Grubstake

I've been through hell. The other three are all at work and healthy, getting grub-stake to prospect up White River this winter.

No one however should go to this country intending to mine without taking with him a year's supplies commonly known as a grub stake or its money equivalent about $1,000.

However, each of these words might, on occasion, be used in a different sense, [...], "grub-stake" to denote one's food supply, regardless of how obtained.

The resulting income, the firm hopes, will provide it with the grubstake it needs to move on to the big prize: titanium.

"Nobody grub-stakes me," was the answer. "I stake myself, and when I make a killing it's sure all mine. [...] "