vident marks of being
modern.

"It's too bad," said Rob, "that these old historic houses ever were
allowed to pass away. How nice it would be if we could see them now,
just the way old Jasper Hawse built them. But log cabins don't stand
as well as stone houses, I've noticed."

"I wonder if Mr. Swift is going to build him a stone house when the
town comes," said Jesse. "I suppose it's only a log house he's got
now."

"Quite right," said Uncle Dick, "and it's only a little way until we
reach it to-day. We'll celebrate our crossing the Athabasca by making
a short journey to-day."

So presently they did pull up at the quaint frontier home known all
along the trail as "Swift's." They were met by the old man himself,
who seemed to be alone--a gaunt and grizzled figure of the old
frontier breed. He came out and shook hands with each in turn and
helped all to get off their saddles and packs, evidently glad to see
them, and still more pleased when Uncle Dick told him that these boys
had come all the way from Alaska.

"Alasky?" said he. "You don't tell me! Now here I be, and I thought
I'd come a long way when I come from the States thirty year ago.
Alasky, eh? I've heard there's gold up there. Maybe I'll stroll over
there some day."

"It's a good long way, Mr. Swift," said Rob, smiling.

"Well, maybe 'tis, maybe 'tis," said the old man, "but I betche when
they get the railroad across it wouldn't be any farther than it was
when I punched a pack-horse up from the state of Washington. Which way
you headed?"

"Clear across to the Pacific," said Rob, nonchalantly. "We live at
Valdez, in Alaska, and that's a week's sail from Seattle. We crossed
the Peace River summit last year--"

"You did? Now you don't tell me that!"

"Yes, sir, and Moise here was with us. And this year we're going
across the Yellowhead and down the Fraser to the Tete Jaune Cache, and
from there we are going down the Canoe River to the Columbia, and down
the Columbia River to the railroad, and then west to the coast. It's
easy enough." And Rob spoke rather proudly, perhaps just a little
boastfully.

The old man shook his head from side to side. "Well, I want to know!"
said he. "If I didn't know this gentleman of the engineers I'd say you
boys was either crazy or lying to me. But he's a good man, all right,
and I reckon he'll get you through. So you're going over to the old
Tee-John, are you? I know it well."

"And we hope to see the old Boat Encampm