8 WILD BROTHER 



operation back in the forest, and whether Gordon's 

 was the first, the second, or the third on our road, 

 was the cause of the dispute. 



Another, and to me a more serious, discussion 

 now arose. There were two different roads that led 

 into this lumbering region. The teamster who was 

 to act as my companion and guide had never been 

 over either of these trails. In the argument the 

 natives were divided into two hostile groups. One 

 group favored the lake route ; the other maintained 

 that this trail was impossible, inasmuch as no 

 teams had crossed the ice since the last fall of snow. 

 We might get to the lake all right, but it was seven 

 miles across it, and after we got out on it, we could 

 not tell where to get off. New snow had hidden the 

 sled-tracks. 



The opposition very loudly favored the logging 

 road. That was more direct and easy to follow the 

 whole way. The lake advocates admitted this. 

 "But what '11 he do when he meets any sleds?" 

 demanded one big chap. "Yer know as well as I 

 do, Dan, there ain't a single turnout fer ten miles 

 on that loggin ' road. It's a one-haul road. They'll 

 all be comin' out this mornin' and heavy loaded, 

 too. There'll be some cussin' and swearin' if he 

 gits in their way. He can't git by in that narrow 

 road any way you figure it ; if he tries to turn out 

 he'll be stuck in the soft snow." 



