OUR ALASKAN EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



All 



high, moss covered plain, from which, 

 sonic distance ahead of us, rose the hi 



seza range in full view. It was a grand 

 sight. These mountains arc not high but 



we could see the shapely peaks from head 

 to foot. They appeared as if the Creator 

 had CUt their base perfectly smooth and had 

 then set them down on top of the rear edge 

 of this level plain; covering them with tee 

 and snow to gradually melt and nourish 

 the mosses and grasses of this vast plateau. 



The country was covered with spongy 

 moss but otherwise the travelling was fair 

 and we made good time. Five ptarmigan 

 lost their heads, that afternoon, so we were 

 not yet on the verge of starvation. We 

 would have had quite a feast but had no 

 fuel with which to cook our birds. We 

 camped in the only timber in sight, a small 

 patch of willows, 12 to 18 inches high. 



We managed to make tea, but the birds 

 only turned white on the surface, from the 

 heat of the water in the frying pan and then 

 the fire of twigs went out; so we drank tea 

 and ate raw birds, dividing with our faith- 

 ful dogs. 



After supper, the sun being about half 

 an hour high, I took my glasses and went 

 to the top of a little knoll, about a "quarter 

 of a mile distant, and looked the country 

 over, -hoping I might be able to sight game, 

 or possibly some small timber ahead of us. 

 Dennis picked up his gun and went with 

 me. After scanning the country in every 

 direction and failing to locate anything of 

 special interest, I was about to return to 

 camp, when Dennis started on, saying he 

 was going farther to see if he could not 

 find game. I insisted on his returning with 

 me; for I thought any effort on his part, 

 so late in the evening, must be futile. Be- 

 sides, I had determined to retire early and 

 to be off early the next morning. 



We were now practically without food, 

 and 5 days hard travel from our base of sup- 

 plies; but we had made this trip for the 

 purpose of getting specimens and I was 

 determined to continue farther into the 

 mountains, the next day, food or no food. 

 Dennis was bent on making a short hunt 

 and I finally told him to go. Then I re- 

 turned to camp. 



It was long after dark when he returned, 

 and Ed and I had almost given him up for 

 the night. We had been busy almost 3 

 hours, gathering little branches of willows 

 and bunches of dry moss to keep a blaze 

 going, that Dennis might be able to locate 

 us; for the country for miles about was all 

 alike. At last we saw the outlines of his 

 form, looming up in the twilight. Dennis 

 came swinging into camp, with a long easy 

 stride, seeming not in the least tired. 



I asked what he had found: 



" Well," he said, " me find wood." 



" How much wood? " 



" Plenty." 



"What kind?" 



Pine, cedar." 

 •■ What els. 

 ■• Water." 



" Much water? " 

 '• Yes, plenty." 

 " See any j^a 1 J j ■ 



'• Ves." 



"What kind?" 

 " Sheep." 

 Dennis, you don't mean it. You're ly- 

 ing to me." 

 " No; me no lie. Me find sheep." 

 " How many?" 



"Three." 



" I )id you get a shot? " 



" Yes, me get shot." 



" Did you hit any? " 



" Yes, one." 



" Now Dennis I know you're lying." 



" No; me no lie. Ale kill one sheep." 



Thus he told in his stoical, indifferent 

 fashion, that he had found a canyon filled 

 with wood; that he had killed a sheep which 

 had rolled down into the canyon and that 

 our day of deliverance was at hand. 



He told of his success as coolly and as 

 laconically as he would have reported a 

 failure. 



Neither Ed nor I believed the story, for 

 we thought it too good to be true. Still I 

 prepared a little toddy — the last we had — 

 and gave it to Dennis. 



We were up early the next morning and 

 without breakfast, even tea, we took our 

 packs and started for the canyon, Dennis 

 leading the way. After a tramp of about 3 

 miles and when I was becoming still more 

 sceptical, we suddenly came upon the very 

 brink of a deep, square cut canyon, that 

 led from one of the glaciers, back in the 

 mountains, down through this high table 

 land. 



Passing down the side of the canyon for 

 some distance, we came upon fairly fresh 

 sheep tracks, and later on the tracks made 

 by Dennis the evening before. A little 

 farther on Dennis pointed down the side 

 of the canyon wall, and, sure enough, there 

 lay the sheep he had killed. It had rolled 

 down about 300 feet and lodged between 2 

 rocks. 



Leaving our packs we descended, by very 

 careful work, to where the carcass lay. 

 While we were at work securing the head 

 and the meat a rain set in; and when we un- 

 dertook to climb out. with our loads, the 

 steep, rocky wall had become so slippery 

 it required our best effort to gain the top. 

 When we finally did so we felt greatly re- 

 lieved. 



Only a short distance farther we found a 

 small clump of stunted pines, growing on a 

 little bench just under a hill, and within a 

 few feet of a small stream, which came from 

 a field of snow farther up. Here we pitched 

 camp and prepared to make a hunt. We 

 levelled off a small patch of ground on 

 which to sleep, and stretching our 8 x 10 fly, 



