AN EXCITING TRIP 323 



dred and fifty miles of the river which previously had 

 always been considered impassable. In addition to 

 this, he is building another steamer, and next spring 

 will endeavor to force her through the canyons on the 

 lower part of the river, between Lillooet and the Pete 

 Jaune cache, and if this experiment is successful he will 

 receive much praise, many thanks and lots of money in 

 the shape of fares from a grateful public. 



" Nick " Clark saw that the broken tongue of the 

 stage was liable to cause a day's delay to himself, and 

 the rest of us, so he volunteered to repair the damage, 

 as there were at hand a forge, an anvil and some iron 

 plates and bolts. The work would take a couple of 

 hours, so I started ahead for another long walk. Some 

 seven or eight miles away I sat down to wait on the 

 side of a hill for the stage, when three Chinamen came 

 along and sat down beside me. The younger of 

 the three had a bottle of whiskey with which he made 

 quite free, inviting me to take some. Declining his of- 

 fer with thanks, I asked where they were going. He 

 said : 



" Me takie two Chinamen coast they go home to 

 China they send my boy back here." 



" How old is your boy ? " 



" Him thirteen." 



" Why are these men going home ? " 



"They too old to stay; that man he sixty-seven; 

 other man fifty-five." 



