RASER RIVER]

"Here we are at Grant Creek," said Uncle Dick, as they paused on
the hither side of the stream. "This is one of the many swift
tributaries on the north side of the Fraser, but I am glad we've
got to ford it, and not the Fraser itself. You see, we have to keep
on the north bank all the way down now."

Uncle Dick carefully located his landmarks and examined some stones
and stumps to get some idea of the stage of the water.

"It's all right," said he. "Come on across. Follow me closely now."

Soon they were belly-deep in the tawny flood of the stream, which came
down noisily all about them. The sturdy horses, however, seemed not to
be in the least alarmed, but followed old Danny, Uncle Dick's pony, as
he slowly plodded on across, angling down the stream and never once
losing his footing in the rolling stones of the bottom. The stream was
not over a hundred and twenty feet wide at this point, and the ford
was made with no difficulty at all.

"This is easy," said Uncle Dick, as they emerged on the western side.
"But three miles ahead we come to the Moose River, and that's apt to
be a different proposition. You can't tell anything about any of these
rivers until you try them. One thing is sure, we can't get any wetter
than we are."

"I've noticed all these streams are highest in the afternoon," said
Rob--"a lot higher, too. We've often mentioned that."

"Yes; that's because the snow melts in the morning and starts the
water down the high slopes. It takes some time for it to get down to
the lower levels. Morning is the best time to ford any of these
mountain rivers, as I have told you."

The trail was none too good on to the Moose River, and they were none
too cheerful as they paused to look over the situation at the bank of
this stream.

"When I crossed here the last time I marked a stump with an ax," said
Uncle Dick. "That was barely below swimming-line. Ah, there it is, I
see--we've got six inches to the good, and that means we can get
across, I think. It's lucky it isn't worse. There are some falls up
this river a little way, and perhaps we could get across the narrows
there, but in any case we would have to get the horses across down
here, and we had better all make it together. Anyhow, I'll go ahead on
Danny and see how it works. Moise, you'll bring up the rear; Rob, you
go next ahead of Moise, and you, John and Jesse, follow just behind
me a little way back. If Danny loses his footing, all of yo