i 4 4 CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



our glasses early and late. Bones left us after 

 lunch, taking back all the horses and promising to 

 return for us five days later. As we had brought 

 no tent, we selected a large spruce tree, whose lower 

 branches we stripped on one side; then cut smaller 

 spruce trees, the ends of which we rested on the 

 lateral branches of the big tree about five feet up 

 the trunk, and this furnished us with a brush shelter 

 for the night. 



Early afternoon found us on the ridge, walking 

 along the edge and searching with our glasses the 

 snow-covered valley below. As the timber was 

 quite thick in the valley we were obliged to travel 

 many miles along the ridge in order to make a care- 

 ful examination. Finally a dark shape was seen 

 moving through the timber, and it was some time 

 before we had a clear view of the head, but our 

 examination disclosed the animal to be a cow moose, 

 which we did not want. Across the snow fields on 

 the tundra the setting sun blazed its dazzling path, 

 leading across valley, mountain, and icy peaks, past 

 towering Mt. Natazhat, until it sank into the sea 

 of peaks to the westward. Immediately the snow 

 fields were faintly tinted with lavender, deepening 

 to light purple, while the mountain fronts shadowed 

 violet as the night crept up from the already dark- 

 ened valleys. We stayed out until dark without 

 seeing any further game, and then returned to our 

 brush camp for supper. 



