upon a camp fire, sleeping upon a bed of boughs, cut from the
thicket when exhausted after new and hard labor was bad enough; but when
to this was added the almost unendurable stinging and singing of the
ever present mosquitoes it was a thousand fold worse. A good fire and
smoke must be kept going all night, and by lying close beside it they
hoped to get some rest from the insects.

Before sleeping the two men planned their next day's work. They would
leave everything and ride back to Skagway for another load of supplies,
getting all here under the rock before proceeding further up the trail.

In the meantime the bothersome winged insects buzzed and flirted. They
crept into the ears of men and mules in spite of the long journey the
latter necessitated; the poor brutes learned after a time either to keep
up a continual flopping of these head ornaments, or to assume a low,
drooping position, thus keeping their ear chambers closed to visitors;
while their caudal appendages were not allowed a moment's respite from
duty. The men relieved themselves of bitter and revengeful sentiments
toward their unwelcome visitants by deep and hearty curses, until a
little later, worn and weary, in the camp-fire "smudge" they slept
despite their discomforts. It is not really known, but it is supposed,
that the two long eared animals might have done good work that night had
they been wise enough to also raise their voices in protest; the
mosquitoes of these mountain fastnesses being as yet unused to such
foreign and reverberating sounds.

However, the men slept fitfully, though they arose in testy humor the
following morning and took immediate recourse to their whiskey bottles
upon awaking.

The mules were still fastened to a tree nearby. They had crossed in
front of the wall of rock which was moss covered to such an extent that
its face was considerably hidden, and then climbed higher in an attempt
to secure the best herbage, and were still browsing.

"Smithson, you're the youngest, you fetch the mules while I make the
fire for breakfast," said Roberts to his companion, yawning and rubbing
his mosquito bitten hands and face.

"Do it yourself! I'm only two years younger than you. If I'm going to
hear that gag every time there is anything extra hard to do on this trip
I'll quit now and hunt a boy to work with," was the disgruntled answer.

"Do it then! I don't care; though I don't think it's harder to get the
mules than to bring water,