THE TRIP UP ROSS RIVER 261 



Jefferies to bring my rifle, but it was too late. Before 

 he could act the bear turned and two bounds carried him 

 into the woods. I found his trail as it emerged from the 

 fringe of woods bordering a swamp. It showed that he 

 had continued to run. That was the last grizzly I saw in 

 the Yukon Territory. The experience reminded me of 

 other chances lost, for there is no doubt whatever that the 

 noise of poling and tracking as we ascended the river had 

 frightened off several bears which I might have shot, had 

 I been walking quietly a sufficient distance ahead. 



It had been a cold, bleak day with a strong head-wind 

 against us, and the night before snow had fallen on the 

 mountains. After reaching the lake, we paddled against 

 a head-wind to the upper end and found the old cabin 

 that had been occupied by Lewis. Immediately after 

 unloading the canoe, we set the net and returned to await 

 results. After two hours we visited it and found it empty. 

 We slept under the stars, hoping to appease our hunger in 

 the morning. 



August 28. It was very cold that night and in the 

 morning the robe was white with frost. Finding a large 

 pike and two large white fish in the net, we ate a hearty 

 breakfast. No fish of the fresh water is more delicious 

 than the white fish of subarctic lakes and rivers. Hard, 

 very fat, of delicious flavor, one large fish will provide two 

 hearty meals. The pike is almost as good. 



By the course of the Ross, Lewis Lake is one hundred 

 and one miles from the Pelly. Our canoe was about 

 twenty-one feet long and weighed a hundred and fifty 

 pounds. Until the last day it had carried a load of about 



