io 4 THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



running with speed down the ridge disappeared in the 

 timber. Once before, in Mexico, I had seen a similar 

 action on the part of a grizzly bear when it crossed the 

 fresh trail of a man, and it was extremely interesting 

 thus to witness a second case. Selous, still looking for 

 the bear, had passed out of sight along the ridge. When 

 the bear began to run, I immediately crossed the river, 

 and, in my efforts to hurry in the direction it had taken, 

 almost bogged myself in a slough. I could not find a 

 trace of it and returned. Selous came in later, after we 

 had made camp, thoroughly perplexed at not having 

 seen the bear at all. Though an excellent stalk was 

 frustrated by such bad luck, the sight of game was stimu- 

 lating and made us eager to advance, particularly since 

 our goal was then not very far ahead. 



September 6. We had undertaken to go up the North 

 Branch without any knowledge of the country, so it was 

 necessary for us to explore for a goood place to find 

 game. The next day was the most trying one of our 

 trip up the North Branch It was cold, cloudy, windy, 

 and wintry. The river was narrower and more tortuous ; 

 its banks were continually lined with driftwood and bor- 

 dered by ice ; the current was swifter, and often the water 

 was so shallow that we had difficulty in towing the canoes 

 without unloading them. Until late in the afternoon we 

 worked while hands, legs, and feet were numb with cold. 

 At a point where the river bends to the north and finds 

 its course between high mountain ranges, not far below 

 Husky Dog Creek, we decided to stop and make a recon- 

 naissance with a view to locating a camp at timber-line, 



