THE LONG TRAIL 



as any that could be imagined. Nothing 

 but father's indomitable spirit brought 

 him through. He was not to be downed 

 by anything, although he knew well that 

 the chances were against his coming out. 

 He made up his mind that as long as he 

 could, he would go along, but that once 

 he could no longer travel, and held up the 

 expedition, he would arrange for us to go 

 on without him. Of course he did not at 

 the time tell us this, but he reasoned that 

 with our very limited supply of provisions, 

 and the impossibility of living on the 

 country, if the expedition halted it would 

 not only be of no avail as far as he was 

 concerned, but the chances would be 

 strongly in favor of no one coming 

 through. With it all he was invariably 

 cheerful, and in the blackest times ever 

 ready with a joke. Sick as he was, he 

 gave no one any trouble. He vr ould walk 



78 



