Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail

was Sunday, and th

fallen,-not enough to interfere with their progress. The tents were brushed clean of the

ween the three long sleds drawn by Mr. Bradford, Uncle Will, and Long Peter, each of whom would have about four hundred and fifty pounds. Such a load could only be drawn where the trail followed ice or level snow-crust. In soft snow or on hills, Uncle Will said they would

them securely with a lashing-rope passed through the side loops of the sled and over and around the load in various directions, Roly proceeded, with the assurance of youth, to load his sled unaided. He first put on two twenty-five pound boxes of hard-

that gentleman approached, "I've done it alo

ut Roly did not notice the amusement

an be doing it while the rest of us are lashing our loads. Do you see those t

wered Davi

6

ld the 'gee-pole' in place. Do

heard of the cont

erve on every uneven spot, and slip sideways on a slope, and dig its nose into the sides of the trail where the snow is soft; but with your right hand on a firm-set gee-pole, you will be able to steady your sled and guide it accurately where the

ness, and cut them down with their hatchets. The large ends they trimmed to the right size, and inserted the

ched a broad and level expanse of snow, with here and there a patch of ice swept clean by the wind. The snow was almost as hard as the ice, and afforded a good running surface for the sleds. On eit

feet to obtain a firm hold on the alternate lanes of ice and icy snow. They wer

en forced up the incline, the Indian returned with Uncle Will, and the two pushed up the second sled. Mr. Bradford and David followed with the third, the former pulling

y but diagonally, which brought one sled-runner higher than

6

d Uncle Will, who had been watchi

red Roly, ruefully, "and

led have upset when no

cause I didn't go up

h, and the heavy flour sack and clothing bag above. The whole affair is top-heavy. And everything is loosened by the fall, because you did not cinch your lashing-rope. Now let us load up properly. First put the two bags o

loosen, it will not affect the whole load, but the boxes on top, and the trouble can be remedied instantly, the cinches holding the rest of the[65] load firm all the while. It is not always

h they were resting, Uncle Will estimated that they had covered nine miles,-an excellent morning's work. They had crossed the Chilkat River once at least,

o save my life!" declared Roly, as he took a huge

ut here nothing seems to hurt us. How goo

strength coming back with every breath of this air. In

r beard is getting a beautiful start, too. The bo

give up smoking, or Father begins it, we shall hav

and wife and children to me." He lighted a match,

this afternoon?" inq

asked his uncle,

could keep on all day, if the

y to make nine miles more. But if you g

ut at every halt they were resumed to prevent too rapid cooling. At times they saw the "creeper" marks of the Mysterious Thirty-six, and Uncle Will said he felt sure that the large party left the cave

by the Indian led them into the midst of this forest, taking the course of a small stream which wound through it. In places, no ice had formed along the bank, and the botto

ked Roly, to whom the w

is always best to follow the advice of the natives in such matters. They are careful to choose only pure streams or springs for

the work, had admitted that the march was a long one, Long Peter gave a satisfied grunt and pointed forward. The others look

, though we[68] haven't come more than seven miles this afternoon. We will camp ri

te of the excellent manner in which the three long sleds were loaded, and the care with which they were drawn, upsets occurred quite frequently, and even t

from which two men could hardly extricate a single sled. They were constantly obliged to help each other, and at last Uncle Will gave orders to wait until the snow hardened again in the afternoon. By