eet, and the tribe was tumbled back into barbarism; and the
white man, who had taught the Indians the art of making rum, and the
white man's government, which had afforded no safeguard against such
scenes, were responsible.

[Illustration: DAVIDSON GLACIER

The beautiful Davidson Glacier, with its great snow-white fan, drew our
gaze and excited our admiration for two days]

Muir mourned with me the fate of this old chief; but another of my men,
Lot Tyeen, was ready with a swift canoe. Joe, his son-in-law, and Billy
Dickinson, a half-breed boy of seventeen who acted as interpreter,
formed the crew. When we were about to embark I suddenly thought of my
little dog Stickeen and made the resolve to take him along. My wife and
Muir both protested and I almost yielded to their persuasion. I shudder
now to think what the world would have lost had their arguments
prevailed! That little, long-haired, brisk, beautiful, but very
independent dog, in co-ordination with Muir's genius, was to give to the
world one of its greatest dog-classics. Muir's story of "Stickeen" ranks
with "Rab and His Friends," "Bob, Son of Battle," and far above "The
Call of the Wild." Indeed, in subtle analysis of dog character, as well
as beauty of description, I think it outranks all of them. All over the
world men, women and children are reading with laughter, thrills and
tears this exquisite little story.

I have told Muir that in his book he did not do justice to my puppy's
beauty. I think that he was the handsomest dog I have ever known. His
markings were very much like those of an American Shepherd dog--black,
white and tan; although he was not half the size of one; but his hair
was so silky and so long, his tail so heavily fringed and beautifully
curved, his eyes so deep and expressive and his shape so perfect in its
graceful contours, that I have never seen another dog quite like him;
otherwise Muir's description of him is perfect.

When Stickeen was only a round ball of silky fur as big as one's fist,
he was given as a wedding present to my bride, two years before this
voyage. I carried him in my overcoat pocket to and from the steamer as
we sailed from Sitka to Wrangell. Soon after we arrived a solemn
delegation of Stickeen Indians came to call on the bride; but as soon as
they saw the puppy they were solemn no longer. His gravely humorous
antics were irresistible. It was Moses who named him Stickeen after
their tribe--an exceptional honor. T