“’Because of the absolute lack of beaten trails, and the fact that the snow lies so loosely on the ground like so much salt, no matter what its depth may be, it was necessary through all their work to snow-shoe ahead of the dog-teams.  When one considers their isolation,—­often traveling for days without other shelter than a tent and fur robes—­it can be understood what sacrifices some of these men made to visit far-away prospectors’ cabins and claims.  However, no man who travels in this part of the country ever considers that there is any hardship, unless there is loss of life, and they take their work stoically and good-naturedly, though they drop in their tracks at the end of the day.’”

He tossed over the report to Hamilton.

“Look it over,” he said.  “I tell you there’s some stirring stuff in that, and just the bald reports of the enumerators’ trips leave the stories of explorers in the shade.”

The boy took up the report as he was bidden, and read it with avidity.  Presently, upon a boyish exclamation, the other spoke: 

“What’s that one you’ve struck?”

“It’s the enumerator from the district of Chandler,” answered Hamilton.

“Go ahead and read it aloud,” Barnes said, “I can go on with these schedules just as well while you do.”

“‘At no time after he left Fairbanks,’” read the boy, “’did the thermometer get above 30 degrees below zero.  His long journey away from a base of supplies made it impossible for him to carry a sufficient supply of grub, and he was obliged to live off the country, killing moose, mountain sheep, and other fresh meat.  He froze portions of his face several times, and on one occasion dropped into six feet of open water, nearly losing his life in consequence.’”

“That would be fearful,” said Barnes, “unless he could pitch camp right there, put up a tent, build a fire, and change into dry clothing.”

“There seems to have been mighty little wood for that up there,” Hamilton remarked, “because, speaking of this same enumerator, the supervisor says, further on, ’In crossing the Arctic Range and in returning he traveled above timber line eighteen hours in both directions, which, in a country where fire is a necessity, can be understood is a very considerable sacrifice.  He traveled in many places where a white man had never been before, and as there are no beaten trails or government roads in the district anywhere, he was obliged, everywhere, to snow-shoe ahead of his team to beat down a trail.’”

“Did you ever snow-shoe?” asked Barnes abruptly.

“Once,” answered Hamilton, “when I went to Canada to visit some cousins; they had a snow-shoe tramp and insisted on my coming along.  But I was stiff for a week.”

“Well,” said the editor, “when you try to break trail and have to keep ahead of a dog-team coming along at a fair clip, it’s just about the hardest kind of work there is.”