ecoming more gusty. Fixed our canoe,
which was leaking a little. We don't know just how far it is
from here to the Porcupine. Jesse killed a beaver. We boiled
the tail and ate it, and it was good. Pushed on a little
farther in the dark.

"_Thursday, July 31st._--Summer is going awfully fast. Ran
in for breakfast on a stony ledge. Think we are only going
about two miles an hour. After breakfast tried to sail, and
think we ran ten or twelve miles easier. Had to paddle then.
The reaches of this river are long and the current is slow.
The man who calls the Porcupine and the Bell 'rapid mountain
streams' doesn't know what he is talking about, for neither
is rapid. Passed the mouth of the Eagle River early in the
day. Landed late at the mouth of the Driftwood River, as it
is marked on the government map. Found an Indian here with
one canoe. He has his wife and two children and seven dogs
here. One strange dog has come into his camp. It howls a
great deal and is lost. We don't know whose it is or where
it came from.

"These Indians are starving, and, little as we have, we have
to give them something. They wanted some flour and fat, and
we shared almost our last. They have nets set and are
waiting for the salmon to run. The Indian has only caught
one salmon, and he said if they did not come pretty soon his
people would die. They conclude to go on farther down the
stream with us. He says he can take everything he has in
that little canoe. They are wonders with boats.

"We all hustle now, because starvation threatens every one
in our party. Even rabbits are scarce. No ptarmigan, no
ducks, no fish. The river is big and the wind affects the
down-stream speed.

"The Indian keeps along with us. His canoe has about an inch
and a half free-board, and is loaded down with children,
dogs, nets, and so forth. Glad to have the Indian with us,
because he knows something of the country. He says Fish
River, the next stream below, is half-way to Old Crow. This
is an old trading-post which gets supplies from the Yukon,
and we will feel safe if we can get there.

"Our new Indian is named Andrew. He can talk a little. He
says the land portage from Fort McPherson to Fort LaPierre
is lined with cast-off stuff that people have tried to carry