126 THE BED MOUNTAIN OF ALASKA. 
land dialect is not known ; but certain it is that Solomon 
was down-east " in every shrewd twinkle of his eye and 
intonation of his voice. This, with the fact that he was 
a dead shot, and immensely powerful in his arms, is all 
we need to know at present of Solomon Baronov. We 
shall be better acquainted with him by and by. Getting 
wind of the lieutenant's expedition, he had petitioned at 
once to join it, on small pay, as general hunter and guide. 
At the present moment he was sw^inging along at an 
easy gait, behind the Indians, smoking a well blackened 
briar-wood as he walked. 
A small schooner had been chartered, and lay at the 
wharf in waiting for her passengers and freight. These 
were soon on board, sails were hoisted, and the Walrus 
began to plough the waters of the sound. Sitka was 
left behind, Mt. Edgecumbe passed, and the prow of the 
schooner turned northward. 
The short voyage was without special incident, and 
early on the morning of the fourth day, Saturday, the 
Walrus let go her anchor in Chilkoot Inlet. 
Canoes — and the schooner's boat — were now taken 
to the extreme head of the inlet, an all-day's hard pull. 
At noon the party stopped for lunch under some large 
cedars near the shore. Grass grew on all sides shoulder- 
high ; enormous dandelions, buttercups, and violets dotted 
the moist banks, while briars and berry vines, covered 
with snowy blossoms, grew in rank profusion over boul- 
der and fallen trunk. 
