The Sounding of the Call

           WhenBuckearnedsixteenhundreddollarsinfiveminutesforJohnThornton,hemadeitpossibleforhismastertopayoffcertaindebtsandtojourneywithhispartnersintotheEastafterafabledlostmine,thehistoryofwhichwasasoldasthehistoryofthecountry. Manymenhadsoughtit;fewhadfounditf;andmorethanafewtherewerewhohadneverreturnedfromthequest. Thislostminewassteepedintragedyandshroudedinmystery. Nooneknewofthefirstman. Theoldesttraditionstoppedbeforeitgotbacktohim. Fromthebeginningtherehadbeenanancientandramshacklecabin. Dyingmenhadsworntoit,andtotheminethesiteofwhichitmarked,clinchingtheirtestimonywithnuggetsthatwereunlikeanyknowngradeofgoldintheNorthland. 

           Butnolivingmanhadlootedthistreasurehouse,andthedeadweredead; whereforeJohnThorntonandPeteandHans,withBuckandhalfadozenotherdogs,facedintotheEastonanunknowntrailtoachievewheremenanddogsasgoodasthemselveshadfailed. TheysleddedseventymilesuptheYukon,swungtotheleftintotheStewartRiver,passedtheMayoandtheMcQuestion,andheldonuntiltheStewartitselfbecameastreamlet,threadingtheupstandingpeakswhichmarkedthebackboneofthecontinent. 

           JohnThorntonaskedlittleofmanornature. Hewasunafraidofthewild. Withahandfulofsaltandariflehecouldplungeintothewildernessandfarewhereverhepleasedandaslongashepleased.