XIV.] A BAD FALL. 199 and beneath him a confused mass of branches affording no foothold. There was a terrible strain on the wire, and we feared at any moment it might break. Our first work was to cut the rope and remove the packs; then to hew away with our axes at the branches beneath him, while H. hung on to the halter, lest he should make a fresh start down the slope. When we found the horse could get his legs to the ground, we scraped a kind of track ahead of him, and in about twenty minutes everything was ready for a plunge upwards. With the spring of the wire (which was hitched against the back of the saddle) this was accomplished, and then, minus the packs, the poor beast gained the level of the railway in safety. H., Ben, and I carried the packs up on our shoulders; and then, after a short halt, we spliced the synch rope, got the packs once more into the diamond hitch, and entering the snow shed shaped our course for Rogers pass. For about three miles we enjoyed the cool shade of the sheds, and though we were alarmed at one time, by a tea-train from Vancouver rushing past and leaving us no more than two feet space clear of the horse, and on another occasion by a stray locomotive, which, by the way, vouchsafed us no warning whistle; we reached Rogers pass, and halted for lunch. As the West-bound Express would soon be coming along, we removed the packs from the horse. H. and Ben then led him on to "Glacier," four miles distant, and I followed in the train with the packs. So, after a hard day which we had commenced at ✦ A.M., we were still not too late to hold our appointed evening service, enlivened by the singing of some well known hymns. Mr. Bell-Smith, who was not only a painter, but a musician, had spent some of his spare time during the week in forming a choir and practising hymns, which were now heartily sung by the inmates of the little inn, with no accompaniment save Nature's own music-the roar of the glacier torrent outside. CHAPTER XV. "The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and the rocks for the conies."-PSALM cix. 18. Start for Asulkan Pass.-Roast pork.-Mountain goats.-A narrow bivouac.-Reach the Geikie and Dawson glaciers.-Thunder and lightning.-A morning visitor. As our days in the Selkirks were now numbered it behoved us to waste no time. Accordingly, early on Monday morning, we set to work and got our packs ready for a fresh start. The photographs had to be looked after and fresh plates put in. Our purpose now was to cross the Asulkan glacier pass and camp in the valley beyond. Thanks to the excellent work done by four men during the past week the trail was clear, and the glacier stream bridged, so that we could take the horse about four miles up the valley. For the rest of the journey we should take the packs on our backs. This being so, H. determined not to take his camera, but as I was particularly anxious to secure good photographs of the Dawson range and Geikie glacier, I packed my half-plate camera, which was much lighter than H.'s, and my "detective," into my knapsack with the surveying instruments and various items of clothing. When to these were added the cooking utensils, which fell to my lot, the pack weighed about forty pounds. Between blankets, waterproof sheet, and provisions, a rifle and ammunition, Ben and H. had about an equal share. We packed as much of these things as possible on the horse, and took a tent to pitch at the furthest point to which he could go. Charlie, whose business it was to watch the white stones in front of the inn, was off duty after the last train had come and gone, so he came with us to fetch back the horse, and our old friend "Jeff" came too. Immediately after the departure of the last train we fixed the packs on the poor cayeuse, who was much rested after a night in the stable and a good feed, and we started in Indian file up the Asulkan valley. The fallen trees had been sawn by cross-cuts, a path excavated from the hill side; an excellent bridge, perfectly safe for the horse, spanned the torrent, and was a most splendid illustration of roughand-ready engineering skill. Our next crossing was made by the log by which we had got over before, and where the horse had to wade. crossing was near to where the stream The final issued in a xv.] WE CAMP ON A GRAVEL FLAT. 203 wild rush from its cañon. As it was late in the evening the stream was very high, and the water flowed over the single tree trunk that had been felled for a bridge. Here we had to unload the packs and carry them across on our shoulders, with difficulty steadying ourselves while the water went over our boots. Jeff," in trying to follow, was swept away and, after disappearing under some logs and being nearly drowned, he considered himself fortunate to regain the safe side of the stream, and returned to his comfortable home. Charlie, too, objected to the tree trunk, so we left him to wait there while we took the horse on a little farther, our main object being to advance our camp as far as possible, but the trail now commenced to ascend the hill side in a kind of staircase, inaccessible for the horse. After some scrambling we retraced our steps and pitched our camp on a gravel flat in the river bed; then sending the horse back across the stream, we said good-bye to him and to Charlie, as they set off on their way home. It was now nearly dark, so as Ben said the cook had given him a piece of pork all ready to be eaten, we went at our supper without delay. The pork did not seem very nice, but we did not think much of that, at the time-it was so much food to work on, which was the main point. We had, however, ample opportunity to reflect on that supper, for we were |