PLATEAU MOUNTAIN 141 



far from the river because they had to kill game near 

 enough to bring it to a raft which they had constructed for 

 the purpose of holding the meat and floating it to Dawson. 



September 27. Early in the morning, while it still 

 continued to rain, I went out to call before breakfast, 

 but unsuccessfully. The rain continued all day. After 

 the swift current of the North Fork, that of the main 

 river seemed very tame, but to float with it was fascinating 

 just the same. The canoes glided along easily, as we 

 continually watched ahead eagerly, anticipating a sight of 

 game when rounding the curves, each of which brought 

 a new stretch of the river into view. In the middle of the 

 afternoon, Coghlan saw a calf moose trotting on a bar 

 and called our attention to it. I landed shortly after it 

 went into the woods, and going around in a circle to get a 

 favorable wind, advanced in its direction. Selous entered 

 the woods a short distance below. Before going far I 

 heard sticks cracking and sounds that indicated the 

 mother and calf were trotting away, hence I returned to 

 the canoe and proceeded down river. Louis, who was 

 alone, went into the woods, as he told me afterwards, and 

 saw the bull running about the cow and playing with 

 her, while the calf stood at one side. Selous was in an- 

 other direction, and the animals had run off before he 

 returned. Had I known better the habits of the moose 

 at that season, the bull might have been killed. 



Shortly after, as we were gliding around a sharp curve, 

 looking back, I saw a black bear emerge from the alders 

 and walk toward the bank of the river. The boat was 

 quickly turned toward shore, but it was too late, the strong 



