minutes high.

"Well, that's what I call work," said John. "I don't know but I'd
rather travel in a boat than go this way. You don't have to saddle up
a boat every morning and hustle around to keep from getting tramped
on."

"Ah, but there's nothing like the mountains, fellows," said Rob; "and
a pack-train will take us right into the middle of them."

"Well, the nights are so short away up here north in Canada and Alaska
that a fellow has to go to bed in the daylight and get up in the dark.
If you don't watch out you'll get fooled out of your night's sleep."

"You will if you don't watch Uncle Dick," said Rob, smiling.

"Well, anyhow, you've done several good days' work already. From this
time on we'll have it easier--maybe."

"What do you suppose he means by that?" asked John of Rob.

"I don't know," said Rob, "but we'll find out to-morrow--maybe."

V

HIGHER THAN THE ROCKIES

"How far to-day, sir?" asked Rob of the leader of their party, when,
having left their camp on the bank of the McLeod at the spot known as
the Leavings, they had headed straight west toward the steep divide
which rose before them.

"That all depends on luck," said Uncle Dick. "We've got to climb that
divide and get down off the top of it. By noon we'll be higher than
the Rocky Mountains!"

"That isn't possible, of course."

"I didn't say higher than the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains. But
as a matter of fact on top of the divide between the McLeod and the
Athabasca we are four thousand six hundred and forty feet above
sea-level, and that is nine hundred and seventeen feet higher than the
summit of the Yellowhead Pass where we cross the Rockies."

"It doesn't look like a very easy trail," said Rob.

"No, on the contrary, it is one of the most dismal and desolate parts
of the whole march, with its burned forests and its steep grades.
Besides, some of the worst muskeg in the country is on each side of
this Athabasca divide--it just runs in terraces all up and down both
sides."

"When does the first one come?" asked Rob.

"Just before we get ready for it! But if you don't discover when we
get there I'll let you know. To my notion, this looks considerable
like a muskeg just on ahead of us. Now we'll take a little lesson in
muskeg work. What I want to say to you is, that you must never get
angry and excited, either over muskeg or mosquitoes. Take it easy all
the time."

They paused now at the edge of what seemed a