ers used the Howse Pass quite a while, until, as I told you,
the Flathead Indians and Kootenais got guns from the west and whipped
the Piegans, down below here. That started old David Thompson out
hunting for another pass further north. It is thought that the
Athabasca Pass was discovered by J. Henry, a free trapper, about 1810.
The Yellowhead Pass, which we are going to cross in due time, was not
really discovered or used by the traders until about 1825 or 1826. But
our friend Jasper Hawse seems to have used it before that time."

"And he went right up this way where we are going now," said Rob,
musingly.

"He certainly did," said Uncle Dick. "There wasn't any other place for
him to go if he started up the Miette."

"It seems to me as though the engineers were always following rivers,"
said Jesse.

"Precisely. When you have learned the rivers of a country you know its
geography, and a good part of its history, too. You'll realize more
and more that white explorers did very little discovering. They clung
to the rivers, which already had paths along them--paths made by the
native tribes. Engineers like to stick to stream valleys because the
grades are light. All the great passes of the Rockies were found by
following rivers back into the hills, just as we are doing now."

"It's fine," said John, "to feel that we are right here where the old
men used to travel, and that we've got to travel the way they did. I'm
glad I came."

"I'm glad, too," said Uncle Dick. "It has been rather hard work, and
now I propose to give you a little rest, so the horses can pick up as
well as ourselves. There's good grass in the valley on ahead, and
we'll go into camp rather early."

They pushed on now, swinging away presently from the great valley of
the Athabasca, hemmed in by its mountains, and beginning to climb the
steeper ascent of the Miette. At the foot of the narrow valley they
could see the racing green flood of the river, broken here and there
by white rapids, on its way to the valley of the Athabasca, whose rift
in the hills they now lost as they continued their ascent.

Late in that afternoon they found good camping-ground by the side of a
brawling little mountain stream. The boys were happy and light-hearted
as they went about pitching their camp, for the spot was very lovely,
the weather fine, and the going had not been so difficult as to tire
them out. They plunged into the camp duties with such enthusiasm as to
please