t we're even on the goat-hunt. Besides, we are now past the worst
part of our troubles. To-morrow I promise you something worth all the
hard work we've undergone."

"What's that?" demanded Jesse. "Some more hunting?"

"Certainly not. You've another guess, Jesse. Something better than
that."

"You don't mean sheep or grizzly?"

"Something bigger than grizzly, even."

"That," said Rob, "must be a mountain."

"Quite right. I'm going to show you the greatest mountain in all the
Canadian Rockies, and one of the greatest mountains on this continent.
It isn't known very much to-day, but soon Mount Robson will be one of
the show-places of this whole country. The Indians have always called
it the biggest of all these mountains, time out of mind."

"What time shall we see it?" inquired Rob.

"That depends a great deal. It'll be about fourteen miles down the
trail to the Grand Fork Valley. Looking right up that, we'll be
staring into the face of old Robson. I only hope the rain will be done
by that time, so that the sun will shine and give us a fair view. It's
very rarely that one ever sees Mount Robson clear to the top. But
sufficient for to-day are the evils, I presume. Let's see if we can
make ourselves comfortable in camp to-night."

"One thing," said John, that night, "this horse business isn't going
to last forever. I hope the Canoe River isn't as bad as the Fraser,
for I'm getting ready to get into a boat once more. I've changed my
mind a little."

"I wonder where the Canoe River got its name, Uncle Dick?" queried
Rob.

"That I cannot tell you. There are some canoes on the Fraser which
came up from the Pacific way, and there are some canoe birches in
these woods, this side of the summit. Now, whether some of the old
traders one day made a birch-bark canoe and ran that stream I can't
tell. But that is the name given to it by the traders, and I suppose
they got it from the earlier traders who crossed this country.

"John," he added, "this is a hard place for you to bring up your map.
I'll excuse you from your map-making until we have a drier camp than
this."

XV

THE GREAT MOUNTAIN

Happily on the next day the weather relented and the sun greeted them
when they were ready for their breakfast, although all the trees were
dripping wet. Uncle Dick was very much rejoiced.

"We'll see Robson to-day if this sun holds," said he. "Let's hurry
on."

"There you go!" grumbled John. "Uncle Dick, you always