mediate preparations
were made to shoot the canyon and the falls of which Randy and Earl had
heard so much. Once past that dangerous spot, the remainder of the trip
to the gold regions would be an easy one.

CHAPTER XIX.

NEARING THE END OF A LONG JOURNEY.

Both Earl and Randy had heard from the miner Wodley that it was only of
late years that prospectors after gold in Alaska had had the daring to
shoot the White Horse Rapids, of which even the Indians in their light
canoes were afraid. Formerly white men had packed everything, even to
their boats, round the dangerous runs of water, a task which to them
looked herculean, when they gazed at the tall mountains, and at the
crooked trail Wodley pointed out.

After much talking by all hands, it was decided that Wodley's boat
should go through first, loaded down only with the mining tools, which
would not suffer from getting wet. Wodley was at first going to take the
trip alone, leaving his wife and the other miners of the party to join
the Portney crowd, but at the last moment Captain Zoss asked to be
allowed to take a hand, and the offer was accepted.

The sail was taken from the _Buster_, as Wodley had named his craft, a
heavy-set affair, built to stand some rough usage, and, each armed with
an oar and a heavy pole, the two men shoved off from the rocky shore. A
few strokes sufficed to send them into the current, and fairly caught,
the boat swung around and started on her mad career through the canyon
of rocks and water and flying spray.

"She's off!" shouted Earl, and followed by Randy he sped alongshore and
up to the edge of the canyon, where he might see what progress was made.
But hardly had they reached a convenient spot when the _Buster_ shot
along far beneath them, and around a bend, and was hidden from view in
the midst of a whirlpool of waters that threatened each instant to
ingulf her.

"If she isn't smashed up before she reaches the end of the canyon, then
I'll miss my guess!" ejaculated Earl. "My, but how she did spin along!"

"Wodley ought to know what he's doing," answered Randy. "If she is
smashed up, I hope he and the captain come out alive."

They returned to where the others had been left, and took up the heavy
packs which had been assigned to them. All the things to be carried had
been equally divided among the men and the boys, and it was calculated
that three trips would be necessary to move the outfits.

That day proved the hardest