244 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap. 



behind. However, he could say nothing except that we 

 were all very fine walkers, and in this we were able to agree 

 with him. 



The first man we met was Hanbury, and Glyn soon gave 

 him details of the case. Hearing that Lord Elphinstone 

 and Mr. P. B. Vander Byl were also in the village, having 

 just returned from hunting together near Kenai Lake, I 

 walked across to their house and detailed to them our latest 

 adventures. They had done very well on their trip, getting 

 a complement of sheep and moose, and also two or three 

 black bears, in about five weeks' hunting. 



They rejoiced rather at the prospect of our forthcoming 

 trial as something to relieve the monotony of life at Kenai 

 whilst waiting for the steamer to take them out of Cook's 

 Inlet. 



Our next visit was to the house of Mr. G. Mearns, who 

 is the local magnate of Kenai, and a thorough American 

 gentleman in every sense of the word. He holds the 

 position of local postmaster, and is also a notary public. 

 He manages a big store at Kenai belonging to Mr. Wether- 

 bee, and is altogether the man to make friends with on 

 arrival in that village. He kindly gave us the use of an 

 empty cabin, in which Glyn, Hanbury, Little, and myself 

 took up our headquarters. 



We soon learnt that the local Judge or Deputy Com- 

 missioner from Sunrise was also in Kenai, waiting to try 

 our party of malefactors. Everything, as it appeared, had 

 been arranged between him and the Marshal before our 

 arrest. Thinking to gain some enlightenment on the knotty 

 points of American law, we strolled across to interview the 

 Judge, only to find that he was hopelessly mixed on the 

 subject of the game laws. He admitted that this would 



