them。〃
  John　Tarwater　did　look；　but　his　eyes　strayed　to　other　photographs
  on　the　highly　sensational　front　page。
  〃And　look　at　the　photys　of　them　nuggets　they　brought　down；〃　he
  said。　　〃I　know　gold。　　Didn't　I　gopher　twenty　thousand　outa　the
  Merced？　　And　wouldn't　it　a…ben　a　hundred　thousand　if　that
  cloudburst　hadn't　busted　my　wing…dam？　　Now　if　I　was　only　in　the
  Klondike　…　〃
  〃Crazy　as　a　loon；〃　William　sneered　in　open　aside　to　the　rest。
  〃A　nice　way　to　talk　to　your　father；〃　Old　Man　Tarwater　censured
  mildly。　　〃My　father'd　have　walloped　the　tar　out　of　me　with　a
  single…tree　if　I'd　spoke　to　him　that　way。〃
  〃But　you　ARE　crazy；　father　…　〃　William　began。
  〃Reckon　you're　right；　son。　　And　that's　where　my　father　wasn't
  crazy。　　He'd　a…done　it。〃
  〃The　old　man's　been　reading　some　of　them　magazine　articles　about
  men　who　succeeded　after　forty；〃　Annie　jibed。
  〃And　why　not；　daughter？〃　he　asked。　　〃And　why　can't　a　man　succeed
  after　he's　seventy？　　I　was　only　seventy　this　year。　　And　mebbe　I
  could　succeed　if　only　I　could　get　to　the　Klondike　…　〃
  〃Which　you　ain't　going　to　get　to；〃　Mary　shut　him　off。
  〃Oh；　well；　then；〃　he　sighed；　〃seein's　I　ain't；　I　might　just　as　well
  go　to　bed。〃
  He　stood　up；　tall；　gaunt；　great…boned　and　gnarled；　a　splendid　ruin
  of　a　man。　　His　ragged　hair　and　whiskers　were　not　grey　but　snowy
  white；　as　were　the　tufts　of　hair　that　stood　out　on　the　backs　of　his
  huge　bony　fingers。　　He　moved　toward　the　door；　opened　it；　sighed；
  and　paused　with　a　backward　look。
  〃Just　the　same；〃　he　murmured　plaintively；　〃the　bottoms　of　my　feet
  is　itching　something　terrible。〃
  Long　before　the　family　stirred　next　morning；　his　horses　fed　and
  harnessed　by　lantern　light；　breakfast　cooked　and　eaten　by　lamp
  fight；　Old　Man　Tarwater　was　off　and　away　down　Tarwater　Valley　on
  the　road　to　Kelterville。　　Two　things　were　unusual　about　this　usual
  trip　which　he　had　made　a　thousand　and　forty　times　since　taking　the
  mail　contract。　　He　did　not　drive　to　Kelterville；　but　turned　off　on
  the　main　road　south　to　Santa　Rosa。　　Even　more　remarkable　than　this
  was　the　paper…wrapped　parcel　between　his　feet。　　It　contained　his
  one　decent　black　suit；　which　Mary　had　been　long　reluctant　to　see
  him　wear　any　more；　not　because　it　was　shabby；　but　because；　as　he
  guessed　what　was　at　the　back　of　her　mind；　it　was　decent　enough　to
  bury　him　in。
  And　at　Santa　Rosa；　in　a　second…hand　clothes　shop；　he　sold　the　suit
  outright　for　two　dollars　and　a　half。　　From　the　same　obliging
  shopman　he　received　four　dollars　for　the　wedding　ring　of　his　long…
  dead　wife。　　The　span　of　horses　and　the　wagon　he　disposed　of　for
  seventy…five　dollars；　although　twenty…five　was　all　he　received　down
  in　cash。　　Chancing　to　meet　Alton　Granger　on　the　street；　to　whom
  never　before　had　he　mentioned　the　ten　dollars　loaned　him　in　'74；　he
  reminded　Alton　Granger　of　the　little　affair；　and　was　promptly　paid。
  Also；　of　all　unbelievable　men　to　be　in　funds；　he　so　found　the　town
  drunkard　for　whom　he　had　bought　many　a　drink　in　the　old　and　palmy
  days。　　And　from　him　John　Tarwater　borrowed　a　dollar。　　Finally；　he
  took　the　afternoon　train　to　San　Francisco。
  A　dozen　days　later；　carrying　a　half…empty　canvas　sack　of　blankets
  and　old　clothes；　he　landed　on　the　beach　of　Dyea　in　the　thick　of　the
  great　Klondike　Rush。　　The　beach　was　screaming　bedlam。　　Ten　thousand
  tons　of　outfit　lay　heaped　and　scattered；　and　twice　ten　thousand　men
  struggled　with　it　and　clamoured　about　it。　　Freight；　by　Indian…back；
  over　Chilcoot　to　Lake　Linderman；　had　jumped　from　sixteen　to　thirty
  cents　a　pound；　which　latter　was　a　rate　of　six　hundred　dollars　a
  ton。　　And　the　sub…arctic　winter　gloomed　near　at　hand。　　All　knew　it；
  and　all　knew　that　of　the　twenty　thousand　of　them　very　few　would　get
  across　the　passes；　leaving　the　rest　to　winter　and　wait　for　the　late
  spring　thaw。
  Such　the　beach　old　John　Tarwater　stepped　upon；　and　straight　across
  the　beach　and　up　the　trail　toward　Chilcoot　he　headed；　cackling　his
  ancient　chant；　a　very　Grandfather　Argus　himself；　with　no　outfit
  worry　in　the　world；　for　he　did　not　possess　any　outfit。　　That　night
  he　slept　on　the　flats；　five　miles　above　Dyea；　at　the　head　of　canoe
  navigation。　　Here　the　Dyea　River　became　a　rushing　mountain　torrent；
  plunging　out　of　a　dark　canyon　from　the　glaciers　that　fed　it　far
  above。
  And　here；　early　next　morning；　he　beheld　a　little　man　weighing　no
  more　than　a　hundred；　staggering　along　a　foot…log　under　all　of　a
  hundred　pounds　of　flour　strapped　on　his　back。　　Also；　he　beheld　the
  little　man　stumble　off　the　log　and　fall　face…downward　in　a　quiet
  eddy　where　the　water　was　two　feet　deep　and　proceed　quietly　to
  drown。　　It　was　no　desire　of　his　to　take　death　so　easily；　but　the
  flour　on　his　back　weighed　as　much　as　he　and　would　not　let　him　up。
  〃Thank　you；　old　man；〃　he　said　to　Tarwater；　when　the　latter　had
  dragged　him　up　into　the　air　and　ashore。
  While　he　unlaced　his　shoes　and　ran　the　water　out；　they　had　further
  talk。　　Next；　he　fished　out　a　ten…dollar　gold…piece　and　offered　it
  to　his　rescuer。
  Old　Tarwater　shook　his　head　and　shivered；　for　the　ice…water　had　wet
  him　to　his　knees。
  〃But　I　reckon　I　wouldn't　object　to　settin'　down　to　a　friendly　meal
  with　you。〃
  〃Ain't　had　breakfast？〃　the　little　man；　who　was　past　forty　and　who
  had　said　his　name　was　Anson；　queried　with　a　glance　frankly　curious。
  〃Nary　bite；〃　John　Tarwater　answered。
  〃Where's　your　outfit？　　Ahead？〃
  〃Nary　outfit。〃
  〃Expect　to　buy　your　grub　on　the　Inside？〃
  〃Nary　a　dollar　to　buy　it　with；　friend。　　Which　ain't　so　important　as
  a　warm　bite　of　breakfast　right　now。〃
  In　Anson's　camp；　a　quarter　of　a　mile　on；　Tarwater　found　a　slender；
  red…whiskered　young　man　of　thirty　cursing　over　a　fire　of　wet　willow
  wood。　　Introduced　as　Charles；　he　transferred　his　scowl　and　wrath　to
  Tarwater；　who；　genially　oblivious；　devoted　himself　to　the　fire；
  took　advantage　of　the　chill　morning　breeze　to　create　a　draught
  which　the　other　had　left　stupidly　blocked　by　stones；　and　soon
  developed　less　smoke　and　more　flame。　　The　third　member　of　the
  party；　Bill　Wilson；　or　Big　Bill　as　they　called　him；　came　in　with　a
  hundred…and…forty…pound　pack；　and　what　Tarwater　esteemed　to　be　a
  very　rotten　breakfast　was　dished　out　by　Charles。　　The　mush　was　half
  cooked　and　mostly　burnt；　the　bacon　was　charred　carbon；　and　the
  coffee　was　unspeakable。
  Immediately　the　meal　was　wolfed　down　the　three　partners　took　their
  empty　pack…straps　and　headed　down　trail　to　where　the　remainder　of
  their　outfit　lay　at　the　last　camp　a　mile　away。　　And　old　Tarwater
  became　busy。　　He　washed　the　dishes；　foraged　dry　wood；　mended　a
  broken　pack…strap；　put　an　edge　on　the　butcher…knife　and　camp…axe；
  and　repacked　the　picks　and　shovels　into　a　more　carryable　parcel。
  What　had　impressed　him　during　the　brief　breakfast　was　the　sort　of
  awe　in　which　Anson　and　Big　Bill　stood　of　Charles。　　Once；　during　the
  morning；　while　Anson　took　a　breathing　spell　after　bringing　in
  another　hundred…pound　pack；　Tarwater　delicately　hinted　his
  impression。
  〃You　see；　it's　this　way；〃　Anson　said。　　〃We've　divided　our
  leadership。　　We've　got　specialities。　　Now　I'm　a　carpenter。　　When　we
  get　to　Lake　Linderman；　and　the　trees　are　chopped　and　whipsawed　into
  planks；　I'll　boss　the　building　of　the　boat。　　Big　Bill　is　a　logger
  and　miner。　　So　he'll　boss　getting　out　the　logs　and　all　mining
  operations。　　Most　of　our　outfit's　ahead。　　We　went　broke　paying　the
  Indians　to　pack　that　much　of　it　to　the　top　of　Chilcoot。　　Our　last
  partner　is　up　there　with　it；　moving　it　along　by　himself　down　the
  other　side。　　His　name's　Liverpool；　and　he's　a　sailor。　　So；　when　the
  boat's　built；　he's　the　boss　of　the　outfit　to　navigate　the　lakes　and
  rapids　to　Klondike。
  〃And　Charles　…　this　Mr。　Crayton　…　what　might　his　speciality　be？〃
  Tarwater　asked。
  〃He's　the　business　man。　　When　it　comes　to　business　and　organization
  he's　boss。〃
  〃Hum；〃　Tarwater　pondered。　　〃Very　lucky　to　get　such　a　bunch　of
  specialities　into　one　outfit。〃
  〃More　than　luck；〃　Anson　agreed。　　〃It　was　all　accident；　too。　　Each
  of　us　started　alone。　　We　met　on　the　steamer　coming　up　from　San
  Francisco；　and　formed　the　party。　…　Well；　I　got　to　be　goin'。
  Charles　is　liable　to　get　kicking　because　I　ain't　packin'　my　share'
  just　the　same；　you　can't　expect　a　hundred…pound　man　to　pack　as　much
  as　a　hundred…and…sixty…pounder。〃
  〃Stick　around　and　cook　us　something　for　dinner；〃　Charles；　on　his
  next　load　in　and　noting　the　effects　of　the　old　man's　handiness；
  told　Tarwater。
  And　Tarwater　cooked　a　dinner　that　was　a　dinner；　washed　the　dishes；
  had　real　pork　and　beans　for　supper；　and　bread　baked　in　a　frying…pan
  that　was　so　delectable　than　the　three　partners　nearly　foundered
  themselves　on　it。　　Supper　dishes　washed；　he　cut　shavings　and
  kindling　for　a　quick　and　certain　breakfast　fire；　showed　Anson　a
  trick　with　foot…gear　that　was　invaluable　to　any　hiker；　sang　his
  〃Like　Argus　of　the　Ancient　Times；〃　and　tol