"Tell the folks in Valdez that I'll be back home on one of the last
boats. So long! Take care of yourselves!"

He turned, left the car, and marched off up the platform without
looking around at them even to wave a hand. His kindly look had said
good-by. The boys looked after him and made no comment. They saw that
they were in a country of men. They were beginning to learn the ways
of the breed of men who, in the last century or so, have conquered the
American continent for their race--a race much the same, under
whatever flag.

Even on the railway train they found plenty of new friends who were
curious to learn of their long journey across the Rockies. The boys
gave a modest account of themselves, and were of the belief that
almost any one could have done as much had they had along such good
guides as Alex and Moise.

The Rockies and the Selkirks impressed them very much, and they still
consulted their maps, especially at the time when they found
themselves approaching the banks of the Columbia River.

"This river and the Fraser are cousins," said Rob, "like the Athabasca
and the Peace. Both of these rivers west of the Rockies head far to
the south, then go far to the north, and swing back--but they run to
the Pacific instead of to the Arctic. Now right here"--he put his
finger on the place marked as the Yellowhead Pass--"is the head of
the Saskatchewan River, and the fur-traders used to cross here from
the Saskatchewan to the Columbia just the way Mackenzie and Fraser and
Finlay used to cross to the Peace from the Fraser. I tell you what I
think, fellows. I'd like to come back next year some time, and have a
go at this Yellowhead Pass, the way we did at that on the head of the
Peace--wouldn't you? We could study up on Alexander Henry, and
Thompson, and all those fellows, just as we did on Fraser and
Mackenzie for the northern pass."

"Well," said John, "if we could have Alex and Moise, there's nothing
in the world I'd like better than just that trip."

"That's the way I feel, too," added Jesse. "But now we're done with
this trip. When you stop to think about it, we've been quite a little
way from home, haven't we?"

"I feel as though I'd been gone a year," said John.

"And now it's all over," added Rob, "and we're really going back to
our own country, I feel as if it would be a year from here to home."

Jesse remained silent for a time. "Do you know what I am thinking
about now? It's about our 'lob-stick' tr