ere ain't nothing like 'em in
no other lake in these mountains. But I reckon they was always in
there, wasn't they?"

"Certainly they were," answered Uncle Dick. "I know about those trout.
They tell me they are just like the lake-trout of the Great Lakes.
But we can't stop for them to-day. I'll promise the camp some
rainbow-trout for supper, though--at least for to-morrow night."

"I know where ye mean," said the old man, smiling; "it's that little
lake off the Miette trail. Plenty o' rainbows in there."

"We'll camp opposite that lake to-night."

"And pass my town site this morning, eh? Wish it well for me. If I've
got to be civilized I'm going to be plumb civilized. Well, so long."

They all shook hands, and the little pack-train turned off up the
north-bound trail.

They were now following along a rude trail blazed here and there by
exploring parties of engineers. Presently Uncle Dick pointed them out
the place where the new town was to be built.

"Here," said he, pulling up, "is where we will have a division point,
with railway shops, roundhouses, and all that. Its name will be
Fitzhugh."

"Huh!" said John, "it doesn't look much like a town yet. It's all
rocks and trees."

"But there's a fine view," said Rob, looking out over the landscape
with critical eye. "I presume that's the valley of the Maligne River
coming in on the other side of the Athabasca, isn't it, Uncle Dick?"

"Yes, and I am glad we don't have to ford it, but are on this side of
the big river."

"It looks like another valley coming down from the right, on ahead,"
said Rob.

"That's the Miette valley, and we turn up that as though we were going
around a corner. Just ahead is where we leave the Athabasca valley.
That river runs off to the left. The big white mountain you see square
ahead is Mount Geikie. The Athabasca runs south of that, and the
Miette this side. In short, this is the place where the old trails
fork. Yonder goes the trail to the Athabasca Pass, and here to the
right is ours to the Yellowhead."

"Which did they find first, Uncle Dick?" inquired John.

"As I was telling you, the Athabasca Pass was the first discovered.
That is, it was found before the Yellowhead. Far south, at the head of
the Saskatchewan, Duncan McGillivray discovered what is called the
Howse Pass. That was in 1800. Some suppose that pass was named after
old Jasper Hawse, or Howse, who founded Jasper House just below us on
the river here.

"The trad