FOREST AND STREAM. 
vvtit ±i, 1899, 
lawi^ ^tid 
Winning Alaska Trophies. — 11. 
{Concluded from fage 288.) 
I NOW decided to get two good white men and one 
strong Indian, and go up the Sheep River country after 
bear, moose, and caribou. This was a hard proposition 
even to think of, as the name of Sheep River struck ter- 
ror in the hearts of every one who knew of that treacher- 
ous stream. I talked the matter over with my esteemed 
friend. Dr. J. H. Gunning, vice-president of the Alaska 
Gold Syndicate Co., and one who loves to see every 
one make a grand success of what they undertake. He 
picked out twa of his best men, tendered me the use ot 
■the strongest boat on the Alaskan shore, and told me 
where I might get an Indian who was noted for his skill 
with a boat and also as a daring hunter. I had quite a 
hard task to prevail on the Indian to accompany me, 
as he did not like the country I proposed going into. 
Yet sufficient "filthy lucre" and the promise of a beau- 
tiful rifle had the desired effect, and when I got all of 
my other preparations made, the Indian was ready. 
The two white men who were to accompany me were 
men of powerful build and thoroughly acquainted with 
boating and all kinds of hardships. They were nati\e- 
born Russian Finlanders, who could endure cold and 
hunger to the last degree. While getting ready we were 
constantly reminded of the great dangers ahead of us 
and were told of the number of 
people who had tried to get up 
this river; but all had failed in 
the attempt. Just a few weeks 
before a party of twelve powerful 
men, all experts in boating, had 
endeavored to ascend this tor- 
tuous stream, but they had got 
up only a short distance when 
their boats were turned over and 
their grub, tools and guns were 
scattered along the bottom of the 
stream. The water in this river 
comes from three large glaciers, 
and consequently is very cold 
and of an amber color, and it 
averages from 3 to 40ft. deep. I 
provided our boat with a quan- 
tity of strong, light rope, and be- 
fore starting saw that every arti- 
cle was securely lashed to the bot- 
tom and sides. Our food was oi 
the plainest kind, principally 
beans, flour and coffee. The bed- 
ding was also of the lightest 
kind. Our wearing apparel was 
such that we were ready at a mo- 
ment's notice to plunge into the 
icy waters and save our boat, 
as well as our own lives. 
I will not attempt here to de- 
scribe the different adventures 
and incidents which occurred go- 
ing up this river, but suflice to 
say we worked our way up 
through the treacherous quick- 
sands, snags, and sharp project- 
ing rocks, which were ever 
ready to gore our little craft to 
pieces, and then the roaring rap- 
ids plunging down over the 
rugged boulders was enough to 
make the stoutest heart shudder. 
The Indian and one of my men 
seemed to weaken at this point, 
and it was only through a strong 
threat of using my little rifle that 
I cptnpelled them to continue. I 
remained in the boat myself and 
kept her bow straight against the 
torrent, while the men on either 
side pulled on the long rope 
which I cast out to them. After 
crossing these rapids I had no 
more trouble with any of the 
men, as they seemed to have im- 
plicit confidence in what I told them and readily obeyed. 
On the fifth day we reached the glaciers which are 
the source of the river; and what a sight here met the 
eye. I have seen the Horse Shoe Falls on the St. Johns, 
in Canada, the Niagara, and numerous other cataracts, 
but this, to my mind, was far more wonderful than any 
of them. The great high mountains on either side, like 
two giant arms, hold in their embrace that frozen body 
of crystal water, while the walls of the glacier itself were 
like great crystal planes, studded with immense stalac- 
tites. In places I walked for hundreds of yards on solid 
floors of ice; then suddenly came perpendicular walls; 
and in other places sharp pinnacles, like the spires of a 
thousand churches. The raging waters came leaping 
down from ledge to ledge, and formed into pools of jboil- 
ing foam; then suddenly a large floe of ice would come 
crashing down, and the foaming waters in those icy 
basins would leap hundreds of feet in the air. I sat for 
hours watching these scenes, and thought of the im- 
mensity of nature; I had never realized it in all of its 
majestic grandeur before. I climbed from ledge to ledge, 
higher and higher along the mountain side, until I gor 
to one of the highest points, and from here took ob- 
servations of the surrounding country. To the north 
nothing could be seen but icy peaks raising up their 
shiny heads as far as the eye could reach. To the east 
and west were large bodies of water and rough, broken 
ground. To the south I saw a tract of apparently level 
ground, which looked like a great natural park, I should 
judge about thirty miles wide and forty miles- long. 
There was a large lake on the west side, and a small 
one on the east. I returned to camp and determined to 
visit this natural park and see what it was like. On my 
way down the mountain I saw a small object about 700 
or 800yds distant, and as I got closer I saw it was a bird 
of some kind. I walked within looyds of it and placed a 
bullet in my rifle. At the first shot I cut a feather at the 
tip of the wing. To my astonishment the bird rose and 
flew toward me, I now saw that it was a very peculiar 
kind of bird, and for fear that it might get away I slipped 
in another small shell, and this time the ball went through 
its breast. I picked it up, but could not find where the 
ball had struck it, the feathers were so thick; and it 
seemed to have two coats of feathers, besides a very 
heavy covering of down. I finally found where the ball 
struck, and while it made quite a hole, which is "not at 
all discernible from the outside. The bird is a little 
larger than a pigeon; web-fooled, with short legs, point- 
ed beak, head and breast of a creamy golden tinge, wings 
a dark slate color, and extremely long and pointed, two 
black tail feathers about i8in. long. What is it?* When 
I got down to camp the boys had a good fire and plenty 
of dry logs for the night, and Nascelice (the IndianJ 
had run up on the mountain side and got us a nice 
sheep; so there was no danger of starving while we had 
plenty of mutton in camp. The next day was Sunday, 
and I made it a rule, no matter where I was or what the 
circumstances, that there should not be a semblance of 
work done on that day. This may seem strange for a 
hunter, and a great many may scorn the idea, but it is 
my rule, both in business and pleasure, and I have never 
yet lost anything by it. 
Monday morning we all awoke bright and early, rested 
and refreshed, and ready for the toils of the week. I no- 
ticed a large body of very peculiar-looking earth pro- 
jecting out in the river. We worked our way down to 
it. I told one of the men to take the frying-pan along, as 
I had an idea that it was quartz. We took a panful of 
I 
ALASKAN CARIBOU HEAD SECURED BY MR. HARRY E. 
The horns have 57 points. 
the mouldering formation and cleaned it out until we 
could see square flakes of yellow metal. I crushed some 
of them under my teeth, and as they were soft and pli- 
able I knew at once that it was the real thing. I located 
this body of ground, and also seven other places of a 
similar formation, and I expect to open, them up my- 
self; and if- they prove good, all right, and if not no one 
else will have anything to lose; but I am not afraid to 
risk a few thousand on it. I had no idea of finding gold 
when I went to Alaska. I went up strictly to get some 
specimens of large game, and was in no way prepared 
when I discovered those ledges. But as fortune has 
favored me in that respect, I do not propose to throw 
away the opportunity. 
We now decided to go down and see what this level 
country was that I had seen from the mountain, and after 
two days' hard work we got into the park. In some 
places the soil was very rich and there was a heavy 
growth of red-top grass 3 and 4ft high, with spreading 
shade trees scattered around. A little further on we 
came to a high rolling country. The high ridges were 
covered with short grass and moss, while the valleys 
were about knee deep in a coarse, heavy grass. Pure, 
perpetual springs of the best water ever tasted were bub- 
bling up from the hillsides and winding their way down 
the valleys to the lake. I think I never saw a better pas- 
ture for cattle, horses, or sheep. I found here the wild 
strawberries, the salmon-berry, black and red currants in 
profusion, and the finest red raspberries I ever tasted, 
while the hillsides were literally covered with huckle- 
berries. The air was very pure and quite warm. The 
trees were principally spruce, quaking-asp and birch. 
We made camp near a beautiful little stream, and while 
two of the men were getting things fixed for the night 
the Indian and myself shouldered our rifles and started 
[* Prob.ibly a skua, one of the piratical gulls.] 
pilt for some fresh meat, since our larder was very low 
in that respect. The Indian went in one direction, while 
i went in another. 1 saw several signs of bear and 
moose, but as had never bunted any of those animals 
before, I hardly knew what I should do if one made his 
appearance, and since the stories I had heard of them 
were anything but pleasant, I hardly knew whether ! 
wanted to tackle one by myself or not. These reflections 
were soon brought to a state of reality, for right before 
me stood a large moose, not 200yds distant. He scentel 
me the same instant I saw him, and as he started off on 
a swinging trot, I took a flying shot at him, and the ball 
struck a little below the ear. If a cannon ball had hit 
him he could not have dropped more quickly. I did 
not have a hunting knife with me and bad to return to 
camp and get the men to skin him. When I got there 
the Indian had returned and looked quite crestfallen, as 
there had been no signs of game where he had been, and 
the other men looked anything but pleasant, for to be 
without meat with us meant a great deal, as that was 
all we had now to live on. Of course they did not think 
that I had seen anything, as they supposed if I had I 
would have come in all excited and wild with joy. In- 
stead, I walked in as cool and sober as if I had not seen 
a thing. I sat there for some time and heard them 
making remarks about fresh meat, etc., and how they 
would like to have some. Finally I told them to get 
their knives and come along, and I would show them all 
the meat they could eat for a week. Every face bright- 
ened up at once, and with light steps they followed to 
where the monster lay. The Indian looked him all over. 
expecting to find a dozen or more 
shots in him. When he found 
the one little trickle of blood he 
looked completely beat. He had 
- 1 just told me that morning that 
I my gun "good for ducks an:l 
j sheep, but no good for bear and 
moose." We soon got the skin 
i ofli and the choicest part of the 
meat ready to return to camp. 
J How we did enjoy baked heart 
I and tenderloin that night, while 
I the great skin, thrown fleshy side 
1 down oyer some spruce feathers, 
made a bed fit for kings to rest 
\ on. 
J At 4 o'clock next morning we 
\ were on our way to look itp griz- 
zly, as the signs were quite plen- 
tiful around where I had killed 
the moose. The sun was just 
tinting the liilltops when we dis- 
covered two large objects on the 
side of a hill. On close inspec- 
tion we could see that they were 
bear, and genuine grizzlies at that. 
Gentlemen, this was game, and 
we were "up against it." The 
ground was clear and open, and 
not a tree of any description 
within miles; and to tackle those 
two hungry-looking monsters on 
their own stamping ground was 
rather a delicate undertaking. 
However, it had to be done. Our 
Russian friend kept well in the 
rear, as he was not at all anxious 
to meet the enemy. The Indian 
acted as though he had not lost 
any grizzlies just at present, an.l 
I confess that I have been _ in 
more pleasant positions in my life. 
The closer we approached to 
, them the quicker our hearts 
bumped against our breasts. The 
bears were browsing on huckle- 
berries, and every few moments 
would rise on their hind feet and 
sniff the air. We kept out ol 
their sight and worked our way 
up to about 500yds, Here the 
Indian began to unrobe and di- 
vested himself of every garment 
that would hinder locomotion. 
His shoes and socks were taken 
off and his trousers rolled above 
his knees. I looked well to my rifle, as in it was my sole 
dependence, and on my coolness and accuracy depended 
my life. The Russian and the Indian got quite nervous. 
It was plain that neither of them could be depended on. 
We were now within 200yds and had a full view of the 
bears The Indian made signs to me to shoot the large 
one and to aim at the shoulder. I did as instructed, andr 
he and the Russian were to take the smaller one. I 
dropped On one knee and aimed behind the foreleg. At 
the signal we all fired. The bear I shot at raised up 
with a terrible roar and grabbed at his side with a paw 
and then dropped on his haunches. I supposed he was 
done for and began shooting at the other one as he wa? 
starting to run, but in a second both of them were up 
and started off as though they had never been touched. 
They must have run two miles before they fell. Had 
they seen us before we shot, our lives might have paid 
for our daring; but we took them with such surprise that 
they did not think of anything except getting away. 
Our next bear was alone, feeding on berries, as the 
others had been. I told my men I wanted to tackle him 
by myself, and that I was going to shoot him in the 
head. The Indian objected to this very seriously, and 
in his own language told us he had shot one in the head 
seven times, but had not killed him. I thought of the 
moose I had just killed, and as he had dropped so sud- 
denly with one shot in the head, I believed a bear could 
be killed in a similar manner if hit in the proper place. 
I got the wind in my favor and worked my way through 
the short brush until I gained the hill where the bear was 
feeding. As I raised my head above the hill he saw me. 
I saw he was anxious for blood, and with a roar that 
was terrible he came towards me. _ I kept perfectly cool 
until he got within lOoyds. I raised the little rifle to 
shoulder and took careful aim at the broad head. The 
ball went straight to the .mark, and as it crashed through 
his brain he fell with a heavy thud and I could hear his 
LEE. 
