As in his earlier work, "The Klondike Clan," the author endeavored to draw a true picture not only of the life and conditions of the first Northwestern gold-rush, but also of the minister's aims and field of duty; so in this short sketch of the second Stampede his aim has been, above all things, _truth_. Every incident is actual history, and even the names are real. The dog story is also conscientiously true history, and belongs to one of the minor gold stampedes. The second section of the book--the three bear stories and the walrus story--are also bits of history. Every pioneer missionary in Alaska should be an ardent hunter. The author's life has often depended upon his gun and fishing tackle. For ten years in Southeastern Alaska he and his family had no beef or pork or mutton, but the game--animals, birds and fish--more than made up for the lack of these. In Interior Alaska the same conditions prevail. The wild animals furnish not only the food of the people, both natives and whites, but also their winter clothing. Life would be unbearable there in "sixty-below weather" were the inhabitants unable to procure the warm coats provided by kindly Mother Nature for the use both of her four-footed and her human children. The Eskimo faces the hardest conditions of almost any native race in his battle for life; and yet he is, perhaps, the most comfortable of any. He gets his living from the Arctic seas, the seal and walrus being his main dependence. From the great walrus he gets meat, clam chowder, light and fuel; its skin makes his foot-wear, the walls and roof of his house, and his boats; its ivory furnishes his tools and implements of the chase. When the author and his friends brought the great supply of walrus meat to the Eskimo village of East Cape they insured the life and comfort of its inhabitants for the winter. All this is an essential part of a missionary's beneficent work. Good service for God and humanity is not inconsistent with the joy of the chase. As the author confidently expects that many of his young readers will find their permanent homes in "The great big, broad land 'way up yonder," he hopes this book may prove, in some degree, an introduction to the enjoyments and achievements of the life there. S. H. Y. _New York._ Contents I. THE NOME STAMPEDE 13 II. THE ANVIL 33 III. BUNCH-GRASS BILL 49 IV. MY DOGS 76 V. LOUIE PAUL AND THE HOOTZ 100 VI. OLD SNOOK AND THE COW 112 VII. NINA AND THE BEARS 131 VIII. THE ABSURD WALRUS 153 Illustrations STALKING WALRUS IN AN OOMIAK _Frontispiece_ _Facing page_ NOME, ALASKA, SUMMER OF 1900 28 ANVIL ROCK, OVERLOOKING NOME 36