FTER THE WHITE GOATS

Moise, although good-natured, none the less was fond enough of good
living, and, moreover, disposed to rest very well content when the
camping conditions were as good as those in which they now found
themselves. He thought that it might be just as well not to be in too
big a hurry.

"Suppose we did get caught on those high water, M'sieu Deek," he said;
"if we only wait some time, she'll run down bime-by. But suppose we'll
don't got nothing to eat but bacon and flour, and go starve to death.
What then?"

"Well, Moise," said Rob, as they sat at the breakfast-table, where the
good voyageur made this remark, "we've got a whole lake full of trout
there waiting for us to go out and catch them--if we didn't fall off
the raft again."

"Never mind about that raft any more, young man," said Uncle Dick. "A
raft is all right if you have nothing else, and if you have to use it,
but it is not compulsory here. We'll just leave the raft business and
try for some trout down here in the creek."

"There'll ain't no trout on those creek," objected Moise. "I'll try
him myself, and not get no bite. Besides, M'sieu Deek, feesh is all
right for woman and dog, but meat she is more better for strong man."

"That's the way I feel about it," said John, his mouth half full of
bacon. "I wouldn't mind a little fresh meat once in a while. But where
are we going to get it?"

"No moose up in here," volunteered Jesse, "and I don't suppose any
caribou either. As for sheep, I suppose there are none this side of
the high peaks east of here, are there, Uncle Dick?"

"Probably not. But we'll find caribou farther west. Besides, there are
any number of white goats in these mountains all around us here. I
suppose you know what they are, although I'm not sure you ever saw
them in Alaska."

"I know them," said Rob. "They're the greatest climbers in the
world--'On top' is their motto always."

"That's why the head of a white goat is always considered a good
trophy among sportsmen; it means that the hunter has had to climb high
for it. They're a sporting proposition, all right, those goats; but
when it comes to eating, that's something different. I boiled goat
meat two days straight once, and it was still like shoe leather."
Uncle Dick shook his head.

"Oh, you'll got old goat--old Guillaume goat," said Moise. "He's too
tough for eat. But s'pose you'll got some small leetle goat; she's
good for eat like anything."

"So I've h