r that place. But the simplicity, the
modesty of those two, sinking everything in their great duty to their
country--it's those things, my boys, which make their _Journal_ the
model of its kind and class, and their journey the greatest of its kind
in all the history of the world.

"Now hats off to Captain Meriwether Lewis and Captain William Clark of
the army! Had they come where we are now, they would not have reached
the Columbia. In courage, good sense, and modesty, the first and best."

They did salute, once more and in silence. But Uncle Dick put a hand on
Jesse's shoulder as he saw tears in his eyes.

"It's all right, son," said he. "Don't mind, but don't forget. Good men
come and go; it's good deeds that live. Now, we're by no means first at
this spot, and it's of no vast consequence now. We'll even let our
little flag flutter here alone, till the snows come, and the slides give
it its evening gun."

They turned back down the edge of the depression in the mountain top,
and by deep dusk once more were at the horse camp, where Billy quickly
went to work to find grass and wood. All bore a hand. They got up all
the dry wood they could find, cut stakes for a back log pile of green
logs, spread the half of a quilt back of their slim bed, and so prepared
to pass a night which they found very long and cold. Their supper now
was cooked, and before the small but efficient fire they now could
complete the labors of their own day--each boy with his notes, and John
with the map which he always brought up each day at least in sketch
outline.

"I don't know just how many people ever have been in here," said Billy,
after a time. "Not so very many, sure, for nearly all try to get up the
canyon. I heard that a man and his wife once climbed up the canyon, but I
doubt that. There's Bill Bowers, from the head of Henry's Lake, he's
been up to the top, but I don't know just how far--he said you couldn't
follow the canyon all the way. I don't doubt that prospectors and hunters
have been across here, and the Bannacks hunted these mountains for
sheep, many a year. Used to be great bighorn country, and of course, if
this country never was known by anybody, the bighorns would still be
here. There's stories that there's a few in back, but I don't believe
it. You can ride up the south slope of Sawtelle Mountain, in the timber,
almost to the top, and almost this high. I guess she's been traveled
over, all right, by now. Only, they couldn'