i 3 4 CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



observe how it would work out, we decided to try 

 once. Across the river from our camp was a 

 timber-covered plateau, rising three hundred feet 

 above the river and extending back a mile and a 

 half with an upward slope to the top of the ridge 

 which was the end of the timber. Six miles down 

 the valley the river bends to the west, and the dis- 

 tance between the river and the ridge narrows down 

 to about three hundred yards. 



The plan was for Dixon with two others to ride 

 across the plateau to the top of the ridge at timber 

 line ; Jim Baker, with a tolling bell tied to his horse, 

 was to go to a point half way between the top of 

 the ridge and the river bank; Albert was to take his 

 stand on the edge of the plateau just above the river 

 bottom; the hunters were to be placed six miles 

 down the valley at the point marked o o o, where 

 the ridge approached the river. We started with 

 Jack Hayden, who had misunderstood Dixon's di- 

 rections and placed us at x x x, where the plateau 

 was a mile and a half wide instead of only three 

 hundred yards wide, where we should have taken 

 our stand. 



The stage being all set, we heard a distant rifle 

 shot as signal, and at once, where Dixon and Albert 

 were posted on the flanks of the plateau, a standing 

 dead tree flamed to the heavens and then began to 

 srnoke, while Jim Baker began to ignite trees in 

 between the flanks held by Dixon and Albert. 



