or. There were men's voices, a woman's jolly laughter, and the
quick barking of dogs, glad to reach their journey's end, and when we
opened the door to those knocking, there were Mary and two friends from
Nome with their dog-teams. In they came, laughing, talking and brushing
the frost off their parkies, glad to get here, and hungry from
traveling, so we gave them a warm welcome, and good hot coffee and
supper.

Then Mary, (real Viking that she is, and from Tromso, in Norway,)
related the story of her journey by dog-team. Eighty-five miles, they
call it, from Nome by water to Chinik, but overland it is probably
farther. Nights were spent in the roadhouses, she said, but there was
little sleep to be had in them, for they were crowded and noisy, and she
was thankful the trip was now ended, and she had safely arrived.

The two young men who came with her seem nice, honest fellows, and I am
acquainted with one of them from seeing him at the "Star" many times,
where he often ground coffee to help evenings, or chatted in the kitchen
when we worked.

From Nome they had brought two sled loads, on one of them a cook stove
for the winter, as the big range in use here now will go later to the
Home, besides which they had food supplies and stove pipes.

At night Mr. L. came back from the reindeer station, saying that they
can have four reindeer for their prospecting trip to the Koyuk River,
and they are making up their party to go there.

November twenty-seventh: I was washing the dishes this morning in the
kitchen, when Mr. L. came quietly to say he will take my attorney paper
and stake a gold claim for me. He will do his best, he says, for me as
well as the others, for which I cordially thanked him, and flew on wings
to get the desired paper made out, as the others were also doing.

At half-past three o'clock in the afternoon today the lamps were
lighted, and at four o'clock in the afternoon a mail got in from Nome,
but brought no letters for me, as all steamers have long since stopped
running, and I am not corresponding with any one at Nome. I wonder when
I will hear from my home folks?

Our legal documents cost us each $2.50.

November twenty-eighth: This has been a fine day out of doors, and a
busy one indoors. Mr. H. with a man and two natives came with the
dog-teams to take what household stuff they could carry, and they took
the organ with the rest. I hated to see it go, but we are to have the
one in the church, wh