22 
Yukon Notes. 
From the 7th to the 17th of November, 1897, McKercher 
and I occupied a cabin at Fort Selkirk, and busied our- 
selves searching for two of the lost boats which still re- 
mained to be accounted for. Mr. Pitts gave us the use of 
the best cabin at the post, which was provided with a 
good cast iron cook stove, and he would accept no rent in 
return. Knowing the great scarcity of food in Dawson, 
the agent anticipated a great' rush of refugees out on the 
ice as soon as' the Y ukon closed, and he stipulated that 
.when this occurred, if we were still at Selkirk, we should 
exchange our cabin for a smaller one, then used as a 
storehouse. 
Mr. Pitts also stipulated that we should provide our 
own firewood. Firewood is .scarce around Fort Selkirk, 
and is best secured in the summer time by rafting it down 
from the islands above. In winter one has to go a mile or 
more to get anything at all, and the best wood is not found 
short of a distance of two miles. 
Mac and I took turns getting the wood. We laid 
out a snowslioe trail with easy curves and the b^st obtain- 
able grades across the plateau back of the post to the 
nearest spruce forest. All the dead wood near the out- 
skirts had been cut, and Ave had to go into the timber a 
considerable distance before we found anything fit to 
burn. A little clump of dead pines, 6in. in diameter and 
.^oft. or so in height, was a bonanza. The wood was 
resinous,- and though it burned quickly, it made an ele- 
gant hot fire wliile it lasted. 
Our time was chiefly occupied in the searcb for the lost 
boats. We traveled up river and down for miles, and 
spent much time fruitles.sly in running to ground rumors 
originated by enterprising Indians. 
We had posted a reward of $25 for information which 
vvould lead to the recovery of the boats, and while none 
of the Indians really took the trouble to look for them, 
all were perfectly ready to earn tbe $25, provided they 
could do so witliout inconvenience to themselves. It may 
liave been that they relied on second sight, or that their 
medicine man went into trances to locate the whereabouts 
of the boats, or it may have been simply that the wily tan 
or black brothers hoped, by a lucky gamble, to guess the 
information that would bring them the silver. Be that as it 
may. the Indians were prolific in furnishing positive evi- 
dence that co.st us much trouble and loss of patience to in- 
vestigate and prove false. 
On one occasion we beat a snow^shoe trail and hauled a 
boat on" a sled three miles through the woods to reach a 
point up river opposite an island, on which an Indian 
was positive be had seen white men in the act of removing 
supplies from one of our boats. There hadn't been enough 
new snow to obliterate man's footprints, and we were able 
to prove the Indian, an unmitigated liar. Afterward, when 
this same gentleman came to our cabin with his hand on 
his stomach and the "no-muck muck-'fraid-poor-Indian- 
die" story on his lips, Ave experienced less regret than 
usual in refusing food. 
Like other aborigines, these Selkirk Indians are thor- 
oughly unrehable. They are not as j^et, however, affected 
to any great extent with the vices of the outside world. 
Some of the Indians have more wives than is considered 
proper in the best circles, and their code of morals as 
regards the sexes is about as low as one might expect, 
but we saAV no very flagrant cases of immorality, and still 
more remarkable, avc never saAv a drunken Indian. We 
once saAv whisky offered to Indians, but no one of them 
bit at the bait. Instead, the spokesman shook his head 
and said, "No good for Indian." Several years ago there 
Avas a Church of England missionary at this place, and the 
refusal, no doubt, was a result of his teaching. It is sad to 
contemplate the almost inevitable certainty that his work 
A\dll be undone. There are practically no restrictions on 
the liquor traffic in the unorganized northwest territories 
of Canada, and the time has come when the man who 
has Avhisky to sell will set to work to cultivate in the In- 
dians the taste for it. 
Frozen Patches on a Leaky Boat. 
The day after our arrival at Selkirk was memorable for 
an experience with robbers. Mac and I went up to the 
cache at Wolverine Creek and packed the articles we had 
left there in the boat we had saved from the ice jam 
with a view of conveying the things to Selkirk and also at 
the same time making a closer examination of some of 
the river bars on which it seemed the lost boats might 
have stranded. 
Before launching the boat we took an axe and chopped 
off a portion of the thick ice with which the bottom was 
covered. In doing this a miss stroke was made and the 
axe cut clear through the canvas coA-ering of the boat 
beloAV the Avater line. We looked at the boat and then at 
each other. It was a slow job patching by the usual 
process, for it involved building a fire to thaw out the 
canvas so that an awl or needle Avould go through, and the 
thing had to be done just right or there would be trouble. 
Finally Mac brightened. "Hoav Avould it do to freeze 
a patch on it?" he suggested. The idea would have 
been ridiculous anywhere else than on the Yukon. 1 here 
it was the acme of good logic. The tem]>erature of the 
water was beloAV the freezing point, and objects immersed 
collected ice in a way diametrically opposed to facts as 
commonly observed. 
The outside of the boat was loo rough with ice sphnters 
to apply the patch, so it had to be put on the inside, where 
tbe pressure of the water would have all the greater 
chance to displace it. We were confident, however, that 
our plan was a good one. . , , , - 
The patch was pressed close agamst tbe cut and held m 
position by two wooden splints inserted behind the longi- 
tudinal ribs, and a dash of Avater thrown against it served 
to seal the edges. When the boat Avas' launched a cover- 
ing of ice formed instantly on the outer side, and the 
patch required no further attention. 
There was much less ice in the nver than for several 
d'lys past and it seemed the crudest irony of fate that Ave 
could not take advantage of the opportunity to contmue 
our trip down the river. , ^ ^, . v t 
We were of course, unaware of the fact that the Yukon 
was then closed &t Dawson, and that the ianimed ice was 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
backing up toward us at the rate of twenty miles a day, 
A xake of ice, floating unimpeded with the current, will 
run five or six times that far in a day. This means that 
it takes on an average five or six cakes of 2oin. ice piled on 
top of each other, or pushed up on edge out of the water 
to form a barrier capable of holding back the rush of ice 
above. No wonder when the river stops its surface is 
a jagged panoply of broken stratas, and that the walking 
is the worst that weary man ever dragged his bones OA'er. 
Cofd-Blooded Robfcers. 
We pushed off with Mac at the oars, and aided by the 
setting pole with which T was provided, were able to work 
our way laboriously among the ice cakes. The current 
hurried us along and in an hour and a half from, the time 
of starting we came in sight of the network of bars, on 
one of which we had left the boat recovered the day be- 
fore. Ju.st then an Indian appeared on the shore waving 
his arms excitedly, lie called out something in which we 
caught the words, "white men" and "steal," and following 
the direction of his gesture we saw. with a sudden sink- 
ing of the heart, that this time there was no guesswork 
about the information. A large boat was drawn up in a 
little cove just below the point, and near by was our boat. 
Several men could be seen carrying bundles on their 
shoulders to the large boat, and it required no second 
glance to tell us wc were being robbed. 
As the quickest way of reaching the si)ot, avc ran our 
boat up on the nearest bar, and I waded across to the 
cove Avbere the strange boat Avas. The men did not seem 
at all ashamed to'be caught red banded, and I have no 
dottbt their easy assurance was strengthened by the fact 
that there AA'ere four of them, each provided with a re- 
volver of heavy caliber. Avhile we Avere unarmed. 
They said they had fomid tbe provisions and proposed 
to keep them, and that might made right. The things in 
the boat were worth a good many hundred dollars, as 
prices ran on the Yukon la.st winter, and the thieves knew 
the booty was worth fighting for. 
I told "them the boat contained e\ cry pound of provisions 
AVC had in the world, and that if they took the food we 
should starve. "Starve and be danmed," was the reply. 
Under the circiunstances it wasn't worth while to Avaste 
tmie arguing with words. Guns had the call in the game, 
and no other argument remained. I turned abruptly. 
Avaded ashore Avithout interference, and set off on the run 
for our cabin. There I knew I could find an argument 
that would match theirs. 
When I struck the snowslioe trail used by the Indians 
hauling wood, 1 looked back and saw that the men Avere 
tracking their boat up against tbe current in an effort to 
get her around the bars and into the main channel of 
the river. I felt sure they could not succeed against the 
downpouring flood of ice, and if they failed I should have 
no difficulty in heading them oft" when they ^ittempted to 
pass Fort Selkirk in tbe inner channel, which was scarcely 
more than looft. wide, and ran close in under the bank. 
When I reached the cabin I began searching for Mac's 
rifle, but to my dismay I could not find it. 1 kicked over 
the few articles of furniture which the rOoili contained, 
scattered the bedding and upset the provision sacks, but 
nowhere could 1 find the gun. Kiuidly, liy the merest ac- 
cident. I kicked the baseboard at one side of the cabin; 
it fell forward, and there was the rifle where Mac bad 
hidden it for fear the Indians would steal it. 
I caught up the gun with a handful of cartridges, dashed 
out the door and up the trail. Thfc boat had not yet 
passed — that much w^a certain. 
Our Argument Prevails. 
It Avas late In the day and fast growing dark, and no 
doubt the robbers had' come to the conclusion that it 
would be .safest to wait till after nightfall to pass the 
collection of cabins they could sec on the liank lielow. 
Fortune favored us in more way.'! than one. When I 
got back to the cove the party had separated, and only two 
Avere in the boat. The others had iirobably gone ashore 
for a reconnoissance. The men in tlie boat were looking 
out in the river intently watching Mac, who was workmg 
his way toward ihevn in the eddy of a sand bar. If the 
thing had been planned it couldn't have been better ar- 
ranged, and 1 had no dilficulty in Avading o«t and getting 
tbe drop, on the men. . r 
I was so angry with liultled up indignation 1 could 
scarcely speak, but I managed to impress upon the mtn 
the neccs,sity of sitting .still. I wanted in the Avorst kind 
of a way an excuse for sliooling, but they offered no re- 
sistance. They sat there with their bands on their knees 
looking straight ahead like graven images, ^wd they did 
not even open their lips. 
Back on tlu- Skagway trail the subject ol punishment 
to be meted out to thieves had often been discussed, and 
the inajoritv of men who expressed an opinion had said 
they would' shoot in their tracks any one caught tamper- 
ing with their supplies. I had never been able to agree 
Avith this view of the catie, for robbery seemed a trivial 
offense compared with a human life. Now I realized that 
circumstances altei^. cases. • , , 
Here were four strong, able-bodied men with plenty ot 
provisions of their own turning to and without the 
slightest compunction robbing two poor devils ot their a 1. 
The meanness of the thing svas galling, and particularly 
so seeing it was our ox that was gored. • 
Mac came over and Ijegan taking out ot the boat the 
things bearing our names. It occurred lo me that the 
other men might return and Dot us in the back, and after 
that I kept one eye on the shore. We were not molested, 
however, in the work, and Mac had gotten everytlnng 
safely ashore and piled up on the bank before we sighted 
them coming back. , , , , , 
These men were much more voluble than the otliers 
When they discovered the turn affairs had taken, hell 
broke loo.se in the torrent of profanity that fell from 
their lips They swore at first more at the men in the 
boat than us, Avanting to l<nQAy AV%1iTe3« had let the thmgs 
be taken from them. , , , , 
Their partners replied-.V&fy meekly that tiny were not 
responsible— that a man was holding a gun on them at 
that moment and that they Avere in peril of their lives. 
The newcomers looked over at me, and realizing that at 
any but the very shortest ranges a rifle is a more con- 
clusive argument than a pistol, they waded out and got m 
their boat. As they pushed off into the darkness they 
IJan. 14, 1899, 
called back : "Wait till we catch you down the river. A 
man that's had the drop on him never forgets." 
"Yes, you'll be glad to see us," said Mac. nonchalantlj\ 
"Dawson's a hot place for thieves, and when we meet 
again it'll be at a necktie party organized for your benefit. 
Man ! man !• Ye'U make a lovely picture treading in the 
air." 
Other Robberies, 
Our experience was nothing out of the common. We 
heard of half a dozen Avholesale robberies, of which the 
following are samples : Three stowaways on the Rosalie 
who were put to shoveling coal to pay their passage fronx 
Alask.-i to Seattle had gone in over Chilcoot a short time 
before with unusually complete outfits. They left their 
cabin unguarded while on a trip up to Juneau, and on 
their return found the place gutted and not an article of 
the slightest value left behind. 
Just before we started from Bennett we saw a good deal 
of a Hudson's Bay^ man named Cameron. Cameron had 
earned an outfit which included a year's supply of provi- 
sions by the hardest kind of work packing on his back, and 
earning by his great strength and endurance as high as 
$25 a day. 
When we came out we ran across Cameron at Sheep 
Camp, I told him I thought he was in Dawson City. "I 
should have been," said the poor fellow, "for I was ready 
to start before you were, but ju.st as I had everything 
cached at Lake Bennett somebody come along in the 
night and stole the entire outfit. Here I am stranded 
at the start, as you might say, Avith nothing to shoAv for a 
year's work but a lame back and a broken constitution." 
J. B. BURNHAM. 
Belvidere. 
All summer long the spell of the mountains had been 
growing stronger upon us, until at last we could no longer 
resist their invitation to climb. The decisive moment 
came one evening while the Professor and the Lawyer 
were seated on the A'eranda of our little boarding house, in 
that reminiscent and imaginati\'e frame of mind produced 
by a good dinner. The conversation turned on mountain 
climbing, and naturally, for green summits lay all about 
us, conspicuous in the clear Vermont air. The Lawyer 
had recently "done" a few minor peaks in Switzerland 
and the Tyrol, and several months of constant devotion 
to the laAV had filled him Avith a desire for loftier things 
once more. It was he Avho remarked at length, "Why not 
try one of these peaks?" And truly, Avhy not? The Pro- 
fessor was at once seized with the spirit of adventure, and 
by the time I appeared the project had taken such definite 
shape that they Avere already at work making out a list of 
the necessaries for a two days' trip, including a night on 
the mountain. For even the peak had been selected. Al- 
most directly to the north of the little lake, by whose 
shores we were, and within easy driving distance, Belvi- 
dere lifted his graceful head, not so high as Mansfield, to 
the south, or Jay Peak, still further north, bvit a mountain 
more symmetrical and more beautiful of outline than 
either. Comparative obscurity added to his charm, for we 
knew that we should haA^e him entirely to ourselves. 
It Avas our plan to drive to the foot of the mountain, 
leave our team, and spend the night upon the summit, re- 
turning the next dajr. The Professor at once sallied forth 
to engage a satisfactory vehicle, while the Lawyer and I, 
by the aid of our list, collected the necessary "duffle" in 
preparation for an early start. We tried to exclude all 
but the essentials, and even then we found that Ave had 
«an average of some 2olbs. to the man. The evening passed 
merrily amid these preparations, and after making some 
arrangements with the cook about the important item of 
provisions we retired early. 
The sun rose clear on the following day, and oifr team 
Avas early at the door. After a substantial breakfast it 
required bu-t a few moments to stow our chattels and our- 
selves in the roomy buggy and to drive away amid many 
good-byes and much waving of handkerchiefs. Vermont 
is not an easy country for a horse, especially if he has to 
draw three fairly heavy men, and ours, though a willing 
animal, was soon inclined to take matters easily. In this 
Ave humored him, for we were in no hurry, and we would 
descend two at a time on almost every hill, thus lightening 
his load and at the same time stretching our own legs a 
bit. 
We had started for the mountain with no informa- 
tion as to how we might reach the summit, but this un- 
certainty only added to our pleasure. We enjoyed inquir- 
ing our' Avay" to the top of Belvidcre. A mountain, like 
most important things in this world, possesses what may be 
called circles of influence, and it is one of the interesting 
things about such a trip as ours to note the gradual but 
inevitable way in Avhich the information about one's ob- 
jective point converges upon tlrat point as one approaches 
nearer and nearer. The first village at which we stopped Avas 
clearly in the outermost circle. Two of the three men whom 
we questioned knew nothing about the mountain, although it 
was in plain sight ; a third kncAv only that it could be ap- 
proached from the village of Eden Mills. And so for a 
time we ceased asking about the mountain and inquired 
the liest road to Eden Mills. Another five miles and Ave 
met a man who had heard that the mountain could be 
climbed, and shortly afterward a second, who had heard 
Avhere the path could be found. We Avere evidently get- 
ting "warm." Finally, not far from Eden, we fell in with 
a man who had actually climbed tbe mountain. "Oh, yes,"' 
said he, switching the flies from his horse as he spoke, 
"there is a sorter path part of the way, but it's a pretty 
stiff climb. The best Avay to go is by Tucker's Mill, out 
beyond Eden; and say — when you get up there. I'd like 
to have you look at that spring on the top and tell me' 
the reason of it. I don't see boAV Avater can floAV out of 
the top of a mountain like that." We promised, and 
moved on our Avay rejoicing. 
For some time the peak< itself had been bidden 
by intervening spurs, but after mounting a tremen- 
dous hill a mile or tAVO from Eden it loomed sud- 
denly on our view Avith the little village nestling apparent- 
ly at its very base. Though five or six miles away, the 
mountain seenied so near that a drive of fifteen minutes 
would take us to it; but a number of steep hills had to 
be surmounted first — for Vermont roads have a habit of 
o-oing over instead of around the hills — and the fifteen 
mimites Avere stretched into a full hour before Ave reached 
