IN THE ALASKA- YUKON GAMELANDS 



flash to my right, and, looking up, was surprised 

 to see a very fair demonstration of the Northern 

 Lights. Apparently it had continued to rain 

 during the night up to a short time previous to 

 my arising, as everything in camp was freshly 

 wet. But now the rain had ceased and it was 

 quite cold for an August night. (When morning 

 broke and the hills were covered with snow, and 

 a slow drizzle was in evidence at camp, I realized 

 that the cessation from rain during the night had 

 probably been of but short duration.) 



While the extravagant color effect described 

 so lavishly by some writers was lacking, yet the 

 form of the lights was clearly visible. They took 

 the shape of wide, filmy ribbons stretched from 

 nearly overhead and radiating downward. The 

 center of the illumination was the north and 

 about midway between the north star and the 

 horizon. In tangent form it spread downward 

 like a great fan to the northeast and the north- 

 west, intermittently changing — disappearing and 

 reappearing — but all in such delicate shades as 

 to be only faintly outlined. There wasn't to be 

 seen a rainbow tint in the whole effect, the colors 

 being of the grayish or misty order. It was the 

 only demonstration of these lights that I was 

 able to witness on the whole trip, they showing 

 more frequently and more brilliantly at other 

 seasons or the year, I am told. 



When morning came and there was no Shorty 

 in camp, all but the sourdoughs felt keen appre- 



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