Part 7 (2/2)

They were now following along a rude trail blazed here and there by exploring parties of engineers Presently Uncle dick pointed them out the place where the neas to be built

”Here,” said he, pulling up, ”is where ill have a division point, with railway shops, roundhouses, and all that Its nah”

”Huh!” said John, ”it doesn't look much like a town yet It's all rocks and trees”

”But there's a fine view,” said Rob, looking out over the landscape with critical eye ”I presu in on the other side of the Athabasca, isn't it, Uncle dick?”

”Yes, and I alad we don't have to ford it, but are on this side of the big river”

”It looks like another valley coht, on ahead,”

said Rob

”That's the Miette valley, and we turn up that as though ere going around a corner Just ahead is where we leave the Athabasca valley

That river runs off to the left The big white mountain you see square ahead is Mount Geikie The Athabasca runs south of that, and the Miette this side In short, this is the place where the old trails fork Yonder goes the trail to the Athabasca Pass, and here to the right is ours to the Yellowhead”

”Which did they find first, Uncle dick?” inquired John

”As I was telling you, the Athabasca Pass was the first discovered

That is, it was found before the Yellowhead Far south, at the head of the Saskatchewan, Duncan McGillivray discovered what is called the Howse Pass That was in 1800 Some suppose that pass was named after old Jasper Hawse, or Hoho founded Jasper House just below us on the river here

”The traders used the Howse Pass quite a while, until, as I told you, the Flathead Indians and Kootenais got guns froans, down below here That started old David Tho for another pass further north It is thought that the Athabasca Pass was discovered by J Henry, a free trapper, about 1810

The Yellowhead Pass, which we are going to cross in due time, was not really discovered or used by the traders until about 1825 or 1826 But our friend Jasper Hawse seeht up this here we are going now,” said Rob, ly

”He certainly did,” said Uncle dick ”There wasn't any other place for hio if he started up the Miette”

”It see rivers,”

said Jesse

”Precisely When you have learned the rivers of a country you know its geography, and a good part of its history, too You'll realizeThey clung to the rivers, which already had paths along theineers like to stick to streareat passes of the Rockies were found by following rivers back into the hills, just as we are doing now”

”It's fine,” said John, ”to feel that we are right here where the old ot to travel the way they did I'lad, too,” said Uncle dick ”It has been rather hard work, and now I propose to give you a little rest, so the horses can pick up as well as ourselves There's good grass in the valley on ahead, and we'll go into ca away presently froreat valley of the Athabasca, he to climb the steeper ascent of the Miette At the foot of the narrow valley they could see the racing green flood of the river, broken here and there by white rapids, on its way to the valley of the Athabasca, whose rift in the hills they now lost as they continued their ascent

Late in that afternoon they found good ca little ht-hearted as they went about pitching their caoing had not been so difficult as to tire theed into the camp duties with such enthusiasm as to please Moise very ht, Monsieur,” said that worthy to Uncle dick ”She'll coht, all same trapper man”

”Certainly,” said Uncle dick; ”unless we have some bad accident we'll have a very fine journey all the way across”

”And to-et some sheeps, too? Me, I am tired of those bacon all the time”

”We're still inside the Jasper Park Reservation,” replied Uncle dick, ”so we can't shoot game, but to- into the Rockies, and we'll have fish every day now, if you like”