cle Dick, "we must go across the river and see
how old Betsy is getting along with her family."

They made this final trip with the boat without incident, and Uncle
Dick gave the Indian ten dollars for his help, which seemed to please
that taciturn person very much.

VIII

IN HIGH ALTITUDES

"Well, I want to shoot something," said John, as they stood in their
camp the following morning. "I don't like this park business."

"Nonsense, John," said Rob. "A park is just a place where you raise
wild animals; and if there were no parks, pretty soon there wouldn't
be any wild animals. Besides, it's such a glorious morning, and this
country is so beautiful, that for one I don't much care whether or not
we shoot anything for a day or two."

"Well, I like a free country," said John, loudly.

"So do I, but you can say one thing; when a railroad comes into a
country and it begins to settle up, you can't have free hunting
forever."

"We can have good fishing before long, young gentlemen," said Uncle
Dick. "In fact, I'll show you a lake or two up above here where you
shall have all the fun you want. This used to be a great fur country.
I fancy the Stony Indians killed off a good many of the sheep and
bears on the east side of the Rockies below here, and of course along
the regular trails all game gets to be scarce, but I will show you
goat trails up in these hills which look as though they had been made
by a pack-train. I don't doubt, if one would go thirty or forty miles
from here, he could get into good grizzly country, but you know we put
our grizzly shoots off for the other side of the Rockies, and we all
agreed just to plug on through until we got to the summit."

"How's the country on ahead?" asked John, dubiously.

"Bad enough," said Uncle Dick, "but it might be worse. At least, there
is a lot of ground on this side the river which is solid, and in fact
I wouldn't say there is anything very bad until we get pretty well up
the Miette River where the cross-creeks come down. We may find some
soft going up there, with the snow just beginning to melt, as it is.
But now let's get into saddle and push on."

They soon were under way once more, passing up the wide valley and now
entering deeper and deeper into the arms of the great Rockies
themselves. Not far from their camp they paused for a moment at the
ruins of old Jasper House. It was as Uncle Dick had said. Nothing
remained excepting one cabin, which showed e