pardners me and Justus Morrow was."

Never more do I interrupt the allegory of my mate, no matter how
startling its structure. He adventures orally when and in the manner
the spirit calls, without rote, form, or tone production. Therefore
I kicked my blistered heels in the air and grunted aimless
encouragement.

"I was prospectin' a claim on Caribou Creek, and had her punched as
full of holes as a sponge cake, when the necessity of a change
appealed to me. I was out of everything more nourishing than hope
and one slab of pay-streaked bacon, when two tenderfeet 'mushed' up
the gulch, and invited themselves into my cabin to watch me pan.
It's the simplest thing known to science to salt a tenderfoot, so I
didn't have no trouble in selling out for three thousand dollars.

"You see, they couldn't kick, 'cause some of us 'old timers' was
bound to get their money anyhow--just a question of time; and their
inexperience was cheap at the price. Also, they was real nice boys,
and I hated to see 'em fall amongst them crooks at Dawson. It was a
short-horned triumph, though. Like the Dead Sea biscuits of
Scripture, it turned to ashes in my mouth. It wasn't three days
later that they struck it; right in my last shaft, within a foot of
where I quit diggin'. They rocked out fifty ounces first day. When
the news filtered to me, of course, I never made no holler. I
couldn't--that is, honestly--but I bought a six hundred dollar grub
stake, loaded it aboard a dory, and--having instructed the trader
regarding the disposition of my mortal, drunken remains, I fanned
through that camp like a prairie fire shot in the sirloin with a hot
wind.