6 EXPLORATIONS IN THE FAR NORTH 



again within range; I fired, and the bullet pierced both the 

 right fore limb and the heart of the moose. This was my first 

 moose, and I had secured two excellent specimens, and felt 

 justified in giving vent to my feelings in a shout of triumph. 

 Napasis, too, was greatly pleased, and talked excitedly in unin- 

 telligible Cree. 



The next morning a strong breeze prevented our returning 

 to the post. I tried to induce Napasis to continue the hunt, but 

 he only said "aha" — yes — and stupidly grinned at the proposi- 

 tion. It was against all precedent for a man to tramp around 

 another day after meat when he had a week's supply on hand, 

 so he spent the day lying on his back singing or gorging him- 

 self with moose meat and cogos (bacon). The next morning 

 we worked along shore half way to the post, but could go no 

 further against the strong wind. I did not like the idea of 

 spending the night where we were, and set off towards the post 

 afoot, intending to swim the entrances of two deep bays that 

 intervened. On reaching the first of these, I found a canoe 

 lying upon the beach, and pushing back through the fringe of 

 willows, came upon an Indian, Peter Turner, seated with his 

 wife before the fire, surrounded by five half-naked children. 

 They had no shelter of any kind to protect them from the 

 chilling wind. A pair of wet and very ragged moccasins lying 

 before the fire told that the man had been hunting through the 

 muskeg, and the absence of the simmering kettle showed that 

 he had been unsuccessful. Peter was much amused at my pre- 

 dicament but informed me in very bad English that he would 

 set me across the bay with his canoe and that I could go around 

 the next one. Fearing that I would lose my way, he accom- 

 panied me to the post. He moved at a dog trot, which ^wear- 

 ing a pair of heavy boots, found it hard to maintain. We 

 passed several quaking bogs which had to be taken at a run or 

 we should have broken through the crust of roots and moss 

 and quickly sunk into oblivion. We passed through an open 

 meadow where a winding ribbon of open water indicated the 

 presence of a deep and sluggish stream. This we crossed upon 

 a foot-log, the ends of which were afloat in two feet of water 

 with nothing to prevent its rolling. The channel was fully ten 

 feet deep, but with a pole in each hand and rifles slung on our 

 backs, we succeeded in getting across. Within half a mile we 



