CHAPTER XIII 



ON THE HOMEWARD TRAIL 



When the excitement caused by the recent great trials 

 had subsided, and the great town of Kenai had once more 

 assumed its normal state, the question arose as to how the 

 time should be spent whilst waiting for the steamer Bertha, 

 which was due at Saldovia on October 21. As it still 

 wanted a fortnight to that date, I was sorely tempted to try a 

 short trip up the Kenai River in the hopes of getting one 

 more good moose. My natives w^ere loath to undertake the 

 task, saying that the period was too short to allow of our 

 reaching a decent bit of country, and then spending any time 

 in it, since all our time would be occupied in getting up and 

 down the river. It was with a sore heart that I finally 

 abandoned the idea, particularly as it had now begun to 

 snow slightly, and, with sharp frosts every night, the natives 

 declared it to be just the time to " catch 'um big-horn moose," 

 if we had only been left in peace in the forest. The only 

 amusement remaining was to walk along some of the marshes 

 near the river on the chance of getting a few geese, ducks, 

 or snipe with the gun. Although the two first-named kinds 

 were very numerous, and kept passaging south by day and 

 night in great flocks, only a few of these flocks came low 

 enough to give the chance of a shot at them. Occasionally 



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