INTO THE KENAI 205 



made to go bow first and bow first his boat should go — 

 rapids or no rapids. Being a skilful riverman, Ben 

 succeeded where the other guides preferred to use the 

 more conservative fashion. 



On emerging from the river and crossing the shallow 

 bar we hauled up on the beach at the head of Skilak Lake, 

 baled out the water which had come into our boats and 

 cut poles and rigged up tarpaulins as sails. It was half- 

 past four in the afternoon when we were ready to push 

 off again, but the wind, which at first was favorable, 

 soon hauled ahead and we took down the sails and rowed 

 the remaining six miles of our journey. 



The lower lake, as the local inhabitants almost invari- 

 ably called that which is set down on the map as Skilak, 

 is broader but shorter than the Kenai Lake, and is subject 

 to violent wind storms which make it, at times, impassable 

 for small boats. We were anxious to get started on our 

 hunting and therefore pushed off without unnecessary 

 delay and by steady rowing reached Cottonwoods Creek, 

 six miles distant on the other side, at six o'clock. The 

 other three boats, with Tolman's motor-driven dory in 

 the lead, pulling them, passed us before we had arrived 

 at our destination. They were going twice as far down 

 the lake to a cabin at the mouth of King County Creek. 

 I did not have a chance to speak to any of my companions 

 again for a month. 



''Wild Bill" steered the Httle Japanese sealing boat 

 in which he and I crossed the lake, to the mouth of Cotton- 

 woods Creek where Alex had a cabin. The fight, finely 

 modeled craft rowed so much easier than the dory that 

 we arrived about a half hour ahead of the two other 

 men and had a good fire going in the stove when they 

 pulled into the beach. Before turning in for the night 



