52 CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



experiencing it, but at the moment of writing the 

 perspective is too close to permit appreciation of any 

 element of beauty. 



Late in the afternoon of what has been a really 

 staggering day we passed over the highest ridge of 

 Burwash Pass and approached an oasis of real and 

 solid ground, almost surrounded by morass, in which 

 a pack horse, named " Snorty," completely bogged 

 and fell down; but by working on him, fore and aft, 

 we finally landed him on terra firma, where we went 

 into camp for the night. A thick patch of willows 

 furnished excellent cover for large flocks of Arctic 

 ptarmigan, but Wolcott and Hoyt with .22 calibre 

 rifles killed thirty-six of the birds in a very brief 

 time for supper. There is no grass for horse feed 

 anywhere near us, but these Yukon horses have be- 

 come accustomed to eating willows, upon which they 

 feed like a moose, so we have hobbled and turned 

 them loose in the willow patch, and then rolled our 

 weary bodies in the sleeping robes, thankful for the 

 distance we had covered during the day and hopeful 

 of completing the crossing on the morrow. 



August 16. At four o'clock we were up and pre- 

 pared our simple toilet, which consisted of merely 

 giving ourselves a good shake and adding a sweater 

 to our already clothed backs, for it was freezing cold, 

 even though a bright and cloudless day. After 

 packing the horses we again started across the 

 tundra, following the westward course of Wade 



