C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

158 THE LADIES , THE GWICH'IN , AND THE RATCelebrating New Year's DC!}at Old Crow, 1930.Left to Right: Cpl Arthur B.Thornthwaite, HarryAntho,!)" Harry HeaJy, andConst Sid MC!}. Arthur B.Thornthwaite Collection,Yukon Archives, 83/ 22-1,Part 1, no. 184-.(Identifications supplied QyClara MC!) for Edward2;.ea1l9,)after ten hours paddling and on entering that gorge were carried down by swiftwater and a sinister cold wind that blew from behind us. Magnificent cliffstowered overhead on either side, the rocks were red, black, white. gray andyellow. Rampart House was perched on a little gap in this gorge and there welanded. It could hardly be called a settlement for it consisted of the policebarracks, the church, the solitary cabin of a trader named Cadzow and threeother houses. but it was the international boundary of Canada and Alaska. Thetwo police living in the barracks at once welcomed us, and cooked us a supper ofeggs and potatoes. Those eggs tasted like caviare. "Of course we'll give you ourtwo beds for the night," they said, "we've got a tent." The names of these twomemorable hosts were Thornthwaite and Allington. The first thing that Iremember about Mr Thornthwaite is that when I offered him one of the last ofour English cigarettes he exclaimed with delight: "Hullo. a tailor-made. haven'tseen one for years." He then proceeded to roll one for each of us and to give us alesson in rolling our own, but it was an art that we never could learn.Mr Allington decided that he would like to come down with us next morningfor a short holiday at Fort Yukon. It was a wet. cold night and when they hadsettled us into their room and left us, we were glad of the warmth from four shel-