9 o CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



a quarter of a mile of camp we met the pack train, 

 loaded and coming down the creek, as they were 

 changing camp to a place on the St. Clair. We had 

 not dined since 5 A.M., and we did what ravenously 

 hungry out-of-door men would do under like circum- 

 stances; that is to say, we held up the animals with 

 the kitchen outfit and grub that had been prepared 

 for supper. Bruce Fisher the cook was very good 

 about the " hold up "; instead of objecting, he will- 

 ingly unloaded pots and kettles and dishes, built a 

 fire in the rocks, boiled tea, fried steaks, and brought 

 out an untouched pan of macaroni and cheese which 

 he had baked for the evening meal. When we had 

 cleaned up all the grub in sight, Bruce commenced 

 to grin and said : " What's the matter with you 

 fellows? You act like grub has been scarce in 

 your country." We told Bruce that, " We had 

 plenty of makings, but no cook, but instead we had a 

 fine horse wrangler and a tanner." 



Quite contented, we helped Fisher wash up the 

 dishes and pack the kitchen animals, after which we 

 all traveled down the creek to the St. Clair, and 

 went up-stream five miles and camped in the timber 

 with the snow peaks at our back. Beside our camp 

 ran a beautiful clear creek of ice water, in which 

 Wolcott and the writer performed the ancient and 

 almost forgotten ceremony of taking a bath which 

 stands as a record for speed. During the evening 

 we sat around the fire and listened to the account of 



