CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 15 



then they decided to stake and record, but they got 

 into a row as to who should stake discovery claim. 

 Jim rightfully claimed it as he discovered it; Carmac 

 claimed it on the ground that Jim was an Indian and 

 would not be allowed to record the claim. This, of 

 course, was wrong, but they settled the trouble by 

 Carmac staking Discovery claim, while Skookum 

 Jim staked Number One claim above Discovery and 

 Tagish Charlie staked Number Two claim below 

 Discovery on August 17, 1896. Poor Henderson, 

 after his two years' work and proclaiming his find 

 to every one, only got a very ordinary claim in the 

 new field. Within two years' time Skookum Jim's 

 claim, worked by hand methods of shoveling and 

 sluicing, had paid about a million and a half dollars, 

 while Carmac's claim and Charlie's were quite as 

 good pay. Their ground has all been worked out 

 a long time ago as far as ordinary methods are con- 

 cerned, but the Guggenheims bought the properties 

 with many others near Dawson and are still work- 

 ing them by dredges at considerable profit." 



The story as told by my fellow traveler was im- 

 mensely interesting, and as I sat silent under its 

 spell and wondered if any of the numerous pros- 

 pectors bound north on our boat might be destined 

 for such a marvelous find, the narrator turned to 

 me and with the earnest air of a man giving very 

 sage advice said, " I have told you a true hunting 

 story, and the moral is, when you are hunting and 



