212 THE UPPER YUKON 



we know, no artist has seen or sketched it; no 

 photographer with proper equipment has ever 

 snapped it. Its glories must lie hidden and 

 unknown until some wandering Oliver Gold- 

 smith or some future Sir Joshua Reynolds 

 shall find this treasure trove, and describe it 

 in book form or picture it on canvas. 



Finally the river broadened out to a mile 

 in width, and the trail led to the other side. 

 Willow brush became plentiful. Some dis- 

 tance farther on the trail led through a small 

 forest of Jack pines. Here were seen many 

 bear trails, fresh diggings, and evidences that 

 one or more grizzlies had been there that very 

 forenoon. The wind being with us would ac- 

 count for their disappearance. 



Our two guides had been for many days 

 discussing the good points of their horses, 

 Charley and Mac. The discussions were 

 principally about their speed. Incidentally 

 I learned that on this route was a place where 

 the river bed for four miles was level enough 

 to serve as a place for racing horses, that the 

 bottom was fairly clear of gopher holes 

 (which are an ever-present danger in any 

 horse racing in this section of country), and 

 that this would be the place to settle all dis- 

 putes about the speed of the two animals. 



