e water went flying forth. "Now for the left shore, and mind the
channel!" roared the captain, once more, and then the oars came into
play, and on they bounded through a clear cut in the rocks not over
twenty-five feet wide. The cut at an end, the captain threw down his oar
with a deep breath of satisfaction.

"The wust on it's over," he announced. "Jest pole her along easy-like
now, and we'll be down to camp inside of half an hour."

The strain on the _Wild Goose_ had caused several of the seams to part,
but it was decided to do nothing with these until after the worst of the
White Horse Rapids had been passed. They must now take their crafts out
of water and carry or ride them on rollers to the foot of the falls.

This was a job lasting several days, for both the _Wild Goose_ and the
_Buster_ were heavy, and it took all the men in both parties to move one
boat at a time. But at last the greatest of the falls was passed, and
then it was decided to draw the boats along through what remained, and
after another hard day's labor they had the satisfaction of finding
themselves free from further obstacles, and encamped midway between
Tahkheena River and the head of Lake Labarge. That day was Sunday, and
it was spent in perfect rest by all.

Thus far since the snow-squall on Lake Bennett, fine weather had favored
them, but now Monday set in cloudy and threatening. As soon as breakfast
was over, the _Wild Goose_ was patched up and pitched over, and all of
the outfit placed on board. The _Buster_ was already loaded, and with
the wind from the westward they tacked down the river and into Lake
Labarge, a clear sheet of water, some twenty odd miles in length, and
varying from two to four miles in width. About midway from either end of
the lake there was an island, and on this rocky shore they were
compelled to seek shelter about the middle of the afternoon, for the
wind had increased to a good-sized blow, and to sail in such a boat
was, consequently, out of the question.

Both the _Wild Goose_ and the _Buster_ had hardly been drawn up out of
harm's way than it began to rain. Seeing this, all lost no time in
pitching the tents and in building fires to keep warm, for in this
section of Alaska a rain even in the summer is sure to make one feel
cold. The tents were pegged down with extra care, and this was a good
thing, for by nightfall the wind had increased to a hurricane.

The travellers to the gold regions were stormbound at