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Chechaquo Beeching was bound for the sea and civilization, with the moderate pile which a beginner's luck, rather than any skill or enterprise of his, had brought him; and he was bent on doing the trip in style, he and his curious friend, whom he called Harry. Of these nine finely conditioned dogs, four had met Jan about the town and learned to show him some deference.
In the end, and even Bidwell retained no more than hazy recollections of how the night terminated, a bill of sale was drawn up, wherein Bill Rader and Charles Mitchell yielded up all right and title to the claim known as 24 ELDORADO, the same being the name the creek had received from some optimistic chechaquo. When Kink had signed, it took the united efforts of the three to arouse Bill.
Jan, scenting trouble vaguely, was determined to stick to Jean, and thought he went about it craftily enough. But Jean caught him each time, and kicked him back to the place where the chechaquo stood, cuffing him roughly over the head by way of final salutation. "I'll larn ye to foller me," he said, sourly.
Bill and Kink were not drinking, principally for the reason that their one and common sack was not strong enough to stand many excursions to the scales. "Say, Bill, I've got a chechaquo on the string for a sack of flour," Mitchell announced jubilantly. Bill looked interested and pleased. Grub as scarce, and they were not over-plentifully supplied for the quest after Too Much Gold.
They could not conceive of themselves raising a wail over a business transaction, so they could not understand it in another man. "The poor, ornery chechaquo," murmured Hootchinoo Bill, as they watched the sorrowing Swede disappear up the trail. "But this ain't Too Much Gold," Kink Mitchell said cheerfully.
And it will have its advantages. You will not be supposed to stand a show. After all, you know, you are still classed as a chechaquo. You haven't seen the four seasons go around. Nobody will take notice of you until you come into the home stretch in the lead." "It's on the home stretch the dark horse is to show up its classy form, eh?" She nodded, and continued earnestly.
"You damn chechaquo," was what he said, but in the saying of it was admiration. "I don't know how you done it, but you did." Outside the great crowd was noisily massed, while the office was packing and jamming. Smoke and Big Olaf essayed to rise, and each helped the other to his feet. Smoke found his legs weak under him, and staggered drunkenly. Big Olaf tottered toward him.
"And I took you for a tenderfoot, a chechaquo," Frona said meekly, as St. Vincent tied his ear-flaps and turned up his collar preparatory to leaving. "I dislike posing," he answered, matching her meekness. "It smacks of insincerity; it really is untrue. And it is so easy to slip into it. Look at the old-timers, 'sour-doughs' as they proudly call themselves.
But all this the mysterious, far-reaching hairline trail, the absence of sun from the sky, the tremendous cold, and the strangeness and weirdness of it all made no impression on the man. It was not because he was long used to it. He was a new-comer in the land, a chechaquo, and this was his first winter. The trouble with him was that he was without imagination.
I'm on official business. I'm just traipsin' along to take the census of Squaw Creek." To another, who hailed him with: "Where away, little one? Do you really expect to stake a claim?" Shorty answered: "Me? I'm the discoverer of Squaw Creek. I'm just comin' back from recordin' so as to see no blamed chechaquo jumps my claim."
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