ioo THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



through the moss and soft ground to the roots of the 

 spruce trees. These trails are well-defined routes of 

 moose travel, and though intersected by others which 

 are less deeply worn, they parallel all the rivers and often 

 the smaller streams. The country was completely cov- 

 ered with timber and very broken, the slopes of the 

 ridges often very steep ; and numerous brooks rising from 

 springs or small lakes farther back fell through small 

 canons. There was little sign of game outside of the 

 moose trails; birds were very scarce, but rabbits and 

 red squirrels abundant. Such is the character of the coun- 

 try between the forks until well up the river near the 

 mountain ranges. 



Returning I found a cheerful camp-fire, and after 

 gorging with meat, we chatted awhile before sleeping. 

 Suddenly, a short wailing cry sounded from the dark 

 woods not far distant. It was made by the calf, and we 

 both felt glad that it was old enough to take care of itself, 

 after the loss of its mother. We did not hear it again, 

 and slept in the cold, crisp air under the shining stars. 



September 3. The next day was one of continuous 

 towing in shallow water against a swifter current; the 

 driftwood increasing; the river curving more frequently. 

 At one point, near a high escarped bank, where the river 

 bends sharply to the south, we found a large beaver dam, 

 constructed across the mouth of a creek-channel, made 

 by the escape of a small volume of water around a bar 

 some distance above. Behind it were acres of water 

 flooding willows, alders, and poplars, and not far back 

 a family of beavers occupied a large house in three or 



