Romancing the Klondike

by Donadlson-Yarmey, Joan;

  Sam could barely contain his elation. Just a couple of days ago he and his friends had been poling up the Yukon River on their way to Ogilvie so Gordon, and possibly Donald, could say goodbye to Joseph Ladue. It had been a very sad time for him. Then Joe had told them about Henderson’s possible gold find and they had seen Carmack’s gold. Now, they were on their way to register their own gold claims. It scared him to think how close they had come to leaving the north.

  “I guess we should make a list of what we are going to need,” Sam said, as they floated down the Yukon River. He was in charge of keeping the raft away from the shore while the others stretched out on the logs to enjoy the warm sunshine. “We’ve a lot of hard work to do before we can even start to look for gold.

  “Reading my mind,” Donald grinned. “First we have to build a cabin. Then we should cut and stockpile wood to keep our cabin warm during the cold winter. While the river is still open we should transport our food so we don’t have to pull a sled from Fortymile over the frozen river.”

  “We should also get some lumber from the saw mill at Fortymile to build sluice boxes,” Sam added.

  “Or from Joe at Ogilvie,” Gordon interrupted. “That way we can float the wood down the river instead of poling it up.”

  “Good point.” Sam loved hearing Gordon join in the discussion, because he still worried that Gordon might decide to leave.

  “We’ll need hammers, nails, a stove, and stove pipe,” Donald continued.

  “Axes and saws,” Sam said. “And we should buy those things before word gets out.”

  “We can use the gold I found for some of it.” Donald patted the backpack holding the gold he had panned. “Plus, we can get credit at the store for the rest.”

  They drifted quietly for a while, their planning complete. Sam thought ahead to them finding gold on their claims, picturing their cabin full of cans of gold. He grinned at his own foolishness. He’d be happy to find enough gold to keep them in food and clothing so they could go a full year without asking for credit at the store.

  “I still can’t believe this is actually happening,” Donald said. He turned to Gordon. “And to think you came close to leaving.”

  “Hey, look!” Sam pointed to the river ahead.

  Donald and Gordon raised their heads. They were gliding towards a flotilla of boats and rafts being poled and rowed by many of the miners they recognized from Fortymile. Carmack had spread the word.

  Sam tried to hold their raft still and let the others pass by them.

  “Turn around and go back!” Men yelled at them.

  “There’s gold on Rabbit Creek!” More called.

  “Carmack finally struck it rich!”

  “We’ve already staked our claims!” Sam hollered to be heard above the voices.

  “Carmack told us.” Gordon stood and waved at the men.

  “Sure glad we met up with Carmack when we did,” Donald said, as they continued on their way after the main collection of crafts had passed them.

  “Yes,” Sam agreed. “I’d hate to be part of the rampage that will happen when they reach the Klondike River.”

  It was evening when Sam and his friends arrived at Fortymile. The recording office closed at four o’clock, too late to register their claims, so they would do that in the morning.

  They left their raft and carried their things through the streets. Many of the cabins stood empty, some with doors wide open. The men had been in a hurry to get to the new strike.

  Gordon, who had taken the lead, suddenly came to a stop.

  “What’s the matter?” Sam had to sidestep to avoid running into him.

  “There’s smoke coming from our chimney.”

  “Smoke?” Sam raised his head to look at their cabin, still a hundred yards away. A wisp of gray rose from the chimney. He checked to make sure it was their cabin. It was.

  “Some miner is squatting in our cabin?” Donald asked.

  “I don’t think it’s a miner.” Sam pointed to the clothes on the rope between cabins. “Unless he has taken to wearing bloomers.”

  “It’s a woman? Now what do we do?”

  “I guess we’d better tell her she has to leave,” Gordon said.

  The men dropped their things on the ground and started towards their cabin.

  “Wait.” Sam stopped. “We can’t just barge in.”

  “Why not?” Gordon demanded. “It’s our cabin.”

  “From the looks of the clothes on the line she might not be presentable.”

  “Oh.” The three stood staring at the door.

  “Sam, you go knock,” Donald said.

  “Why me?”

  “Because, with your beard, you are the fiercest looking of the three of us.”

  “Right, I’ll glare at her and that will scare her out of there.”

  “Well, we have to do something,” Gordon insisted. “We can’t stay out here all night.”

  Sam went up and tentatively knocked on the door. After a few moments, a young brunette woman dressed in a pink night robe opened the door. She screamed when she saw him and slammed the door. He looked back at his friends.

  “You were right about scaring her,” Donald laughed. “But I don’t see her leaving.”

  Sam could hear some voices inside. “There’s more than one,” he whispered.

  Suddenly, the door opened again and a different woman stood in the doorway. She looked from him to Donald and then to Gordon.

  “Sam?” she asked.

  “Yes, who are you?”

  The first woman pushed past and threw her arms around him. “Sam. Oh Sam, where have you been?”

  Sam stiffened. How did they know his name? He certainly didn’t know them. He disengaged her arms and stepped back.

  “Sam, it’s me, Emma.”

  “Emma?” He had met some of the dancers and miners wives and none of them were named Emma. “The only Emma I know is my sister….” His jaw dropped as his voice trailed off. She couldn’t be this young woman; his sister was just a kid.

  “Yes, it’s me, your sister Emma.” She hugged him again.

  “What’s happened to you?” he asked, still not believing.

  “Why, I grew up,” she laughed, as she let him go.

  “Wow, did you ever.”

  “And so have you.” Emma poked his hard stomach. “That’s new.”

  Sam rubbed his belly. He was still a little self-conscious about the way he had looked at one time.

  Emma pulled on Pearl’s arm. “And this is cousin Pearl. She grew up, too.”

  Pearl gave him a smile and a quick hug.

  “I didn’t recognize you with that beard,” Emma said. “Pearl thought it might be you since this is your cabin.”

  Sam heard a cough behind him. He’d forgotten about his buddies.

  “This is Gordon and Donald,” he said. “You may remember them.”

  “Hello,” Emma said, looking at them. “I remember you but you sure look different.” She offered a friendly smile.

  Donald snatched his hat off his head. “P-pleased to meet you again, M-miss Owens.” He bowed. “And to—to meet you for the first time, M-miss Owens.”

  Gordon started to speak and Donald elbowed him in the ribs. “Take off your hat,” he mumbled out the side of his mouth.

  Gordon removed his hat. He didn’t seem as tongue-tied as Donald. “Nice to meet you both,” he said, then put his hat back on.

  Donald stood there staring at Emma and Sam remembered that when they had been in high school Emma had been infatuated with Donald.

  She’d always ask him to invite Donald over and then when he came she’d be so shy she’d die in her room or peek at him from around corners. Donald, for his part, hadn’t even noticed her or her antics. Now Donald seemed to be the shy one.

  “Did you hear about the gold strike?” Emma asked. “I think all the men from town have gone there.”

  “We met the man who discovered it and we’ve already staked our claims,” Sam said. “W
e have to register them tomorrow.”

  “Oh, you’re going to be rich.” Emma jumped up and down.

  “Maybe, maybe not,” Gordon grumbled.

  “Why?” Pearl asked, looking at him.

  “Not every gold find results in a big strike,” Sam explained.

  They all stood awkwardly around the doorway.

  “I guess we should go to the hotel,” Pearl finally said.

  “No, no, you don’t have to do that.” Sam hastily raised his hands.

  “But this is your home.”

  “We’ll go to one of the empty cabins for the night,” Gordon said.

  “Would you like something to eat before you go?” Emma asked. “We were just heating water for tea and we bought a pie.”

  “Pie sounds good,” Sam said. “We’ll go pick up our things and then eat out here.”

  Donald didn’t say anything more, just held his hat in his hand.

  Chapter Six

  Pearl waited until Sam and the others had gone a few steps then hastily pulled their dry clothes off the line. How embarrassing to have their unmentionables waving in the breeze in front of the men. She carried their clothes into the cabin where Emma was slicing the pie.

  “I think you have an admirer,” Pearl murmured, as she threw their clothes on her bunk. “Donald couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

  “I was so taken by him when I was younger,” Emma laughed. “But he didn’t even know I existed.”

  “Well, I think he does now.”

  “I don’t remember him stuttering, though.”

  “The way he was gawking at you I think that might have been nerves. He sure is cute.”

  “Yes, he’s even a lot handsomer than when I last saw him.”

  “Oh, oh,” Pearl grinned. “I think you still have feelings.”

  “I just wish I had been dressed in my clothes instead of my night robe.”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about impressing him. He’s impressed.”

  “Well, I’m going to put on a dress now. It doesn’t feel right entertaining men in our night robes, even if one is my brother.”

  “Yes, you are right.”

  They each quickly donned a dress and pinned back their hair. Then Emma placed slices of pie on tin plates while Pearl poured tea into tin cups. It was a good thing they had bought more dishes and cutlery for their own use.

  Emma balanced three plates in her hands while Pearl hooked three cups in her fingers. They carried them out to the men who were sitting on the wooden sidewalk then went back for their own. Donald put his pie on the sidewalk and ran into the cabin to bring out two chairs. He set one close to his pie.

  “Thank you,” Pearl said, taking the chair farther away from the sidewalk. She glanced at Emma and smiled.

  Emma sat in the other while Donald resumed his spot on the sidewalk.

  “Why didn’t you let me know you were coming?” Sam asked, as he ate. “I would have been here to meet you.”

  “I sent you a letter,” Pearl said. “We met Mrs. Berry and she said it probably came on the same boat as we did.”

  “When did you arrive?” Donald asked, this time without stuttering.

  “Yesterday,” Emma answered. “We waited with our trunks for you to come and get us. Mrs. Berry saw us and came and introduced herself. She told us where you’d gone and then she took us to the restaurant. She said it would be fine if we stayed in your cabin.”

  “And she was right,” Sam nodded. “Why did you come?”

  Emma looked at Pearl, so Pearl answered. “I’m writing some articles about living in the north for the Morning Herald in Halifax.”

  “And you came all the way here by yourselves?” Sam sounded shocked.

  “There’s nothing wrong with women travelling alone.” Pearl tossed her head indignantly. “Times have changed since you moved here.”

  “I guess they must have.”

  “Are you going back to look for gold on your claim?” Emma asked.

  “Yes,” Sam said. “We’re getting supplies and equipment then heading back there day after tomorrow.”

  “Can we come? Describing the process of looking for gold would make an excellent article. Please.” Pearl held her breath waiting for an answer.

  “Yes, please,” Emma said.

  “There’s nothing for you there.” Gordon snapped. “It’s just bush and water and mosquitoes. No place for a woman.”

  Pearl’s anger rose. “What do you mean, no place for a woman? Mrs. Berry is heading there.”

  “She has a husband to look after her.” Gordon glared at her.

  “I have you,” Emma said to her brother. She also smiled teasingly at Donald. “And Donald.”

  Donald blushed and looked down.

  “And I’m here working on stories for my newspaper.” Pearl stuck her chin out. “You can’t stop us.”

  Sam opened his mouth then closed it. He set his empty plate down and stood. “I think we should find us a cabin for the night.”

  “Let me carry the chairs back into the cabin for you,” Donald said.

  “Thank you.” Emma picked up the cups and followed him.

  Pearl gathered the plates and forks. “It’s nice of you to let us stay in your cabin.” She looked from Sam to Gordon.

  “Gentlemen don’t kick ladies out,” Sam said, while Gordon stomped off.

  He sure isn’t happy for someone who has just found gold, Pearl thought as she watched him stride away.

  * * *

  The next morning Sam woke early to unfamiliar surroundings. He was lying on top of a blanket on the dirt floor of a strange cabin while his friends slept on double bunk beds. It took a moment before he remembered the events of the evening before and that they had found this empty cabin to spend the night after leaving his sister and cousin.

  It had been a shock when he finally recognized Emma. She’d been a gawky fifteen-year-old when the three of them left and she had cried the night before saying that she would die of a broken heart with Donald gone. Obviously, that hadn’t happened. Instead, she’d grown into a lovely young woman, and Donald had definitely noticed the different.

  Not only that, but little Pearl certainly couldn’t be called little anymore. She’d grown taller and prettier in the six years he’d been gone. She’d become a professional woman, writing articles for the Halifax newspaper. He wondered what else had changed in his family. His mother had written letters over the years, but reading about things happening, like his older sister now having two children, and actually being there to hold his niece and nephew when they were born were two different things.

  Sam rose and picked up the backpack before quietly leaving the cabin. He’d let Donald and Gordon sleep a little longer. They were going to be busy over the next few months and sleep would be a precious commodity. Sam walked over to their previous cabin and listened at the door. There was no sound. He carried on to the store where he bought some bacon, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, dried fruit, a tin of butter, and a can of condensed milk. He returned to their cabin with the full backpack and this time knocked on the door.

  “It’s just Sam,” he called.

  It was a few minutes before Pearl opened the door a few inches and sleepily peered out at him. “Is something wrong?”

  “No,” Sam smiled. “I’m making breakfast this morning. No use heating up the two cabins, so I was wondering if you and Emma would like to join us.”

  “Just a moment.” Pearl closed the door and Sam could hear her and Emma whispering to each other.

  The door opened again. “It will take a while for us to dress. Which cabin are you in?”

  Sam pointed to one just down the street and on the opposite side.

  “Do you want us to bring our dishes?”

  “Yes, and can I borrow two pots?”

  Pearl went back in the cabin and returned with the items.

  “I’ll be frying bacon and making flapjacks,” Sam said. “Don’t be too long.”

&nbs
p; Sam walked down the street and entered the cabin. “Time to get up boys,” he called. “We have to purchase our supplies and head back to the claim. There’s a lot of work to do.”

  On the top bunk, Gordon groaned and rolled to face the wall. “I don’t believe there will be enough gold to make it worthwhile for us to put ourselves in debt. We should just walk away while we still can.”

  Sam sighed inwardly. He’d thought finding the gold yesterday would be enough to inflame Gordon’s passion again.

  Donald stood up and stretched. Sam looked at him. “What do you think?”

  “He has a good point,” Donald said. “Now is the time to think practically about it. It’s going to cost us the price of recording the claims and the supplies and equipment. And we’re basing that expenditure solely on the gold Carmack had and what we found.”

  “But we’ve already staked our claims,” Sam protested, not liking the turn of this conversation. He lit a fire in the stove and found their frying pan. “If we don’t register them that will be a waste of our time.”

  “Time is one thing, money is another,” Gordon muttered.

  Sam decided to change the subject. They could continue the discussion later. “Oh, by the way, I invited Emma and Pearl for breakfast.”

  “What?” Donald gasped. “When are they coming? We don’t have any water for me to wash. How could you do that to me? I’m not ready.”

  “They won’t be here for a while.” Sam grinned. “You have plenty of time to make yourself handsome.”

  “What did you do that for, Sam?” Gordon grumbled, as Donald grabbed his shirt and dungarees and scrambled into them. “First they take over our cabin and now we’re feeding them.”

  “They’re my sister and my cousin.” Sam snapped, tiring of Gordon’s attitude. “What am I supposed to do, ignore them?”

  “They’re going to have to look after themselves when we return home next month.”

  Sam stopped. “You’re going?”

  “It’s just not making sense to stay.”

  “I wish you’d give it a little more time.” Sam added more wood to the fire in the stove. “I’ve decided I’m not going back. I’m staying here and working my new claim.”