uts on a pretty good face, but I fancy he is homesick,
nevertheless," remarked Earl, as he and Randy made their way to the
hotel office. They were just about to ask for their uncle when a hand
was laid on Earl's shoulder.

"Earl! Randy! How are you, my boys! Just as fresh and hearty as when I
saw you last. And how both of you are growing! Why, Earl, you are almost
a man! I'm glad to see you, yes, I am!" And Foster Portney beamed at
both from a pair of brown eyes set in a round, ruddy face, which was
half covered with a long beard. He was a large and rugged man, and his
open manner had made him many friends.

"What a beard you've got, Uncle Foster!" were Randy's first words, as he
winced at the close grip Foster Portney gave his hand. "You look like
all the rest of the Westerners around here!"

"I'm glad we had no trouble in finding you," put in Earl, whose hand
also tingled from the grip given it. He remembered now that his uncle
had always been considered an unusually strong man. "I know he'll stand
the Alaskan climate well enough, even if we don't," he thought.

"Didn't have any trouble getting here, did you?" questioned Foster
Portney. "Your message came on time?"

"We had a little set-back in Boston," answered Earl, and told of the
trouble about the money. His uncle listened with a sober look on his
broad face.

"That was too bad, truly, lads. But it's the loss of that firm of
bankers and brokers. They ought to have been sure of the identification.
And you think the thieves were two men named Roland and Guardley? They
must be thorough rascals."

"We are not sure," broke in Randy, hastily. "It only looks that way."

"I see." Foster Portney mused for a moment. "Well, we can't lose time in
trying to investigate. I was hoping you two boys would turn up to-day or
to-morrow. Day after to-morrow a boat sails for Juneau, and if I rustle
around I think I can secure passage for ourselves and our traps. If we
don't catch this boat, we'll have to wait two weeks, or else take a
train for Portland and wait ten days."

"But we haven't a thing, Uncle Foster," cried Randy. "That is, outside
of our clothing, which is in our trunks, on check at the railroad
station."

"And that clothing, for the most part, will have to be left behind,
Randy. For a country like Alaska one must be differently dressed than
here. Each of you will have to have a suit of furs and plenty of
flannels and all that sort of thing."

"And where shal