OVER THE ARCTIC MOUNTAINS 217 



two or three hours. I was eager to start at once building 

 a raft but the Indians were slow about it. I had noticed 

 the previous evening that they had been less cheerful 

 than usual and this morning they had been sulky. On 

 arrival at the Bell River they sat down and acted as if 

 they did not know if they would ever stand up again. 

 When I asked them what the trouble was they said they 

 were feeling injured about not getting the same wages 

 as all other packers. Ever since the gold rush (1897-99) 

 there had been a standard wage for this sort of work. 

 Their fathers and uncles and all their friends always 

 used to get four dollars a day, and why could they not 

 get four dollars a day? I reminded them that the wages 

 I offered them had been satisfactory when we talked it 

 over with Firth and pointed out in addition that they 

 were getting thirty-five dollars for the trip which would 

 be more than four dollars a day. They expressed them- 

 selves as very doubtful as to whether thirty-five dollars 

 was more than four dollars a day and said that, as they 

 had worked hard for me and faithfully, they did not see 

 why they should not get the same wages as everybody 

 else. 



We haggled about this for an hour but I was unable 

 to make it clear to them that thirty-five dollars is more 

 than four dollars a day for six days. Accordingly, I 

 agreed that I would pay them four dollars a day. The 

 arrangement had been that I would give the Indians a 

 letter to take back to Firth, certifying that they had 

 performed their task properly, whereupon he was to give 

 each of them thirty-five dollars. I now wrote Firth, 

 explaining that they were dissatisfied with thirty-five 

 dollars and wanted instead four dollars a day. I said 



