Young Alaskans in the Rockies

Emerson Hough

Description

ROB, JOHN, AND JESSE IN CAMP Well, here we are, fellows, said Jesse Wilcox, as he threw down an armful of wood at the side of the camp-fire. For my part, I believe this is going to be about the best trip we ever had. That's what I was telling Rob to-day, said John Hardy, setting down a pail of water near by. But I hope I won't have to carry water up a bank a hundred feet high every night. We are not as far north this time as we were last summer, said Jesse, but the country looks something the same. Yes, replied John, but last year we were going east and farther away from home every day. Now we're going west to the Rockies and across them, getting closer to home all the time.

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819906452
• Langue: English

Extrait

I
ROB, JOHN, AND JESSE IN CAMP "Well, here we are,fellows," said Jesse Wilcox, as he threw down an armful of wood atthe side of the camp-fire. "For my part, I believe this is going tobe about the best trip we ever had." "That's what I was telling Robto-day," said John Hardy, setting down a pail of water near by."But I hope I won't have to carry water up a bank a hundred feethigh every night." "We are not as far north this time as we werelast summer," said Jesse, "but the country looks something thesame." "Yes," replied John, "but last year we were going east andfarther away from home every day. Now we're going west to theRockies and across them, getting closer to home all the time."
Rob McIntyre, the oldest of our friends who had madeso many trips together in the wilderness, sat silent, as was oftenhis custom, smiling out of his frank blue eyes at his companions."What do you think about it, Rob?" asked Jesse. "I agree with you,Jess," replied Rob. "I've always wanted to get into this part ofthe Rocky Mountains. The Yellowhead Pass, over yonder, is the placeI've always wanted to see. It's an old pass across the Rockies, butno one seems to know much about it." "Besides," went on Jesse, "weought to get plenty of game and good fishing." "Surely we will, forthis is a country that no one visits, although we are now on thetrail of the old fur-traders who came here often enough more than ahundred years ago. On the high ridges in here you can see the oldtrail cut down a foot deep. And it was made in part by the feet ofmen, more than a hundred years ago." "Besides," added John, "we cansee where the engineers have gone ahead of us." "Yes," said Rob,"they've pretty much followed the trail of the old fur-traders.""Didn't they come by water a good way up here?" asked John.
Rob answered by pulling out of his pocket a longpiece of heavy paper, a map which they three had worked over manydays, laying out for themselves in advance the best they knew howthe route which they were to follow and the distances between themain points of interest. "Now, look here," said he, "and you'll seethat for once we are at a place where the old voyageurs had toleave their boats and take to the land. We're going to cross theRockies at the head of the Athabasca River, but you see it runsaway northeast from its source at first, at least one hundred milesnorth of Edmonton. That used to be called Fort Augustus in the olddays, and the voyageurs went all the way up there from Montreal bycanoe. Sometimes they followed the Saskatchewan from there. Thatbrought them into the Rockies away south of here. They went overthe Kootenai Plains there, and over the Howse Pass, which you knowis between here and Banff." "I know," said Jesse, eagerly. "UncleDick told us they used to go down the Blaeberry Creek to theColumbia River." "Exactly; and there was a way they could go nearthe Wood River to the Columbia River. For instance, here on the mapis a place near the head of the Big Bend of the Columbia. That'sthe old Boat Encampment, of which the old histories tell so much.""You don't suppose we'll ever get there?" said John, doubtfully."It looks a long ways off from here." "Of course we will," saidRob, firmly. "When we've pushed up to the head of the AthabascaRiver and gone over the Yellowhead Pass it will all be downhill.We'll go fast when we hit the rivers running south. And we'll comein but a little way from the Boat Encampment, which was arendezvous for all the old traders who crossed by the Saskatchewantrail below us. But, you see, we'll be taking a new way; and Iagree with Jess that it will be about the best trip we ever had.""Those old fur-traders were great fellows to travel, weren't they?"said Jesse, looking curiously at the deep-worn, ancient trail whichran close by their camp. "Yes," said Rob, "they weren't afraid ofanything. When they got to Fort Augustus they had three choices ofroutes west over the Rockies. They could go away north to the PeaceRiver – old Sir Alexander McKenzie's trail, which we followed lastsummer; or they could go up the Saskatchewan the way David Thompsonused to go to the Columbia River; or they could strike west by cartor pack-horse from Fort Augustus and cross this rolling countryuntil they struck the Athabasca, and then follow up that to theYellowhead Pass. I shouldn't wonder if old Jasper Hawse was one ofthe first trail-makers in here. But, as I was saying, those whocame this route had to leave their boats at Edmonton. Here at WolfCreek we are about one hundred and thirty miles west of there. Fora long while they used to have a good wagon trail as far as SaintAnne, and, as you know, it has been pretty much like a road all theway out here." "I like the narrow trail best," said John; "one madeby feet and not wheels." "Yes," went on Rob, "perhaps that's whywe're so anxious to get on with this trip. The water does not leaveany mark when you travel on it, but here is the trail of the oldtraders worn deep into the soil. A fellow can almost see themwalking or riding along here, with their long rifles and theirbuckskin clothes." "That's what I like about these trips Uncle Dicklays out sometimes," said Jesse. "A fellow sort of has to readabout the country and the men who found it first." "Yes," Johnassented, "reading about these old places makes you begin to seethat there is quite a world besides the part of the world where wewere born. It seems as though these old fellows in the past weren'tmaking these trails just for themselves." "Pshaw! I'll bet theyjust wanted furs, that was all," ventured Jesse. "But, anyhow, theyfound the paths, all right." "The Indians found the paths ahead ofthe traders," said Rob. "I fancy the white men did not have suchhard times learning which way to go. The Indians must have workedbackward and forward across almost every pass in the mountainsbefore the white men came. It makes me feel kind of strange to behere, just where the great-grandfathers of white people used totravel, and then to think that before their grandfathers were bornthis country was all old to the red men, who held it long beforethe white men came." "Well," said John, who was of a practical turnof mind, "it's starting in pretty well. We've got some whitefishleft that we caught at Lake Waubamun, and the grouse which wekilled this afternoon will make up a good supper. I s'pose if wewere the first to cross over we might have got antelope in here,or, anyhow, deer." "I'm glad Uncle Dick is going along," saidJesse. "He went over with the first engineer party, so he knowsabout all the bad places. We certainly had muskeg enough yesterdayand the day before. If it's any worse ahead than it is behind it'sgoing to be pretty tough." "Look yonder, fellows!" said Rob,suddenly rising and pointing to the westward.
They followed his gesture and for a moment stoodsilent with him. "It's the Rockies!" said they, almost inunison.
The clouds had now broken away late in theafternoon, and for the first time they could see across the wideexpanse of forest lands which stretched unbroken to the northwardand westward, the low white line of the great backbone of thecontinent – the Rockies, land of mystery and adventure for boldsouls since history began in this part of our continent. The boysstood silent for quite a while, absorbed in the vision of thedistant hills and the thoughts which the sight awakened in theirhearts. "I'd like to take the trail again to-night," said Rob, asthough to himself. "I can hardly wait." "They're fine little oldhills, aren't they?" said John. "I wish we could go farther towardthem, every day. I want to get over to where the water startswest." "Yes," added Jesse, "and see where old Yellowhead himselfmade his camp a hundred years ago." "Well, Jess," said John, "youcan go as Yellowhead, Junior, maybe, because your hair is sort ofred, anyway. But I wonder where Uncle Dick and Moise have got to;they ought to be in by now, with the extra horses from thevillage." "Trust Moise to be in on time for supper," said Rob."Come on and let's get the rest of the wood for to-night."
They turned now toward the tasks of the camp, workwith which they were familiar, Jesse carrying some more wood, andJohn, whose turn it was to bring in the water, starting once moredown the steep slope to the little creek which lay below them. Rob,who had completed his portion of the camp labor, still stoodsilent, apparently forgetful of all about him, staring steadily atthe low broken line of white which marked the summit of the Rockiesand the head of the great Athabasca River which lay on beyond tothe westward.
II
AT THE FIRESIDE "Well, well, young men!" broke out ahearty voice, not long after our young friends had completed theirevening's work and were seated near the fire. "How are you gettingon? Are the mosquitoes pretty bad?" "Hello, Uncle Dick!" answeredJohn. "We thought it was about time for you to be coming up." "Andabout mosquitoes," answered Jesse, brushing at his face, "I shouldsay they were pretty bad for early spring." "Well, I'm glad to bein for the day," remarked the tall, lean-looking man they allcalled Uncle Dick – the friend to whom they owed so many pleasantand adventurous journeys in out-of-the-way parts of the country. Hewas dressed as the men of the engineers usually were in the roughpreliminary survey work. He wore a wide white hat, flannel shirt,loose woolen clothing, and high laced boots. His face was burnedbrown with the suns of many lands, but his blue eyes twinkled witha kindly light, which explained why all of these boys were so fondof him. "Where's Moise?" asked Rob, after a time, assisting UncleDick at unsaddling his riding-pony. "Just back on the trail a way,"replied the older member of the party. "Stuck in the mud.Considerable muskeg in here, believe me."
Presently they could hear the voice of Moise, theremaining member of their party, who was to go along as cook andassistant with the pack-train. He was singing in a high voice someodd Ind