awson and buy the
necessary boards for several sluice boxes. He left on Friday, stating he
would probably not return before Monday or Tuesday.

The week had brought a number of newcomers to the vicinity, who had
staked claims on other gulches within a radius of half a mile. Some of
these late arrivals had come over the mountain pass, while the majority
had taken the longer route up the Pacific Ocean and the Yukon. The Fork
seemed to be a favorite camping ground, and there were times when as
many as a score of tents were pitched there.

One of the newcomers was from Hunker Creek, and he brought news of the
doctor and the captain. The pair had staked two claims some distance
above Discovery and were doing fairly well, although they had by no
means struck it as rich as anticipated.

It was on Saturday evening, when Randy and Earl were busy washing out
some of their underwear--for they of course had to play their own
washerwoman--that news was brought to them that there was a young
fellow down at a camp below who had expressed a desire that Randy or
Earl come to see him.

"He ain't give no name, but he's a slim-built chap an' don't look like
he was cut out fer roughing it," said the messenger. "He's half sick,
and he was grub-struck when me and my pard picked him up."

"A slim-built chap--" began Randy, when Earl broke in: "It's Fred
Dobson, the crazy fool!"

"Fred!" cried Randy. He turned to the messenger and asked the miner to
give him a better description of the boy; but this was not forthcoming,
and he hurried off with the man, leaving Earl in charge of the tent.

The camp below was quarter of a mile away, over a hill thick with
blackberry bushes. But something like a trail had been tramped down from
the Fork, and it did not take the two long to cover the distance. They
had just come over the hill in sight of several tents when Randy beheld
somebody get up from a seat on a fallen log and totter toward him.

"Randy Portney!" It was Fred Dobson's voice, but so thin and hollow
Randy scarcely recognized it. "Oh, how glad I am to see somebody I
know!"

"Fred! How in the world did you get up here!" burst out Randy. He took
the hand of the squire's son, and led the way back to the seat. "How
thin and pale you look! I thought you had gone back to Basco!"

Fred heaved a deep sigh. Then he looked Randy full in the face for a
moment. His eyes were moist, and he tried in vain to keep back the
tears. But it was impossibl