$6 My Dogs in the Northland 



able night, with varied experiences that 

 would be anything but pleasant. 



While two of the men with whips and 

 clubs kept the invading Eskimo beasts 

 out of the camp, with my other Indian I 

 chatted with these visiting strangers. They 

 told me that they had come from the Cum- 

 berland district to fish through the ice on 

 Lake Winnipeg, and hunt what game they 

 could find in the forests on the shore. They 

 said that they had had very little success 

 and were very hungry. 



I gave them a liberal supply of food and 

 a package of tea, and after a long chat po- 

 litely requested them to return to their own 

 camp, which was some distance up the coast, 

 and from which they had seen our camp- 

 fire. Its brightness was the cause of this 

 visit. In vain my protestations and kindly 

 request for their departure! The fact of 

 our being tired and weary and wanting the 

 night's rest never seemed to have entered 

 into their minds. What they said was: 



" We are so glad to have met the ' black 

 coat ' the friend of the Indian, that we must 

 stay with him as long as we can." 



So they set to work, and with my kettles 

 cooked the food which I had given them. 



