Part 6 (1/2)
said Rob ”It's cold up in the hills yet, and the snow isn't
This country's just like Alaska in that way”
”That's the way I figure,” said Uncle dick ”I know the regular trail is on this side the Athabasca, but at the sao have a look, anyhow”
Accordingly, they started out fro Mountain, not in the direction of Roche Miette, but departing froles They pulled up at last on the shores of the rushi+ng, le cabin, and near it a solitary and silent Indian What was better, and what caused Uncle dick's face to lighten perceptibly, was a rough home-made bateau of boards which lay fastened at the shore
”How deep?” asked Uncle dick, pointing to the swirling waters, here several hundred yards in width
The Indian grinned andwith his hand at his knees, at his waist, and far above his head
”Swi the horses across Also itthe packs Off with the loads, then, boys, and let's get busy”
The Indian and Uncle dick now exa like five hundred pounds besides twolike three-quarters of a ton in the pack-loads, thisand laughing as usual, proceeded to build a fire and to make a little midday camp, for he knew they would tarry here for soht way first thing,” said he ”Better eat plenty first”
”All right, Moise,” said John; ”I'ht now, and I'll eat any time you say But I think we'd better wait until we see how they come out with the boat”
With the first load of supplies in the skiff, Uncle dick and the Indian had a good stiff pull of it, for the current of the Athabasca here is at least six or eight ed to land nearly opposite the place where they had started
By the time they had returned for the second load all the packs were off and the horses were ready for the crossing Uncle dick thought that it would be best to cross the horses at once, as any mountain stream is lower in the early part of the day than it is insnow is at its height
The boys had often heard of this way of getting a pack-train across a river too deep to ford, and now they were to see it in actual practice The Indian, wading out, showed that there was a shallow hard bar extending so He pushed the boat out so it with an oar thrust into the sand Uncle dick rode his saddle-pony out a little way, and led the white bell- Betsy's rope to the Indian as he sat in the boat Betsy, as eous horse, well used to all the hardshi+ps of iven to sudden frights, but, still, if they see that another horse has gone ahead they nearly alill try to follow All the other horses now stood looking out at Betsy As they did so the others of the party made a sort of rope corral behind thean to shout at the horses and crowd theed and tried to break away, they were afraid of the rope, and, seeing Betsy standing there, one after another they splashed out into the shalloater
Uncle dick sprang on top of his horse, Danny, once more, and headed off those which undertook to co out to the boat, he sprang off nearly waist-deep into the water and cli Danny to take his chances with the others Bothher rope fast to the boat for the tily that they were alth Uncle dick cut off the rope as short as he could and cast everything loose By that tiood-fortune would have it, all the horses were swi the shore on ahead, and not seeing the shore behind, and, s in the boat just ahead, struck out sturdily for the other side
The swift icy current of the Athabasca carried the animals far down-stream, and this time Uncle dick did not try to keep the boat up-strea down It seemed to those left on the hither shore at least half an hour before a call from the other side announced that the boat; but, whether long or short, it certainly was fortunate that the journey had been made so quickly and so safely For now, one after another, they could see the horses splashi+ng and struggling as they found solid footing under them, so what had lately been a procession of heads and ears beca up the bank; and a very cold and htened train of pack-horses they were, too, as Uncle dick could have told his young coreat shout which announced to them that all was safe
After that, of course, it was si over the remainder of the supplies and the others of the party, and of rounding up the scattered horses fro tea before the last trip was made; and by this time the boys realized that at no time in these operations had they been left alone with no one older than themselves to care for them in case of accidents, nor had they been left without supplies close at hand
”You're a pretty goodlog by the fireside before the last trip across the river
”I'ineer as well as a pretty good contractor”
”Nothing venture, nothing have,” said Uncle dick ”You have to use your head on the trail a little bit, as well as your nerve, however
We'd have had to swim the Athabasca anyhow, and I'd about as soon swih et a horse swept under a log-jalad I a?” asked Jesse ”That water looks toofor a couple of days yet, probably,” said Uncle dick ”And as to shooting, you must reauns for us”
”Well,” said Rob, ”I see there's a lake over here called Fish Lake”
”Yes The old traders' trail runs between Fish Lake and Brule Lake, and a great piece of sand it is in there, too--we engineers will have to put blankets on that country to keep it froh But we'll miss all that, and to-morroe'll stop at Swift's place, on the other side of the river”
”Whose place?” asked John ”I didn't know anybody lived in here”