"Don't you know the gold's there?"
"Yes; but where are the miners? You and I don't propose to spend the next ten years in gettin' that gold out."
"No; but there are plenty who would if we gave 'em the chance. All we have to do is to give the right ones the chance."
The Colonel wore an air of reflection.
"The district will be opened up," the Boy went on cheerfully, "and we'll have people beggin' us to let 'em get out our gold, and givin' us the lion's share for the privilege."
"Do you altogether like the sound o' that?"
"I expect, like other people, I'll like the result."
"We ought to see some things clearer than other people. We had our lesson on the trail," said the Colonel quietly. "Nobody ought ever to be able to fool us about the power and the value of the individual apart from society. Seems as if association did make value. In the absence of men and markets a pit full of gold is worth no more than a pit full of clay."
"Oh, yes; I admit, till the boats come in, we're poor men."
"Nobody will stop here this summer—they'll all be racing on to Dawson."