. . . . . . " " 38
From a portrait by Savannah.

A RED RIVER CART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 58
From a photograph.

WASHING GOLD ON THE SASKATCHEWAN . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 62
From a photograph.

{viii}

IN THE YELLOWHEAD PASS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 64
From a photograph.

UPPER M'LEOD RIVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 66
From a photograph.

THE CARIBOO ROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 100
From a photograph.

INDIAN GRAVES AT LYTTON, B.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 102
From a photograph.

[Illustration: Map of the Cariboo Country]

{1}

CHAPTER I

THE 'ARGONAUTS'

Early in 1849 the sleepy quiet of Victoria, Vancouver Island, was
disturbed by the arrival of straggling groups of ragged nondescript
wanderers, who were neither trappers nor settlers. They carried
blanket packs on their backs and leather bags belted securely round the
waist close to their pistols. They did not wear moccasins after the
fashion of trappers, but heavy, knee-high, hobnailed boots. In place
of guns over their shoulders, they had picks and hammers and such stout
sticks as mountaineers use in climbing. They did not forgather with
the Indians. They shunned the Indians and had little to say to any
one. They volunteered little information as to whence they had come or
whither they were going. They sought out Roderick Finlayson, chief
trader for the Hudson's Bay Company. They wanted provisions from the
company--yes--rice, flour, ham, salt, pepper, sugar, and tobacco; and
at the smithy they {2} demanded shovels, picks, iron ladles, and wire
screens. It was only when they came to pay that Finlayson felt sure of
what he had already guessed. They unstrapped those little leather bags
round under their cartridge belts and produced in tiny gold nuggets the
price of what they had bought.

Finlayson did not know exactly what to do. The fur-trader hated the
miner. The miner, wherever he went, sounded the knell of fur-trading;
and the trapper did not like to have his game preserve overrun by
fellows who scared off all animals from traps, set fire going to clear
away underbrush, and owned responsibility to no authority. No doubt
these men were 'argonauts' drifted up from the gold diggings of
California; no doubt they were searching for new mines; but who had
ever heard of gold in Vancou