The Young Treasure Hunter

注
The Young Treasure Hunter, by Frank V. Webster

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Young Treasure Hunter, by Frank V. Webster This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Young Treasure Hunter or, Fred Stanley's Trip to Alaska
Author: Frank V. Webster
Release Date: March 28, 2007 [EBook #20922]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE YOUNG TREASURE HUNTER ***

Produced by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier, Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

The Young Treasure Hunter
Or
Fred Stanley's Trip to Alaska
BY
FRANK V. WEBSTER
AUTHOR OF "ONLY A FARM BOY," "THE NEWSBOY PARTNERS," "THE BOY FROM THE RANCH," "BOB THE CASTAWAY," ETC.
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY PUBLISHERS
[Illustration: "The moose plunged on"
Page 85]
BOOKS FOR BOYS
By FRANK V. WEBSTER
12mo. Illustrated. Bound in cloth.
ONLY A FARM BOY, Or Dan Hardy's Rise in Life TOM THE TELEPHONE BOY, Or The Mystery of a Message THE BOY FROM THE RANCH, Or Roy Bradner's City Experiences THE YOUNG TREASURE HUNTER, Or Fred Stanley's Trip to Alaska BOB THE CASTAWAY, Or The Wreck of the Eagle THE YOUNG FIREMEN OF LAKEVILLE, Or Herbert Dare's Pluck THE NEWSBOY PARTNERS, Or Who Was Dick Box? THE BOY PILOT OF THE LAKES, Or Nat Morton's Perils TWO BOY GOLD MINERS, Or Lost in the Mountains JACK THE RUNAWAY, Or On the Road with a Circus
Cupples & Leon Co., Publishers, New York

Copyright, 1909, by CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
* * * * *
THE YOUNG TREASURE HUNTER
Printed in U. S. A.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. IN NEEDY CIRCUMSTANCES 1 II. SEEKING A JOB 9 III. THE BURIED TREASURE STORY 18 IV. FRED HAS HOPES 24 V. MRS. STULTS CONSENTS 30 VI. THE OLD GOLD HUNTER 38 VII. OFF FOR ALASKA 45 VIII. AMID FROST AND ICE 53 IX. INTO THE INTERIOR 61 X. ATTACKED BY WOLVES 71 XI. SHOOTING A MOOSE 78 XII. LOST IN THE SNOW 86 XIII. IN THE WILDERNESS 92 XIV. THE LOST MAP 100 XV. IN THE CAVE 108 XVI. DIGGING FOR TREASURE 116 XVII. THE SPYING INDIAN 125 XVIII. FOLLOWED BY THE ENEMY 131 XIX. THE ATTACK 137 XX. BURYING THE TREASURE 146 XXI. CAPTURED 153 XXII. ANXIOUS HOURS 161 XXIII. CALLACK'S CRUEL THREAT 168 XXIV. DOUBLE HARDSHIP 174 XXV. THE RESCUE--CONCLUSION 193

The Young Treasure Hunter
CHAPTER I
IN NEEDY CIRCUMSTANCES
"How are you feeling this morning, father?" asked Fred Stanley as his parent came slowly into the dining-room, leaning heavily on a crutch.
"Not so well, Fred. My leg pained me considerable last night, and I did not sleep much. You are up early, aren't you?"
"Yes. I am going over to the new diggings and see if I can't get a job, so I want to start soon."
"Where are the new diggings, Fred? I hadn't heard of any. But that is not surprising, as I don't hear news as I used to before the accident, when I could get around among the miners."
"Why, there is a rumor that several prospectors have struck it rich near Cartersville. They've formed a settlement and called it New Strike. I heard they wanted boys to drive the ore carts, and I thought I'd go over and try for a place."
"It's too bad you have had to stop school, Fred, and go to work. If I wasn't crippled I could make lots of money at mining."
"Never mind, father. When you get well again you'll make more than ever. And I don't mind giving up school--very much."
The last words Fred added in a lower tone of voice, for the truth was, he greatly liked his studies, and it had been quite a sacrifice for him to stop going to school. But when his services were needed at home he did not complain.
Norman Stanley, Fred's father, had been injured in a mining accident about six months before this story opens, and, though he was now somewhat improved, he could not walk without the aid of a crutch. The physician said he would eventually get entirely well, but the process seemed very slow, and at times Mr. Stanley was almost discouraged.
The Stanley family, of which Fred was the only child, lived in the town of Piddock, California. It was not far from a mining region, and within a short distance of the coast. Mr. Stanley had been in good circumstances when he was able to work, but since his accident, having a large doctor bill to pay, his savings had been used up. As he could not earn any more, the family was in needy circumstances, though, occasionally, Fred was able to make small sums by doing odd jobs here and there. Mrs. Stanley took in sewing, and they just managed to get along, paying