Part 7 (1/2)
”Well, maybe 'tis, et the railroad across it wouldn't be any farther than it hen I punched a pack-horse up froton Which way you headed?”
”Clear across to the Pacific,” said Rob, nonchalantly ”We live at Valdez, in Alaska, and that's a week's sail from Seattle We crossed the Peace River summit last year--”
”You did? Now you don't tell me that!”
”Yes, sir, and Moise here ith us And this year we're going across the Yellowhead and down the Fraser to the Tete Jaune Cache, and fro down the Canoe River to the Columbia, and down the Columbia River to the railroad, and then west to the coast It's easy enough” And Rob spoke rather proudly, perhaps just a little boastfully
The old man shook his head from side to side ”Well, I want to know!”
said he ”If I didn't know this gentleineers I'd say you boys was either crazy or lying to et you through So you're going over to the old Tee-John, are you? I knoell”
”And we hope to see the old Boat Encampment on the Columbia where the Saskatchewan trail ca for his map
”I knoell,” said the old ood luck to you, and I wish I was going through; but I'll see ye up in Alasky in a couple of years, when this here railroad gets through I got to stay here and tend to arden and farm and my town lots for a while yit”
The old reat deal of pride his little fields and his systeh mill which he had made with no tools but a saw and an ax ”I used to pack in flour from Edmonton, three hundred and fifty miles,” said he, ”and it wasn't any fun, I can tell you So I said, what's the use--why not ood flour it is, too, boys,” said Uncle dick, ”for I've tasted it often and know”
”I s'pose we ought to get on a little bit farther this evening,” said John to the leader of the party, after a while
”No, you don't,” said the old ht, I tell you Plenty of trouble on ahead without being in a hurry to get into it, and here you can sleep dry and have plenty to eat I haven't got any trout in the house to-day, but there's a little lake up by Pyramid Mountain where you can ketch plenty, and there's another one a few et 'em even better Oh yes, from now on you'll have all the fish you want to eat, and all the fun, too, I reckon, that you come for So you're all the way froland and New York and Oregon, but I never did see no one from Alasky before And you're just boys! Come in and unroll your blankets”
IX
THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAINS
”Well, boys,” said Swift, the next day after breakfast, ”I wisht ye could stay longer with ot to be on your way, so I'll just wish ye well and go about , friend,” said Uncle dick, as they parted ”We'll see you froh we'll all be neighbors in here”
”Sure,” said the old ot together sence I packed north froet soo up on my mountain and ketch some of them lake-trout
I dun' no' where they co like 'em in no other lake in these mountains But I reckon they was always in there, wasn't they?”
”Certainly they were,” answered Uncle dick ”I know about those trout
They tell me they are just like the lake-trout of the Great Lakes
But we can't stop for them to-day I'll proh--at least for to-ht”
”I knohere ye ; ”it's that little lake off the Miette trail Plenty o' rainbows in there”
”We'll caht”
”And pass ot to be civilized I'”
They all shook hands, and the little pack-train turned off up the north-bound trail