take different directions on the stream they had followed thus far.

XX

THE GORGE OF THE MOUNTAINS

For a time after the boats parted the crew of the _Jaybird_ said very
little as they pursued their way down-stream. The accident to the
_Mary Ann_ made them all thoughtful, and Rob was very careful in his
position as bow paddler for the remaining boat. As the craft was
pretty well loaded, Alex also was cautious. They took their time when
they struck the head of any fast water, went ashore and prospected,
and once in awhile lined down the boat instead of undertaking to run a
fast chute. In spite of their additional caution, they ran mile after
mile of the great river, until finally they felt themselves
approaching the great eastern gate of the Rockies, whence there breaks
out upon the lower country of the great Peace River the Unjingah, or
Unjigab, as the natives formerly called it.

"Now," said Alex, at last, as he steered in along shore, "I think
we'll stop and take a look around."

They had been expecting the entrance to the actual gorge of the river
now for the last three or four miles, for they had passed into the
wide space, six or eight hundred yards in extent, described as lying
above the canyon entrance, where the river, falling through a narrow
passageway in the rocks, is condensed to a quarter of its average
width.

The fatigue of the steady travel of the trip now began to show its
effect upon them all, and the boys were quite ready to go into camp.
Rob and John undertook to prepare the supper, and soon were busy
arranging a little fireplace of stone, while Alex climbed up the bank
to do some prospecting farther on.

"How does it look, Alex?" inquired Rob, when he finally returned. Alex
waved a hand as a sign of his ignorance. "Hills and woods," said he.
"Not so much spruce, but some pine and poplars, and plenty of 'bois
picard'--what you call 'devil's club' on your side of the Rockies. I
didn't know it grew this far east. I don't see how Mackenzie's men got
up from below with a thirty-foot birch-bark," he added, after a time.
"They must have come through something on this course, because they
could not have taken the water very much below here, that's sure."

"Is there any trail at all, Alex?" asked John.

"We've landed almost at the trail--just enough to call a trail for a
foot man. It isn't used much to-day, that's sure. Pretty steep. Sandy
farther up."

"Could we carry the boat through