30 CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



dary of the mosquito country, as we immediately 

 encountered a heavy advance guard and met rein- 

 forcements with every mile we progressed. 



Along the wagon tracks we saw many gophers, 

 which are quite like the Western prairie dogs and 

 are quite edible, hut we were unable to secure any 

 of them for supper as they would invariably totter 

 into their burrows when shot, unless they were in- 

 stantly killed. The gopher really leads a life of 

 unusual hazard in this country as they are much 

 sought after by the Indians, who use their skins for 

 blankets and their flesh for food, and when they are 

 not being hunted by the natives they are hunted by 

 the grizzly bears, that tear up the ground in digging 

 the gopher from the burrow. Our luck was bet- 

 ter with the birds, as Wolcott and Hoyt with their 

 .22 rifles succeeded in adding prairie chicken and 

 partridge to our provender. 



About five o'clock it began to get cold, and in an 

 hour the mosquitoes had gone to whatever place the 

 persistent pests go to get warm. The horses were 

 going slowly and stopping frequently, so we decided 

 to camp by the roadside about 7.30, and hobbled the 

 horses and turned them loose for the night. After 

 supper we sat about the fire and watched a wonder- 

 ful moon rise across the snow-clad mountain peaks 

 cutting the sky. 



August 8 dawned bright and cold with a half an 

 inch of ice on the water buckets and the air as crisp 



