230 A BIRCH-BARK CANOE TRIP 



fire, how fittingly his stories of Indian superstitions, of the habits 

 of the denizens of our forests, of hardships endured in the chase, 

 chime in with the surroundings. Give me an Indian for a guide 

 on such an expedition as this ; with all his faults, there is a lovable 

 simplicity about him, and a sympathy with the wild creatures that 

 I heartily admire. 



While sitting round the camp fire one evening I noted that 

 Joe had lost a large part of his right great toe. On questioning 

 him I got the explanation : ' You remember that cold Friday, sir, 

 about twenty-eight years ago ? Plenty people froze to death ; 

 plenty more lose toes, fingers, nose, on that day, I tell you. Me 

 and my brother Peter were in the woods that day, far from home. 

 Six miles from our camp we had killed two moose the evening 

 before. By the time we dressed them it came on dark, very dark, 

 sir, and snow began to fall. We could not find our way about, 

 so we dug down through the snow.' ' How deep, Joe ? ' ' About four 

 feet, sir, to the ground ; then we laid down for the night.' ' Had 

 you any fire ? ' ' Oh, yes, sir ! but it got so cold before morning ; 

 we sat there quiet, waiting for daylight, and neither spoke. At 

 last we saw the sky grow brighter ; so slow, though, it seemed 

 like a year getting daylight ; our teeth chattered ; we looked 

 at each other, but neither said anything. We rose to try and make 

 our tent, where we had blankets, flour and pork. But now there was 

 a fearful driving snowstorm ; we could not see five yards ahead ; we 

 missed our tent, and then tried to get to a lumber camp we knew 

 was five miles away. We wandered about, and at last struck a 

 lumber road that we knew led to the camp. Taking off our snow- 

 shoes, because the lumbermen do not like snow-shoe tracks on their 

 roads it packs the snow and makes it difficult for the horses 

 we made for the camp, some eight miles off. We got about four 

 miles ; then I felt like dropping. My brother reeled like a drunken 

 man, and staggered and sometimes fell, but at once jumped on his 

 feet again. When I began to freeze I felt very warm, as if going to 

 sweat, and took off my mits, and opened my coat. 



' At last I got to camp, but could not speak for a long time. 

 When I could speak I told them about Peter, and they went and 

 got him. They put my feet for two hours in salt water and snow ; 

 then put me to bed. There was a big fire in the middle of the 

 camp on the ground that was the floor. It seemed to me lik 

 coming from hell to heaven. But when I woke my feet u- 

 burning in a slow fire. I made them strip off the skin that rose in 

 blisters, so that it would heal quicker. They kept me three dav^ 

 I telJ you, sir, a lumber camp in winter is comfort. It look* KMI^II 

 outside, but once get in plenty good grub, plenty warm. j>lriitv 



