sled, and dogs went hurtling down the street--a black mass in the
falling snow. He handed them over to a man at the Yukon Hotel and mixed
with the crowd in the gaming saloon. No one seemed to know anything about
D'Arcy, so he inquired for Hanky Brown. Hanky was at length run to earth
in a dance-hall.

"Gosh, it's Colorado Jim!"

The latter hurled at him the question that obsessed him.

"Where's D'Arcy?"

"D'Arcy? Who in hell is D'---- Gee, I got you. You won't find D'Arcy in
Dawson. He's up in Endicott somewhere."

Jim's face fell. Endicott was north of the Chandalar River. It meant
another journey of five hundred miles back beyond the place where he had
come.

"You're certain, Hanky?"

"Sure. Ask Tony." He turned round and beckoned a man from the back of the
hall.

"'Member that swell guy they called D'Arcy--didn't he go with Lonagon and
Shanks on that Northern trip?"

"Yep. Struck a rich streak up there--so I heered. Why, what's wrong?"

"Nothin'," said Jim. "I was just kinder anxious to see him. I guess I'll
get along."

Hanky was gazing at him curiously. He felt that something was wrong, but
couldn't lay his finger on the trouble.

"You ain't going up to Endicott?"

"Maybe I am."

"It's sure a hell of a journey just now, and you ain't likely to find that
man among them hills."

"I'll find him all right, Hanky. Are you clearing out next spring?"

"Yes. Gotta quarter share in '26 below' on Black Creek. We sold out
yesterday to the Syndicate. The missus'll be crazed when she hears. And
how about you?"

"No luck. I don't think I was born lucky, Hank. I used to think so----"

Hanky shook his head and pointed to the untasted spirit in Jim's mug.

"Drink up!"

Jim quaffed the vile spirit and fastened the chin-strap of his cap.

"Jim, don't go to Endicott."

"Eh?"

"Don't. You're looking ugly, boy, and things are done sudden-like when
you're that way."

Jim gave a harsh laugh and his eyes flashed madly. Then he stopped, biting
off the laugh with a snap of his teeth.

"There are some crimes for which there ain't no punishment but one, Hanky.
There's no power on this earth, bar death, that'll stop me from gitting
D'Arcy. If I don't come back before the break-up you can take it that he
saw me coming before I got him."

He thrust his hands into the big mittens strung to his shoulders, and
nodding grimly went through the door. Ten minutes later he was cracking
the new dog-whip over the backs o