Yukon Cafe

This is Boomtown's most popular bar. In fact, it is Boomtown's only bar, and as such it is usually packed with the cream of local society: cutthroats, claim-jumpers and confidence men. The appeal is clearly not the decor -- the bar consists of a long plank placed over two barrels. A few barrels, surrounded by wooden stools, are what the management calls tables.

The bartender stands behind the bar, polishing a glass.

Old Pete is sitting at a table, nursing a drink. Sitting on the table is:
A grimy note

>SIT
(on the chair)
You are now sitting on the chair.

>ORDER A DRINK
You have purchased a drink for $1.

The bartender slaps down a thick glass filled with a brown, fulminating liquid that you take to be the local aperitif. A drop of the drink spatters on the table, and you could swear that smoke rises from the spot where it hit.

A rat scurries across the floor and up onto your table, and begins to gnaw at the note.

>TAKE THE NOTE
The rat stops chomping on the note long enough to chomp on your finger. You hastily pull your hand away, and Old Pete begins to laugh so hard you're afraid he's going to have a stroke.

"You ought to be on the TV," he howls.

>PETE, GO AWAY
"I don't wanna."

>EXAMINE FINGER
There is a small cut on the tip of your index finger but, hey, real miners don't care about pain.

"Well, ain't you gonna read me that thar note?" Old Pete asks.

>POUR DRINK ON RAT
With a piercing shriek, the rat drops the note, scurries down the table, and, after weaving drunkenly around the floor for a few minutes, ducks into a tiny hole in the wall.

"That rat ain't never been able to hold his liquor," says Pete.

>SHWO PETE THE NOTE
I don't know the word "shwo".

>SHOW PETE THE NOTE
(taking the grimy note first) "Heck, I ain't never learned to read," he says. "You best read it to me."

>READ IT TO PETE
The note was written with a blunt pencil and is so badly smudged and gnawed that you can barely read it. "There's GOLD in the abandoned shaft of the Blue Ridge mine, down past the...." After much squinting, you manage to make out one more word. Could it be -- danger! The rest of the message is totally illegible.

Pete's rheumy eyes glisten with a light you have no trouble identifying as greed. "Doggone! I knewed thar was gold in that thar mine! I know 'zactly where the Blue Ridge is, too! Wha' say we buy us some supplies and head out thar?"

>NORTH
"Hey! Jes' war you goin? We in this together? Yes or no."

>YES
"Tha's what I like to hear!" Pete shouts. Pete jumps to his feet with surprising agility and heads out of the bar.

>E
You'd better get off the chair first.

>STAND
You are now standing.

>N
Prospector's Row

This is the middle of Prospector's Row, which continues to the east and west. To the north is Bud's Burros and Mining Supplies.

There is a stick here.

Old Pete is here, heading north.

>N
Bud's Burros and Mining Supplies

This is the town's general store, a dirty room divided by a long wooden counter, run by Bud Aku, a short nonentity who likes to wear Hawaiian shirts. Picks, axes, lanterns and other mining paraphernalia lie strewn about. The room has a strong smell that you can't quite identify. Could be mules. Could be Bud.

On the counter are:
A price list
A scale

Bud Aku himself stands behind the counter.

Old Pete is here.

>BUD, GIVE ME THE SCALE
"If I did that, I'd be outa business," Bud says.

>I
You are holding:
A grimy note

In your pocket there is:
$12 in cash money
A small chunk of rock
"Well, le's get them supplies for out gold mi... uh, for our vacation," Pete says, winking ostentatiously in your direction.

>READ LIST
BUD'S BURROS PRICE LIST
lantern - $8
jar of kerosene - $4
axe - $10
length of string - $5
burro (rental) - $25
carrot - $1

>BUY LANTERN AND KEROSENE AND AXE
lantern: You have purchased a lantern for $8.
jar of kerosene: You have purchased a jar of kerosene for $4.
axe: "You know we don't give credit," Bud says.

>LOOK IN POCKET
In your pocket you find a small chunk of rock.

>TAKE ROCK
Taken.

>EXAMINE IT
It is a nugget of gold-colored rock.

>GIVE BUD THE ROCK

"Hmm... let's just see," Bud says. He hefts the small chunk of rock, bites on it, sniffs it, tests it with acid, then finally puts it on the scale.

"Fifty bucks," he says. "Deal?"

>BUD, YES
Bud hands you $50.

>GIVE LANTERN TO BUD
"Hmm... let's just see, "Bud says. He hefts the lantern, bites on it, sniffs it, tests it with acid, then finally puts it on the scale.

"Nope," he says, "no gold content." He hands you back the lantern.

>BUY AXE AND STRING AND CARROT. RENT BURRO. S
axe: You have purchased an axe for $10.
length of string: You have purchased a length of string for $5.
carrot: You have purchased a carrot for $1.

You have rented a burro for $25. Bud yells to someone to get the burrow
out front.

Prospector's Row

There is a large, sleepy burrow here, his head facing east.

There is a stick here.

>I
You are carrying:
An axe
A length of string
A carrot
A lantern
A jar of kerosene
In your pocket is:
$9 in cash money

>TAKE STICK
Taken.

>GET ON BURRO
You are now on the burro.

>E
The burrow swats idly at a fly with his tail.

>KICK BURRO
You should be ashamed of yourself!

>HIT BURRO
What do you want to hit the burro with?

>THE STICK
The burro snorts once or twice, but is otherwise unmoved by your unwarranted act of cruelty.

>SHOW BURRO CARROT
The burro shakes of his lethargy and moves toward the carrot, but you manage to pull it out of reach. After a few seconds, the burro seems to have forgotten entirely about the carrot and once more seems to be asleep on his feet.

>TIE STRING TO CARROT. TIE STRING TO STICK. DANGLE CARROT IN FRONT OF BURRO.
The string is tied to the carrot.

The string is tied to the stick.

The burro, smelling the carrot, seems to wake. He takes a step toward the carrot, but is surprised to see that the carrot moves forward. He takes another step, then another... You're moving!