THE FINAL STALK 79 



gather the traps and make local sketches. Rungius 

 sketched the heads of my sheep in the flesh, after which 

 I prepared them and spent the time arranging and drying 

 them. The fourth day I went down the creek and up 

 the branch that enters below the forks, on the chance 

 of finding a bear, but saw nothing, and returned after 

 an interesting tramp among the mountains. 



August 7 was spent in breaking camp, shoeing the 

 horses, and making up the packs. Osgood had collected 

 one hundred and ten specimens of small mammals and 

 birds, besides the larger game. We slept for the last 

 time in that delightful camp, and the next morning 

 packed and started. The return was rapid as compared 

 with the trip up river. It was all down grade ; we knew 

 the route; the trail had been cut; the loads were lighter, 

 only that of the caribou horns being bulky and awkward. 

 There were numerous salmon in the river; bear tracks, 

 those of the black bear only, were more plentiful, and a 

 few fresh moose tracks were seen. On the afternoon of 

 August 1 1 we reached the Yukon River. 



Long before leaving Coal Creek a steamer whistle re- 

 minded us of civilization. Our exact travelling time from 

 camp at the head of Coal Creek to the Yukon River, de- 

 ducting all stops of over five minutes, was twenty-one 

 hours and four minutes. We forded Coal Creek fifty- 

 eight times. While in the hunting country it had rained 

 eight days, but only twice did fog and rain prevent rea- 

 sonable hunting. Twenty-seven days were clear, and at 

 no time was there a very strong wind. 



A steamer was being loaded with coal at the chutes, 



