148 THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



bou, but just before reaching camp he had seen a small 

 bull moose high on the mountain-side, but had not 

 attempted to kill it. We knew that the caribou, following 

 their restless habits, had abandoned that locality for awhile 

 at least, and therefore we decided to make for the river and 

 go directly to Selkirk without pausing to hunt any more. 



October I. In the morning we went back to the river 

 and in the afternoon I went two miles below to call, 

 while Selous started in an opposite direction. Both of us 

 were unsuccessful and returned to the cabin. Selous, 

 however, had shot a little brown crane. 



October 2. We paddled down river all the next day 

 until dark, when we made camp. It is worth recording 

 that I saw a ptarmigan on the bank of the river a most un- 

 usual thing even in summer, and especially in fall. I have 

 never before or since seen one so far down in the timber. 



October 3. It was cold, and from that time until we 

 reached Selkirk, the temperature at night must have been 

 at least near zero and at times below. The river was full 

 of slush ice, which somewhat impeded the progress of 

 the canoes, though it was not solid enough to prevent 

 them from easily slipping through. Not long after start- 

 ing, a wolf was seen running along a bar, but it entered 

 the woods before Selous could get a shot. At the foot 

 of the Kalzas Mountain we found the camp of Rungius 

 and Osgood. They had been calling every day without 

 results. It was clear that the frenzy of the rut had 

 passed and most of the bulls were then feeding up near 

 the heads of the draws. After lunching, Selous and I 

 went on, and the others were to join us below at the cabin 



