Now for a few days of smooth water," said Boreland, when the job was
completed, "and we'll be able to take everything down to the cabin by
boat. We must have this grub under cover before the autumn storms set
in. The rougher the sea, the better chance for gold, so
Silvertip--damn his cowardly hide--told me. Kilbuck said old
Add-'em-up used to send his squaw out patrolling the beach after each
storm, and she usually found patches of black or ruby sand which
carried considerable gold. . . . It seems reasonable enough, Kayak,
for it's the same with all placer diggings along the sea."

The three men seated themselves on the upturned boat to eat their
lunch. Boreland, whose mind was ever dwelling on the time when he
should be free to begin his search for the gold of Kon Klayu, talked
on. Harlan listened in silence to the other's eager plans.

"But of course it's the _source_ of the gold we want! Silvertip thinks
it is thrown up out of the sea by the action of the waves. Kilbuck
imagines it is washed down from the banks, although all the prospecting
done by the fox-farmers revealed nothing. But--gold is where you find
it, and I mean to leave no stone unturned while I'm here. . . .
Speaking of stones," he went on after a moment's silence, "Loll was
right about his giant balls of stone. Have either of you noticed here
and there along the beach, especially toward the south, small,
perfectly round boulders? By thunder, they look exactly like cannon
balls!"

Harlan, though he had at first attended the others' speeches had
gradually become immersed in his own thoughts. Each day, while his
muscles ached and the desire for stinging liquor flamed like fire in
his veins, he had worked with Boreland and Kayak Bill at the North end
of the Island packing provisions across on his back. Though he still
ate his meals with the Borelands at the cabin, almost immediately after
supper he took the mile and a half trail acr