THE OVERLANDERS 67

mountains step by step; else would many
turn back. But there were no faint-hearts in
the camp that night. Even the Irishwoman’s
two little children came out and gazed at what
they could not understand.

The party now crossed a ravine to the main
stream of the Athabaska. It was necessary
to camp here for a week. A huge raft was
built of pine saplings bound together by withes.
To the stern of this was attached a tree, the
branch end dipping in the water, as a sweep
and rudder to keep the craft to its course. On
this the Overlanders were ferried across the
Athabaska. And so they entered the VYellow-
head Pass.