The Internet Detective Library

# A Klondike Claim

A Klondike Claim, by Nicholas Carter, is a detective story set in the Alaskan gold fields. Two American prospectors, Dan Fowler and John Carney, venture inland from Circle City seeking gold. After discovering a rich vein marked by the American flag at "Old Glory Mine," they begin mining operations. Unknown to them, hostile figures observe their activities from a nearby thicket, examining fragments of gold-bearing quartz the miners have extracted and nearly tearing down their claim marker before withdrawing. Over three days of intensive work—blasting and drilling by firelight—the miners extract substantial quantities of free gold, unaware they are constantly watched by unseen eyes in the surrounding forest. The narrative combines frontier adventure with the emerging detective genre.