Evening star., 1899-03-15

for their lives. and they didn't need any
discouragement just then.
What We We're going to do for food we
did, not know. We had lost our guns, and
with them all chance of killing any living
thing which we might see. When We
reached the carcass of our mule we found
1t eaten by wolves and carrion birds. There
We're a few berries along the river, and en-
these we made our meals for the next six
days. Here and there a cranberry bush
could be found, and around it we would
gather TO breakfast. The red seed pods
on the rose bushes were plentiful, and |
believe these saved our lives, for they We're
almost all we could find to eat They had
been bitten by the frost and had a very
sweet taste, which is very palatabie, or at
least 1t seemed so to our famished stom-
achs.
Sound of an AN.
AT the end of the sixth day, when it was
toss-up whether we should go any fur
ther, and when our feet We're in such condi-
tion that every step meant the torture of
the damned, We heard the sound of an ak.
l have heard the same noise when coming
down the Yukon with a dog team, and it
was very welcome sound, but it never
sounded so sweet as it did that day. Fol
lowing the sound, we saw squaw, who, as
soon as she caught sight of us, set up a
tremendous yell and made for a camp
which We could see nearby. This made US
trifeH uneasy, for we knew that if the
Indians were inclined to be hostile they
could Kill the whole three of us with an
arrow, so completely had our strength been
exhausted. They received us with open
arms, however, feeding us with moose
meat and everything they had in camp. We
ate all We could hold, and as soon we
struck q camp, two hours afterward, we
ate just as much, and we kept eating at
intervals of two hours all that night with
out feeling the least i'll effects. In a few
days our strength in a measure was re-
covered, and soon l was ready to start out.
Inc Indian party consisted of seven or
eight bucks and as many squawS and chill
dren. They treated us with hospitality and
made no demand in return, but We lea med
from them that a party of white men with
steamboat had reached the Cinema river,
hitherto unknown stream 100 miles from
the camp (Which, by the way. was on the
island at the junction of the Volkmar and
the Ianana), | decided to go to them and
get some food for the Indians in return fcr
their Kindness to us. So, with half a dozen
DUCKS, L started for the Chena in a row
ooat, ioo miles up the Tanana, and reached
1t in three and half days.
Inc steamboaters proved to be eighteen
miners. lhey refused to let me have any
supplies for the Indians. having no more
than they needed themselves, and those
Whlcn L would require to take me down
the river. RMS got the Indians down on
me, and they refused to have anything to
do with me on the return trip. | managed
10 get l:om the miners lifeboat and thirty
DAYS oloN ision& and went back to the
mouth OF the Folkmar. where l picked up
my TWO companions and We set out down
the river. We had seen all the unexplored
Alaska We cared to that season We reach
ed Neare October H. and the next day
the river closed with ice. [ knew there
was d military post at Rampant and as
soon as possible started thither over the
Ice, arriving November 8. l stayed there
d month, resting and eating the best Alaska
had to offer, and then started ON with a
Dog team on 1,3O0-mile journey out over
the ice to Skagway, reaching there Febru-
ary u. The next day l started for ciyiliza-
tion, and am very well satisfied that my
Alaskan experience is at an end"