CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 31 



as fresh lettuce. The horses, which we had hob- 

 bled and turned out to feed the night before, were 

 nowhere to be seen, and there was not even a sus- 

 picion of a tinkle in the frosty air from the bells tied 

 about their necks, so we started to track them, and 

 found they had only rambled about four miles on 

 the back track. These horses are really wonders 

 when it comes to traveling at the wrong time; in 

 spite of having their front feet hobbled close to- 

 gether, when the wild impulse strikes they start out 

 jumping, kangaroo fashion, covering distance at a 

 rapid pace. In spite of our late start we made good 

 time on the road with not many hills, and about 6 

 P.M. descended the long sand-hill and came to Cham- 

 pagne Landing at the bend of the Dezadeash River. 

 This place is rather interesting, as a man named 

 " Shorty " Chambers, inspired by a belief in the de- 

 velopment of mining in this part of the country, has 

 built a large cabin for himself with many bunks for 

 prospective travelers, besides a fine large log barn for 

 his own horses and the horses of others. And while 

 he waits for the country to grow he hauls provisions 

 and general supplies of all kinds from White Horse, 

 which he places in a store building, also of logs, and 

 these supplies he trades and sells to the Indians for 

 furs. The Indians have built many winter cabins 

 of logs along the river front, and " Shorty " does a 

 very large fur business at an excellent profit with his 

 native customers. His place looks like a very up-to- 



