we
decide how to climb it."

"Well," said Pepper, with a yawn, "I move we go to bed now and get up
early and get on the road and try and reach the place before night," and
he rose rather stiffly, for he was not known at home as a great admirer of
horsemanship, and the day's journey had told on him.

"I'll keep watch for awhile yet," said the guide, "and then I'll put one
of the Injuns on. Don't get scared if ye hear a shot early in the mornin',
for I'm goin' out to see if I can get a caribou. I hear they're pretty
thick up here in the foothills, and it'll tickle these Injuns to death.
The poor fellers have been workin' the canneries all summer and ain't had
a mouthful of fresh meat all that time. A little feast'll put more heart
into 'em for the work."

The boys camped under a cluster of small trees with ponchos and blankets
over them, and as the black flies had disappeared and mosquitos were few,
enjoyed a good night's rest.

CHAPTER XV.

THE MAMMOTH'S TUSKS.

Sure enough, the camp was awakened at an early hour the next day by a
couple of rifle shots, and an excited commotion among the Indians. The
boys in whom, as in all healthy American youths, the hunting instinct was
strong, at once scrambled from under their blankets, seized their rifles
and dashed through the bushes toward the small stream which flowed from
the mountains toward an arm of Prince William Sound.

A dozen rods from the camp, they came upon the guide and the Indians
standing around a large bull caribou whose head boasted a magnificent pair
of antlers. The animal's throat had been cut and the Indians had already
set to work to take off the hide.

"Got him the first shot," said the guide, "and tried to get another, but
they was too swift fer me. They was six in the herd. However, this is
enough, and the poor things is bein' killed off fast enough fer their
hides and horns without our takin' more'n we need."

"Why didn't you call us?" asked Jack, "I should like to have got a shot at
some big game before we leave Alaska."

"Fer that very reason," replied the guide, "it's the close season now, and
we can only kill what we need for meat. Besides that, it's ticklish
business gettin' a shot at caribou, and two persons would have made more
noise than one, and I wanted very much to get one or two fer these
Indians, who need it, as I told you. Hurry up there, you Siwash, and get
yer meat and have yer feast fer we've got to be movin'."

"Wha