MOUNTAIN TRAILS AND TRAVEL 235 



stood, for, while not complicated when for many a man is a good hunter that 

 illustrated, even an accurate descrip- could not pick his way without a great 

 tion is apt to leave the uninitiated as deal of discomfort through a piece of 

 much in the dark as ever. Let it be country strange to him, with a pack- 

 enough to say, then, that it is put on train trailing at his heels. A good 

 in such a way that the rope binds the guide like an artist is born, not made, 

 whole pack securely to the horse by He must be one who notices everything 

 means of a cinch. about him and be able from what he 



Thus the horses are packed, one by sees to draw conclusions quickly and 



one, and the pile that at first looked correctly; he must be, as well, one 



so formidable, evaporates, until, when whose "bump of locality" is well de- 



the diamond is thrown on the last veloped ; he must be a good judge of 



horse, there is nothing left, and all that distance, and must know exactly how 



remains to be done is to tighten the much a horse is capable of doing, but, 



cinchas of the riding saddles before most important of all, he must have 



"hitting the trail." that instinct which leads him aright, 



'The proof of the pudding is in the even when reason seems to point the 



eating," and the same way the test of other way. Such men are not common, 



the packing is found in the way the and when met with are almost imme- 



packs ride on the trail, for if they are diately recognized, 



continually slipping sideways, or com- While the pack-train is in motion 



ing loose, one can hardly say that they the actual work, which only amounts 



are well put on, although it is seldom to driving the pack horses, devolves 



that a five or six hour drive can be upon the packer or packers, and the 



made without at least one or two need- cook, and it is much more unpleasant 



ing attention, and if the trail is espe- than fatiguing. With the average lot 



cially rough or muddy, it is surprising of cayuses the man that can drive a 



how quickly a pack, which one would pack-train without swearing ought to be 



think that nothing short of an earth- ready for Heaven, for, to put it mildly, 



quake could move, can be shifted or it does not improve one's temper to 



worked loose by the animal under it. see a horse suddenly dodge into the 



This was brought home to me very brush and attempt, with more or less 



forcibly on one trip. We had been in success, to buck his pack off, or, slip- 



the north country for about three ping off the trail into a river, swim 



months, and were returning from the across and stand quietly on the other 



headwaters of the Frazer by way of side, so that some one has to take a 



the Canoe and Columbia river valleys, wetting and swim across after him to 



The country is heavily timbered, and bring him back. Perhaps the most ex- 



this, added to a very wet season, had asperating of all is to have him fight 



made the trail simply one long mud- the other horses off the trail until he 



hole. The trip was a sort of nightmare obtains the lead, where he stands out 



of water, mud and packing, as with an of reach of quirt or stick, quietly eat- 



outfit of twenty-six horses it was sel- ing green grass, while the names he is 



dom that at least one was not mired, favored with roll off him like water 



when he had to be unpacked, rolled out off a duck's back. 



and repacked, only to make room for One horse which we once had with 



another. us seemed to have a great fondness for 



It is while an outfit is traveling that water, and if there were a stream or 



a man proves himself worthy or tin- lake anywhere near the trail he would 



worthy the name of guide. That he be in it, in spite of the most strenuous 



can take an outfit over a trail with efforts of everybody on the outfit. He 



which he is thoroughly familiar, or that gave his best performance one day 



he is a good hunter, proves nothing, when we were traveling along the 



