r84 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap. 



Simeon came to the rescue. He took a long pole, and using 

 it to balance himself like a man on a tight-rope, crossed with 

 ease. He then came back again and said he would carry 

 over one of the packs. As this weighed about 80 lbs., I 

 thought we might as well say good-bye to the tents and 

 everything, but the clever native got first his own, and then 

 Pitka's pack safely across. It was now Pitka's turn, and he 

 scrambled over, falling half into the water on the other side, 

 where Simeon succeeded in pulling him ashore. I knew 

 that I could never do it, but the undefeated Simeon crossed 

 once more, and pointing to his back said, " Me pack you all 

 right." I never believed he could achieve it, but said, " If 

 you will risk your neck to pack me over, I will risk mine 

 and go also." He now had a load of some 185 lbs., but he 

 never put a foot wrong, and got me safely over. I would 

 have given something to have been able to photograph 

 the scene, as it was a remarkably fine performance, and 

 one which I shall ever remember. 



A further tramp of some two miles along the river-bank 

 brought us to a spot where the river rushed through a deep 

 gorge, the precipitous sides of which made it impossible to 

 advance farther, as the natives could not get over the 

 ground with their heavy packs. Here, then, we decided to 

 camp, as from this spot we could reach the glacier and 

 mountains at the head of the stream. There were a number 

 of ewes and lambs visible on the crags far above us on either 

 side of the creek. Whilst the men were pitching camp, I 

 searched carefully every crag and gully of the neighbouring 

 heights with the glasses, and at last spotted one solitary 

 ram. He was standing almost straight above our camp, and 

 fully 1500 feet above us, on a bare crag of rock, perfectly 

 motionless, and apparently had already seen us. To get 



