is a lot worse than the Peace," said John. "Of course,
there's the Rocky Mountain Canyon, which nobody can get through either
way, and there isn't any portage as bad as that on the whole Columbia
Big Bend. But for number of bad rapids this river is a lot worse than
the Peace."

"Yes," assented the others, "in some ways this is a wilder and more
risky trip than the one we had last year. But we've had a pretty good
time of it just the same, haven't we?"

"We certainly have," said Rob; and John and Jesse answered in the same
way. "I only wish it wasn't all over so soon," added Jesse,
disconsolately.

The boys, hardy and lighter of foot even than their companions, raced
on ahead over the few remaining miles into Revelstoke town, leaving
the bank of the river, which here swung off broad and mild enough once
it had emerged from its canyon walls. Before them lay the town of
Revelstoke, with its many buildings, its railway trains, and its signs
of life and activity.

In town they all found a great budget of mail awaiting them, and
concluded to spend the night at Revelstoke in order to do certain
necessary writing and telegraphing. They had several letters from
their people in Alaska, but none announcing any word from themselves
after they had arrived at Edmonton, so that some of the letters bore
rather an anxious note.

"What would it cost to send a telegram from here to Seattle, and a
cablegram up the coast, and then by wireless up to the fort near
Valdez?" inquired Rob. "That ought to get through to-morrow, and just
two or three words to let them know we were out safe might make them
all feel pretty comfortable. It's a good thing they don't know just
what we've been through the last few days."

"Well, you go down to the station and see if it can be done," said
Uncle Dick, "and I'll foot the bill. Get your berths for the next
Transcontinental west to Vancouver, and reserve accommodations for
Moise and me going east. Leo and George, I'm thinking, will want to
wait here for a while; with so much money as he has as grizzly
premiums and wages, Leo is not going to leave until he has seen
something of the attractions of this city. In fact, I shouldn't wonder
if he got broke here and walked back up to O'Brien's and took his boat
there up the Columbia. They always get back home some way, the
beggars, and I'll warrant you that when we all go to the Tete Jaune
Cache by rail, a couple of years from now, we'll see Leo and George