Part 16 (1/2)
Uncle dick walked up to the boats and looked them over carefully
”Pretty heavy, Leo,” said he, ”but they'll do to run downhill all the way”
”She's good boat,” said Leo ”Need 'u each one--that will carry us and our supplies nicely You and your man will take one boat, and Moise and I the other I think I'll put the boys in our boat What o with you, Leo?”
”My cousin George; he's gooddown the Canoe River”
”What were you after?”
”After grizzluet one”
”Not one? And I thought that was a good bear country!”
”Not get _one_,” said Leo ”Get sixteen”
”Sixteen! That's soht expect sorizzlum Maybe-so forty, fiftyon the Canoe River, Uncle dick?”
inquired Rob ”Is it going to be bad water?”
”Not too bad water,” said Leo, turning to Rob ”Snow not too on!” exclaion within a thousand miles”
”My cousin other side river,” said Leo, proudly, ”got wagon Bring 'ue on canoe His horses heap kick wagon soet work on railroad bi at each other soht ere coh everybody here was getting ready to be civilized as fast as possible But even if we have a wagon, where are we going with it?”
”There's a perfectly good trail up to Cranberry Lake, the summit of this divide, as I told you,” said Uncle dick ”I think Leo would rather take one of the boats by wagon The rest of us can push the other boat up the McLennan, part way at least”
”Good trail,” said Leo ”Suppose you'll like, we got horse trail down Canoe River forty mile now Many people come now I been to Revelstruck [Revelstoke] three tae--part way horse, part way boat Bion--work on railroad and get money for ticket to Revelstruck”
”Well, what do you know about that, Rob?” said John ”This country certainly is full of enterprise What I don't understand is, how they got a wagon up the Fraser River in a canoe”
After a time Leo led them down to the bank of the Fraser and showed the-out canoes of the Shushich these people have navigated that wild river for ether, they could carry quite a load without danger of capsizing; and he explained the laborious process of poling such a craft up this rapid river The boys listened to all these things in wonder and adular country after all Once all the trade of the Pacific coast had passed this very spot
”Well now, Leo,” said Uncle dick, ”you go get your cousin George, and let us begin to ot to hurry”
”Oh, of course we've got to hurry!” said John, laughing ”I never saw you when you were not in a hurry, Uncle dick”