ding anxiety concerning the
faithful animals who trusted in us to find them food and shelter.
Otherwise we suffered little, slept perfectly dry and warm every
night, and ate three meals each day: true, the meals grew scanty and
monotonous, but we did not go hungry.

The trail was a disappointment to me, not because it was long and
crossed mountains, but because it ran through a barren, monotonous,
silent, gloomy, and rainy country. It ceased to interest me. It had
almost no wild animal life, which I love to hear and see. Its lakes
and rivers were for the most part cold and sullen, and its forests
sombre and depressing. The only pleasant places after leaving
Hazleton were the high valleys above timber line. They were
magnificent, although wet and marshy to traverse.

As a route to reach the gold fields of Teslin Lake and the Yukon it
is absurd and foolish. It will never be used again for that purpose.
Should mines develop on the high divides between the Skeena, Iskoot,
and Stikeen, it may possibly be used again from Hazleton; otherwise
it will be given back to the Indians and their dogs.

THE FOOTSTEP IN THE DESERT

A man put love forth from his heart,
And rode across the desert far away.
"Woman shall have no place nor part
In my lone life," men heard him say.
He rode right on. The level rim
Of the barren plain grew low and wide;
It seemed to taunt and beckon him,
To ride right on and fiercely ride.

One day he rode a well-worn path,
And lo! even in that far land
He saw (and cursed in gusty wrath)
A woman's footprint in the sand.
Sharply he drew the swinging rein,
And hanging from his saddle bow
Gazed long and silently--cursed again,
Then turned as if to go.

"For love will seize you at the end,
Fear loneliness--fear sickness, too,
For they will teach you wisdom, friend."
Yet he rode on as madmen do.
He built a cabin by a sounding stream,
He digged in canyons dark and deep,
And ever the waters caused a dream
And the face of woman broke his sleep.

It was a slender little mark,
And the man had lived alone so long
Within the canyon's noise and dark,
The footprint moved him like a song.
It spoke to him of women in the East,
Of girls in silken robes, with shining hair,
And talked of those who sat at feast,
While sweet-eyed laughter filled t