The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-11-25

beside the calves. Over all the wide
white surface of the plain not a hui
man figure was visible. The wolves
now gathered in, not to be denied. The
end Of the hunt had come. Supersti-
ton had thwarted pluck, and 80 robbed
a daring undertaking Of it's most val
liable fruit.
Jones wanted to 60 back again, but
Rea would not hear to this. He pointed
out that they had been out seventeen
days with no food but caribou meat,
and that they were nearly out of am
munition. He said he was game, but did
not want to commit suicide. So, with
much reluctance, they headed back for
the camp on Artillery lake.
They went on still farther toward
Great Stave lake, which to them seemed
like home. They lost our dogs through
wolves, which continually fought their
dogs at night about the camps. They
were gaunt and weary themselves as
When they got back to the shores of the
Great Slave and reached their winter
cabin. 1t was now spring, but the ice of
the great waterway had not moved. 1t
was July Z before they could take boat
for their long journey home.
Rea wanted to go to the Klondike,
and said he would accompany Jones
down the McKe nZieandintOth e
down the Mckenzie and into the Yu-
kon. They sailed 425 miles across Great
Slave lake, and made good time down
the Great Bear waters. At Fort Nor
nan they traded their for a grand
Peterboro n which had been aban-
doned by a Klondiker. Then they
stripped down light, to the last ounce.
throwing away revolvers, most Of their
blankets, everything which they could
spare, and prepared for their last series
Of adventures, by no means light ones.
1t was late August when they got to
the mouth of the Mackenzie. Thence
they went at once up the Peel river,
and here for the first time struck the
current of the heavy waters on the up
stream side. They had to get into the
water and pull their boat on a rope
TRACKING" as the process is called in
the Hudson Bay language. Thus they
came to the Rat river, and here it was
h a they found yer 1000 men bound
for the Klondike. who will never get
there, but will have to winter along the
Kat river region.
. MEN WE'RE DECEIVED.
These men complain bitterly against
the Edmonton and Chicago schemers
who induced them to attempt this aw-
full trail into the Klondike country.
Its hardships have never been told.
Jones brought back letters from Chi
cago men who are w~inter-bound at
the Rat river crossing, telling their
wives and families that there is no
hope, but they must stay there this
coming winter. Jones and Rea, by rea-
son of their light boat, got over the
Rat river crossing. Then they struck
the West Rat, and were again going
down stream. They ran to the Bell
river, then into Porcupine creek, then
into the Yukon, after their long, hard,
trying travels. At Fort Yukon Jones
said good by O Rea, who went up
the Yukon to the Klondike. Jones then
came down the Yukon and took boa
for Seattle, after experiencing what he,
with some justice, calls a rather lively
time" Jones says he will print a book
about it some day. He also adds that
he is going to Siberia next year, to
catch Russian crown sables. He says
he is going to start a sable farm on
an island in the Aleutian group, and
raise shoulder capes and boas.
E. HoUGH.