TO THE OGILVIE MOUNTAINS. 147 



the Dawson market and bring the carcases in 

 on dog sleighs during the winter, had driven 

 all game far back in this direction, and held 

 out no hopes of success, my time being so very- 

 limited. 



However, any kind of movement, with even 

 the remotest chance of seeing game, was 

 better than the prospect of days of idleness, in 

 a small mining town, so I hired a pack horse 

 and an Indian half-breed, a most excellent 

 fellow, named Inkster, and having bought a 

 few provisions and a sheet of cotton canvas 

 weighing twelve pounds, to protect us from 

 rain, started for the Ogilvie Mountains on the 

 morning of August 10th. 



Of this little trip it is not necessary to say 

 very much. Three days' walking on a trail 

 which was at first fairly good, but towards the 

 end of the second day degenerated into a 

 caribou path leading through very swampy 

 ground, and which we finally lost altogether, 

 brought us to a good-sized stream much 

 swollen by the recent rains. This was Rock 

 Creek, I believe, and it flowed through fine 



