On every side there was a rush and confusion. Almost as many as had come on the ship wanted to take passage back in her. Some had made their fortunes and were returning happy. Others had failed to find any gold, or had lost it by theft or gambling. Some had barely enough to pay their way home.
There were only the rudest kind of shacks, which served for houses, stores and hotels.
With the help of Johnson, whose great strength stood the travelers in good stead, the baggage of the four gold hunters was landed. It was piled up on the wharf, together with that of scores of other adventurers, for so great was the gold rush that there were no facilities for caring for freight as it should be.
"What are we going to do, dad?" asked Jerry as he and Fred gazed in wonder at the scene of confusion about them.
"Well, we'll see if we can't find quarters in some hotel, or what passes for one here. Then I'll have to see about getting guides and dog teams."
"Are we going to travel with dogs and sledges like the Eskimos?" asked Fred.
"That's about the only way we can travel where we're going," replied Mr. Baxter.
"Let's discover the north pole while we're at it," suggested Jerry jokingly.
"I'd rather discover a warm place where I could get something to eat," remarked Fred.
"Come along," invited Mr. Baxter. "If we don't hurry all the places in the hotels will be taken, and we'll have to camp out our first night here."