168 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



ceivable direction, over and under, until they had to 

 stop from sheer exhaustion. The horses were jumped 

 over logs until they could jump no more. The hunt- 

 ers chopped logs until it was almost impossible to 

 lift an axe. Then they came to a stand-still. A 

 little prospecting discovered water and grass in a 

 swampy place near by, and an hour was consumed 

 in getting the horses to the spot. It was late in the 

 afternoon, and camp was made in one of the wildest 

 places ever visited by man. The swamp was full of 

 high and low bush blueberries, and a quart of these 

 supplied the supper, while the sparse grass made a 

 meal for the horses. One day of rest was taken here, 

 for while it was not a good place to camp, it was bet- 

 ter than the continuous travel through the wilderness 

 of poles and fallen timber. 



The density of the forest was so great that the 

 white tent could not be seen fifty yards away, and to 

 leave camp was a dangerous undertaking. One per- 

 son was compelled to remain at the tent all the time 

 to give necessary signals when the other went out to 

 look for game or to spy out the way. Bear, deer, and 

 caribou tracks were seen in the swamp, but it was 

 impossible to hunt them in the dense woods. One 

 deer came near the camp and was shot for meat. 



A careful examination of the country showed the 

 futility of an attempt at farther progress in that 

 direction, and the back track was taken for five or six 

 miles, and then an attempt was made to go east. 

 Seven miles in this direction were covered when 

 night came on, and they were compelled to camp. 

 Dyche started on a prospecting tour, blazing his way, 



