REMINISCENCES TICKS BIRDS 



their horses, build log barns and huts for beasts and 

 people, live upon fish from the streams, moose, caribou, 

 and deer meat plus the provisions they had brought, and 

 during the winter notice the best land to pre-empt under 

 the British Columbia Homestead law in the spring. 



The grass growing upon the meadows was utterly 

 unfitted to support animal life; they looked it all over, 

 and their dogs raced it all over, and my second hope of 

 bear vanished into thin air. I said to the elder man: 



"Pardon my curiosity, but it seems strange to me that 

 you should come to this place the first of October, a mile 

 above sea-level, expecting to build homes and winter 

 your people and horses here." 



He named a man, a lifelong friend, who had told 

 him the land there was the choicest, abundant forage 

 growing wild, and that it was easy to live upon the game 

 abounding in forest and stream. 



"Why bring these women?" 



"They wanted to come." ^^< 



"Why bring these girls to be immured in small cabins \ 

 seven months, with the snow seven feet deep; boys might K 

 get out and disport themselves and relieve the mma 

 the cabins but girls?" 



"Wall, mister, perhaps you think you could follow 

 them girls on snow-shoes; I'd like to see you try." 



"Radishes and lettuce are the only vegetables you 

 can grow here, and timothy the only crop raisable." 



"Yes, yes. I am greatly disappointed. I came on a 

 false scent, and nothing to do but clear out of here. The 

 man who sent me here knows good farm land, and he said 

 he'd been here; he lied, evidently." 



"Were you not well located before?" 



77 



