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Show 67 The next day we went to see the Mounties about Tip's supplies, which were somewhere i n the tons of goods stacked around the lake. The Mounties knew j u s t where they were, and they also knew about the Flower G i r l s. The g i r l s had been so anxious to reach Dawson City that they had paid an exorbitant amount to have the Chilkoot packers take them on sleds over the ice-covered lakes and down the Yukon River. They had stayed at Lake Bennett only overnight. "Do you think they made i t , a l l right?" Tio asked. "With the Indian guides, I would say s o , " the Mountie answered. "Alone, no." We found Tip's supplies and packed them to our t e n t . The groceries and hardware were i n t a c t , but the clothing in soldered t i n cans was missing. "My mother said something, that night," Tip said quietly. "She said to get her white fox coat. 'Promise,' she said." "I suppose i t was the most expensive thing she had," I offered hopefully. Tip shook her head. "Maybe she was d e l i r i o u s ." "She was not d e l i r i o u s , " Tip said, dejected. "But she kept saying i t . And I promised. I thought i t would be here." "We'll get i t back," I said. "As soon as we get to Dawson City." |