marshes, passed continually by stirring bands of wild fowl, now
indistinct in the dusk. At last they saw the lights of the steamer
which was to carry them to the other extremity of Little Slave Lake.
And so at last, after they had gone aboard, it became necessary to
part with Alex in turn. Rob called his friends apart for a little
whispered conversation. After a time they all went up to Alex carrying
certain articles in their hands.
"If you please, Alex," said Rob, "we want to give your children
some little things we don't need any more ourselves. Here's our
pocket-knives, and some handkerchiefs, and what toffy John has left,
and a few little things. Please take them to your boys, and to the
girls, if they'll have them, and say we want to come and see them
some time."
"That's very nice," said Alex. "I thank you very much."
He shook each of them by the hand quietly, and then, dropping lightly
into the _Jaybird_ as she lay alongside, paddled off steadily into the
darkness, with Indian dignity now, saying no further word of farewell.
XXXII
LEAVING THE TRAIL
Continually there was something new for the travelers, even after they
had finished their steamboat journey across the lake on the second
day. Now they were passing down through the deep and crooked little
river which connects Slave Lake with the Athabasca River. They made
what is known as the Mirror Landing portage in a York boat which
happened to be above the rapids of the Little Slave River, where a
wagon portage usually is made of some fifteen or sixteen miles. Here
on the Athabasca they found yet another steamboat lying alongshore,
and waiting for the royal mails from Peace River Landing.
This steamer, the _North Star_, in common with that plying on Little
Slave Lake, they discovered to be owned by a transportation company
doing considerable business in carrying settlers and settlers'
supplies into that upper country. Indeed, they found the owner of the
boat, a stalwart and kindly man, himself formerly a trader among the
Indians, and now a prominent official in the Dominion government,
ready to accompany them as far as Athabasca Landing, and eager to talk
further with Mr. Wilcox regarding coming development of the country
which Moise had called the Land of Plenty.
They found that the Athabasca River also flows to the northward in its
main course, joining the water of the Peace River in the great
Mackenzie, the artery of this region between the Rockies and the
Arctics; but here it makes a great bend far to the south, as though to
invite into the Far North any one living in the civilized settlements
far below. Their maps, old and new, became objects of still greater
interest to the young travelers, both on board the vessel, where they
had talked with every one, as usual, regarding their trip and the
country, and after they had left the steamer at the thriving frontier
town of Athabasca Landing.
Here they were almost in touch with the head of the rails, but still
clinging to their wish to travel as the natives long had done, they
took wagon transportation from Athabasca Landing to the city of
Edmonton, something like a hundred miles southward from the terminus
of their water journey. At this point, indeed, they felt again that
their long trail was ended, for all around them were tall buildings,
busy streets, blazing electric lights, and all the tokens of a
thriving modern city. Here, too, they and their journey became objects
of newspaper comment, and for the brief time of their stay the young
_voyageurs_ were quite lionized by men who could well understand the
feat they had performed.
Mr. Wilcox was obliged to remain in the north for some time yet in
connection with his engineering duties, which would not close until
the approach of winter. He therefore sent the boys off alone for their
railway journey, which would take them first to Calgary, and then
across the Rockies and Selkirks through Banff, and forward to
Vancouver, Victoria, and Seattle, from which latter point they were
expected to take coast boats up the long Alaska coast to Valdez--a sea
voyage of seven days more from Seattle.
Mr. Wilcox gave them full instructions regarding the remaining
portions of their journey, and at length shook hands with them as he
left them on the sleeping-car.
"Tell the folks in Valdez that I'll be back home on one of the last
boats. So long! Take care of yourselves!"
He turned, left the car, and marched off up the platform without
looking around at them even to wave a hand. His kindly look had said
good-by. The boys looked after him and made no comment. They saw that
they were in a country of men. They were beginning to learn the ways
of the breed of men who, in the last century or so, have conquered the
American continent for their race--a race much the same, under
whatever flag.
Even on the railway train they found plenty of new friends who were
curious to learn of their long journey across the Rockies. The boys
gave a modest account of themselves, and were of the belief that
almost any one could have done as much had they had along such good
guides as Alex and Moise.
The Rockies and the Selkirks impressed them very much, and they still
consulted their maps, especially at the time when they found
themselves approaching the banks of the Columbia River.
"This river and the Fraser are cousins," said Rob, "like the Athabasca
and the Peace. Both of these rivers west of the Rockies head far to
the south, then go far to the north, and swing back--but they run to
the Pacific instead of to the Arctic. Now right here"--he put his
finger on the place marked as the Yellowhead Pass--"is the head of
the Saskatchewan River, and the fur-traders used to cross here from
the Saskatchewan to the Columbia just the way Mackenzie and Fraser and
Finlay used to cross to the Peace from the Fraser. I tell you what I
think, fellows. I'd like to come back next year some time, and have a
go at this Yellowhead Pass, the way we did at that on the head of the
Peace--wouldn't you? We could study up on Alexander Henry, and
Thompson, and all those fellows, just as we did on Fraser and
Mackenzie for the northern pass."
"Well," said John, "if we could have Alex and Moise, there's nothing
in the world I'd like better than just that trip."
"That's the way I feel, too," added Jesse. "But now we're done with
this trip. When you stop to think about it, we've been quite a little
way from home, haven't we?"
"I feel as though I'd been gone a year," said John.
"And now it's all over," added Rob, "and we're really going back to
our own country, I feel as if it would be a year from here to home."
Jesse remained silent for a time. "Do you know what I am thinking
about now? It's about our 'lob-stick' tree that our men trimmed up
for us. We'll put one on every river we ever run. What do you say to
that?"
"No," replied Rob, "we can't do that for ourselves--that has to be
voted to us by others, and only if we deserve it. I'll tell you
what--let's do our best to _deserve_ it first!"
The others of the Young Alaskans agreed to this very cheerfully, and
thus they turned happily toward home.
THE END
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
1. Minor changes have been made to correct typesetters' errors;
otherwise, every effort has been made to remain true to the author's
words and intent.
2. "Uncle Dick" is variously referred to as both Richard Hardy and as
Richard Wilcox in this book; in transcribing this book, no effort was
made to correct this.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Young Alaskans on the Trail, by Emerson Hough