HOMEWARD BOUND 



were not favorable, so we passed it up. Near 

 Shorty's, when we were about to recross the Ni- 

 zina, a young miner walked up, carrying rubber 

 wading boots, saying he intended to ford the 

 stream. But it looked so dangerous that we in- 

 vited him to climb on one of the horses behind 

 the pack, which he gladly did. When in the 

 middle of one of the worst channels his horse 

 lost its footing and went down. The young 

 miner went into the stream feet first and half 

 swam and half floundered down to my horse, 

 which he grabbed with much vigor. He climbed 

 on behind me, and Belle, my good saddle horse 

 that had been so faithful on my entire trip, 

 pulled us both ashore, much to my comfort of 

 mind. He was a 200-pounder, and I 170, which, 

 together with my gun and other belongings 

 brought the combined weight that Belle carried 

 in that roaring torrent to about 400 pounds. 

 We reached McCarthy in a rainstorm at 4 

 p. m., September 17th, after an absence of thirty- 

 nine days. An epitome of the time consumed on 

 the entire trip is: Denver to Alaska and return, 

 sixty-nine days; actual hunting, twenty days; 

 on way from McCarthy to farthest camp and 

 return, fourteen days; laid up for rain and lost 

 horses, five days. On our total trip we traveled 

 7,200 miles, including pack travel, at a cost of 

 about ^7,200 — ?i,8oo for each person, or $1.00 

 a mile. For four persons, and with such a splen- 

 did and complete outfit as Cap Hubrick gave us, 



195 



