forming of little parties of five or more was popular among
those who travelled by the overland route into Alaska. By such means
there was less danger of a man getting lost in the mountains, and the
preparation of meals along the way was easier, for each man of a party
took his turn at feeding the rest, so that only one set of packs had to
be unstrapped and packed again, instead of the lot. Besides this, the
building and sailing of a boat down the lakes and through the rapids by
one man was next to impossible.

It was very difficult to obtain accommodations at any of the so-styled
hotels in Juneau, so all hands encamped for the night on the deck of the
freighter, Fred Dobson managing to smuggle himself in with the regular
party. In the morning Fred approached the captain of the boat for a
situation, but was turned off in language far from fit to transcribe to
these pages.

"Got more on board than we want now, boy, so git ashore in a hurry, for
we're on the point of sailing," and with a wistful good-by to Randy,
Earl, and the others, the squire's son leaped to the dock. Five minutes
later the lines were cast off, and the wheezy, overloaded craft started
northward on the Lynn Canal.

The distance from Juneau to Dyea is a hundred and eighteen miles, past
Berner's Bay and Katsehan River into Chilkoot Inlet and finally up Dyea
Inlet. The run for the most part is past gigantic glaciers on one side
and mountains covered with snow and ice on the other.

"Gracious, this is a touch of winter and no mistake!" ejaculated Randy,
as the steamboat ploughed steadily on her way, and they stood by the
rail taking in the desolate sight. "See how those little icebergs
sparkle in the sunshine."

"Far off to the west of this canal is the great Muir Glacier," said
Foster Portney. "It is the largest glacier in the world. That island
which we just passed is Douglas, and there is situated the great
Treadwell Mine, one of the richest gold mines heretofore discovered in
Alaska."

"Have we got to climb mountains like that?" questioned Earl, as he
pointed to the snow-capped summits to the eastward.

"Have we got to climb 'em?" burst in Captain Zoss. "Why, them ain't an
ant hill to the ones we're to crawl over, lad. Just wait till we get up
into Dyea Inlet, and you'll catch sight o' mountains as will give you
the yellow shakes, as the boys call it. Now I don't want to discourage
ye," he went on, as he saw Earl take a deep breath. "I want to p