224 RECENT HUXTIXG TRIPS. 



after I had skinned it for mounting, and cut off 

 its hind quarters, I carried these down the 

 valley to my last night's sleeping place, where 

 I found Louis waiting for me. He had got a 

 camp kettle full of tea, and some fat meat 

 ready roasted, and after we had made a good 

 meal we started for camp, and got there just 

 after dark. 



During my absence Coghlan had been down 

 to Avhere we had left the canoes at our camp on 

 the river, and had brought back the report that 

 owing to the freezing up of all the creeks 

 running into it the water had got very low, 

 whilst the slack water in the river itself was 

 commencing to freeze. He advised us to give 

 up our hunt at once and make a start for the 

 Yukon, whilst the Macmillan and Pellv Rivers 

 were still open, as otherwise we might run a 

 grave risk of getting frozen in. 



As Coghlan had had several years experience 

 of the Yukon countrj^ we deemed it prudent to 

 take his advice, as to have got frozen in on our 

 journey down the river would have meant the 

 abandonment of our canoes and everything in 



