216 THE UPPER YUKON 



a roaring body of water was forcing its way 

 through a canyon to the river itself. We had 

 to pass through a wide clump of willow brush. 

 With our eyes fastened on the mountains 

 ahead of us, it was little wonder that, when a 

 magnificent black fox jumped up and loped 

 away in front of us into another bunch of wil- 

 lows, the Chief saw him not at all. While I 

 did see him, and that very plainly, I was not 

 quick enough with the rifle to get a shot, al- 

 though I had already set the trigger and had 

 put the rifle to shoulder before he disappeared. 



The Chief asked what I had aimed at, and 

 when told of the fox, he seemed to give it little 

 credence. But suddenly the fox appeared 

 again. For a second he was once more in 

 sight, and both rifles were brought to shoul- 

 der. Yet again he was too quick for us, al- 

 though we had a splendid view of him.. His 

 skin was jet black, and as glossy as satin. The 

 Chief was much disturbed because the fox had 

 gotten away, as he said his pelt would easily 

 bring sixteen hundred dollars. 



Previous to this I had personally seen three 

 silver foxes, two young fellows and one full 

 grown, which the Chief said if trapped in the 

 late fall would average eight hundred dollars 

 apiece. That black fox will have many traps 



