Off at 7.30 and made seventy-five miles, most of the way 
in the face of a blinding snowstorm, followed by rain and 
hail. How Shake steered at all, surpasses my comprehension. 
Fortunately, however, we reached better water by dusk, and, 
all being cold and wet, we decided to keep on after dark, 
endeavoring to reach an abandoned post of the Canadian 
Mounted Police, on the Alaskan boundary, where we could 
at least have a dry camp. Made this post at 9.30, the In¬ 
dians so thoroughly played out that they took but a cup 
of tea before turning in. 
Having no change of clothes, and being in moccasins, I 
A VERY TRYING STROKE 
was forced to sit up for a while; drying some of my raiment 
for the morrow. Also cooked myself a steak, having had no 
lunch when the others stopped at noon, since I preferred to 
spend the time at a fire, in the tent of a wood-chopper. 
Oct. 18th The morning began with rain,—-but it cleared by 11 o’clock, 
affording an enjoyable end to our trip down river. 
Landed at Wrangle about 2.30 this afternoon. Had the 
canoe cleared, all the heads put in bond for Victoria, and 
took lodging at the Wrangle Hotel, where we enjoyed the 
luxury of our first good hot bath in weeks. 
A party of sixteen boundary-surveyors, engaged in mark- 
[222] 
