Free Jo's Journey by Nikki Tate Page A

and again, and though no one pan yielded much, each time I had swished out the water, gravel and sand, there was a little gold left behind for my troubles. Wouldn’t Bart be pleased when I showedhim what a wonderful spot he had chosen to wash ashore!
    Each time my back or legs felt stiff or tired, I thought of how surprised he would be, how we would laugh over our terrible journey, and then I would try one more pan.
    I spent the rest of the afternoon collecting the lovely precious metal that glittered like hope itself in the palm of my hand.
    â€œJo!” I nearly jumped out of my skin when Bart called out, his voice edged with panic. I realized he probably couldn’t see me.
    â€œI’m here!” I called back, standing and stretching, surprised at how stiff I was. “Look what I found!”
    I sat on the log beside him and shook the gold flakes into the palm of my hand.
    His eyes widened and he sat up. The effort left him panting, but he leaned against the log and let out a long low whistle.
    â€œWe’ll call this place Joselyn’s Creek,” he said.
    I shook my head. “You’re the one who discovered this place. How about Bart’s Creek? Or Ridley’s?”

    Bart shook his head. “You have to be awake to discover something. It could easily have been Dead Man’s Creek—if you hadn’t —” His voice cracked and he blinked hard a couple of times. I studied the gold in my palm and then carefully tipped the flakes back into my poke to give him a chance to gather his wits.
    â€œJobart’s Creek,” he said after a minute. “What do you think about that for a name, Miss Joselyn Whyte?”
    â€œI think my belly is good and ready for something to eat,” I said, but I couldn’t help smiling. Jobart’s Creek. I liked the sound of it.
    â€œWell, Mr. Bart Ridley, would you care for tea and beans or beans and tea?”
    â€œYes, I would,” Bart said, and the sound of our laughter mixed with the chuckle of Jobart’s Creek.

Author’s Note
    For those interested in learning more about the Cariboo gold rush, a visit to Barkerville during the summer is an invaluable pilgrimage. Astute readers will notice that some of the place names were spelled a little differently in 1862 than they are today.
    Books
    Art Downs,
Wagon Road North: Photographs from 1863 of the Cariboo Gold Rush
, 3rd edition, Heritage House Publishing, 1980.
    Art Downs, ed,.
Pioneer Days in British Columbia
:
Volume One
, Heritage House Publishing, 1991.
    F. W. Howay, et al.,
Cariboo Gold Rush
, Heritage House Publishing, 1994.
    Meredith Bain Woodworth,
Land of Dreams
:
A History in Photographs of the British Columbia Interior
, Altitude Publishing, 1993.
    Richard Thomas Wright,
Barkerville
:
A Gold Rush Experience
, Winter Quarters Press, 1998.
    Websites
    British Columbia Archives
www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca
    Cariboo Gold Rush/Barkerville
www.collections.gc.ca/cariboo/barker
    Historic Barkerville
www.barkerville.ca

Nikki Tate is the author of more than a dozen books for children, including
Jo’s Triumph
. Born in England, Nikki Tate lived in the U.K., Australia and various places in Canada before settling down on a tiny farm on Vancouver Island, where she is surrounded by horses, goats, birds, dogs, cats and koi. When she’s not writing or dreaming up ideas for new books or exploring far-flung corners of the world, Nikki works as a professional storyteller and writing workshop leader.