242 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap, xii 



the room below mine, after we had retired to bed. The 

 floor-boards being thin, every word was audible to us above, 

 and it appeared that the worthy upholder of his country's 

 rights considered that since we had killed one or two sheep 

 before September i, we must be what he called "game 

 hogs " of the worst type, and that as we had apparently come 

 there with the expressed intention of breaking the game 

 laws, we ought to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. 



This kindly disposed person took the trouble to approach 

 me next morning and say that " we had his entire sympathy 

 in our troubles." I could not resist saying that as I had 

 overheard his conversation with the Marshal during the 

 night, I thought his present statement might be taken cunt 

 grano salts. 



Early next morning we started to walk along the beach 

 to Kenai, a distance of some twelve miles, our warder saying 

 he would follow close behind. However, as we got away 

 with a slight start and were all in pretty hard condition, we 

 soon walked clean away from him, as he was no match for us 

 at that game. Here an amusing incident happened. Half- 

 way between Kussiloff and Kenai lies a native settlement, 

 and on reaching this the Marshal evidently imagined we 

 were trying to give him the slip. He hastened to the 

 settlement and commandeered a bidarki with two natives 

 to take up the pursuit by water. I saw the whole affair from 

 about a mile and a half ahead of him. I told Little and Glyn 

 to step out, and we fairly " foot slogged it " along the shore. 

 A river lay between us and Kenai,. but we were fortunate 

 enough to find an old boat hauled up on our bank. Launch- 

 ing this, we pulled across the river, and reached the village 

 of Kenai about five minutes ahead of our custodian, who 

 came puffing up after us evidently furious at having been left 



