it's much easier than making it
as we are making it now. Not that I wish to frighten you at all, young
men, about the rest of our journey, for our men are good, and Leo and
George have the advantage of knowing every inch of the river
thoroughly--an Indian never forgets a place he once has seen."

"Have you 'got some scares,' Leo?" inquired John, smiling. Leo also
smiled.

"No, no get scare--not 'fraid of Columby."

"You Shuswaps are white-water dogs, all right," said Uncle Dick. "I'm
not going to let you run all the rapids that you want, perhaps,
between here and Revelstoke.

"Now," he continued, "if John has finished his map work I think we can
make a few more miles on our way down this evening, and every mile we
make is that much done."

"Bime-by below Canoe," said Leo, "come on old man Allison's cabin--him
trap there two winters ago, not live there now."

The boys looked inquiringly at Uncle Dick.

"All right," said he. "We'll stop there for the night." So presently
they took boat once more, and, passing the tawny flood waters of the
Wood and the Canoe rivers, which only stained the edges of the green
Columbia, not yet wholly discolored in its course through its
snow-crowned pathway, they pulled up at length on a beach at the edge
of which stood a little log cabin, roofed with bark and poles.

XXV

HISTORY ON THE GROUND

The boys preferred to spread their mosquito-tent again for the night,
but the others concluded to bunk in the old trapper's cabin, where
they all gathered during the evening, as was their custom, for a
little conversation before they retired for sleep. John found here an
old table made of slabs, on which for a time he pursued his work as
map-maker, by the aid of a candle which he fabricated from a saucer
full of grease and a rag for a wick. The others sat about in the half
darkness on the floor or on the single bunk.

"There was one book you once mentioned, Uncle Dick," remarked Rob,
after a time, "which I always wanted to read, although I could never
get a copy. I think they call it _The Northwest Passage by Land_. Did
you ever read it?"

"Certainly, and a very interesting and useful book it is, too. It was
done by two Englishmen, Viscount Milton and Doctor Cheadle. They were
among the very early ones to take a pack-train across by way of the
Yellowhead Pass."

"And did they come down this way where we are now?"

"Oh, no. They went west just as we did, over the Yellowhead