In wilderness work there are three ways of 

 packing — horse, dog, and man packing. 



PACKING Before the novice begins his first 

 HORSES trip with a pack train, he should 

 make himself familiar with one or two variations of 

 the hitch. This is absolutely necessary. Next, he 

 should make himself familiar with pack-saddles, and 

 their uses, and learn how to "rope-up" packs. All 

 this knowledge can be found in books. The hitches 

 he can practice at home, and in a short time he will 

 think himself capable of packing any animal that lives. 



Then comes the momentous day when the train 

 is driven in to the little frontier town, and our tender- 

 foot, with some "old-timer" to help him, begins to 

 put his "book-larnin' " to practical use. The result 

 is a disappointment so keen that he remembers it 

 with shame for many years. 



In the first place, the remarks of the loungers 

 who have turned out of the frontier bar-rooms to 

 see the sport, are distinctly audible. An old, grizzled 

 hunter turns to his companions, and says ; — "Durned 

 if he aint tyin' a bow-knot" — etc., etc. 



The final outcome is that our novice begins all 

 over again ; but if he perseveres, the time comes at 

 last when his "book-larnin' " proves of use. 



The difficulty is that from Mexico to the Yukon 

 men are packing horses, and it is very seldom that 

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