202 WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 



I'm on, will also work his. He wants a partner; 

 suppose you get out of this camp and join him. 

 I'll arrange matters with him." 



Snowdrifts still lingered here and there 

 when McClain and his partner resumed work on 

 their claim in Norton Gulch. A few days later 

 Clark and Williams came up and started a tun- 

 nel on the Clark claim. 



A dozen or more prospectors were working 

 claims near by, and all had cabins close to Mc- 

 Clain's. Joe came up with his new master. 

 There were half a dozen other dogs in camp, but 

 Joe was considered the worthy one, apparently, 

 even by the other dogs. 



Joe's old master had given him some good 

 training, and this alone, with a large strain 

 of shepherd blood, made him a dog worth while. 

 During the daytime he stayed by the cabin. 

 Usually he lay quietly, apparently not inter- 

 ested in anything and devoid of energy. One 

 day, however, some ten burros, with picturesque 

 packs, came along and stopped by the cabin. 

 The door was open. Joe lay on the ground 

 a few yards off, apparently asleep. The packer 

 stopped to talk with one of the prospectors, and 

 the burros took advantage of the stop to bray, 

 graze about, explore scrap piles, and examine 

 the display on three clothes lines. The dogs 

 of the camp raced madly about, barking wildly 



