“Well, I like that!” shouted the fat boy. “I’m glad that you, too, got some of the worst of it. Why didn’t you tie the rope around his neck while you were about it, Tad, and make a thorough job of it?”
Nevertheless, Stacy was set upon having his revenge on Tad, even though he was himself to blame for the trick that had been played on him. The sun shone over the camp of the Pony Rider Boys a few hours later, and the rough hike was again taken up. It was the middle of the fifth day after the roping experience when the boys first caught sight of Yakutat Bay. Huge cakes of floating ice were being thrown up into the air by the strong gale that swept in from the Pacific, the whitened ice in strong contrast with the black sands of the beach.
Towering above it all, nearly five miles in the air, stood Mt. St. Elias glistening in the mid-day 118sun. Rushing streams roared down the sides of the mountain, thundering through deep gorges cut into the rocks through perhaps thousands of years of wear. It was a tremendous spectacle, exceeding in impressiveness anything the boys had ever looked upon.
At their feet lay the wreck of the rude cabins of the early Thlinkit Indians. There was no sign of any other village. The masts of a few small schooners were visible on the southern side of the bay. It was in this part of the waters that ships came to anchor. Here they were not exposed to the heavy swell from the Pacific, being sheltered by islands on the southern side.
An Indian wrapped in a gaudy blanket went striding stolidly past the Pony Rider party.
“Will you tell us where the town is?” called Tad.
Without looking at the questioner, the Indian pointed up the hill to the right.
“He means on top of the mountain,” interpreted Stacy.
“No. There is a trail leading up through the trees,” answered Tad. “But it can’t be much of a settlement.”
“There must be quite a town here,” said the Professor. “I have read that in the year 1796 the Russians established a penal colony 119here, having erected quite a plant. A city was laid out at the time, though I think I have heard that the penal buildings were burned down. But we shall find out more when we get to it.”