VII A MOVE TO THE WEST AND BERING SEA 127 



was, just coming off the Dawson trail, he took some food in 

 his hand and started out on the Bennet trail at midnight. 

 Skagway is some forty-three miles from Bennet by this trail, 

 but shortly after 11.30 p.m. the next night he arrived back at 

 the hotel in Skagway, having run to Bennet and back, a 

 distance of eighty-six miles, in 23^ hours. 



His first performance for me was making two round trips 

 in one day over the trail we followed, and each time bringing 

 back a pack not less than 70 lbs, in weight. The total 

 distance was thirty-six miles, and over half of it he carried a 

 heavy pack. My two natives, who were both good packers, 

 were utterly unable to live with him at this job. 



We reached the Bering Sea safely, and camped on the 

 shore of Herendeen Bay. That night, about 11 p.m., I was 

 aroused from sleep by some one shouting at the door of my 

 tent to know if it was inhabited. I replied in appropriate 

 language, saying " Why, certainly," and wanted to know the 

 name of my visitor. He replied that he was Mr. David 

 Barstow, the U.S. Deputy Commissioner in that district, and 

 about the only white man to be found around there during a 

 great part of the year. He added that he had a yacht lying 

 at anchor in the bay, and hoped I would pay him a visit next 

 morning. Now a yacht is hardly the kind of luxury one 

 expects to find in the Bering Sea, and I must confess that I 

 was curious to see what kind of craft they called a yacht in 

 that part of the world. It was with no small surprise, 

 therefore, that on issuing from my tent the next morning 

 I saw a beautiful white schooner of some 25 or 30 tons lying 

 at anchor in the bay. After starting the men off back on the 

 trail, to pack across the remainder of our stores, I took my 

 rifle and strolled along the beach. I was soon sighted from 

 the yacht, and a boat came ashore to take me out to her. My 



