158 SPORT INDEED 



effect a handsome, healthy and well-built woman can 

 produce upon a bunch of travel-tired men, especially 

 if she be an independent specimen of her sex — that is, 

 one who is willing to shoulder her share of work and 

 privation, and ask no odds on account of her 

 womanhood. 



After some discussion of ways and means, a corner 

 of the cabin was curtained off for the lady, while the 

 guides spent an hour in rigging up a tent outside for 

 themselves and in getting some dry underclothes on 

 in place of wet ones. 



Bedtime came and the party turned in. By mid- 

 night everything had quieted save the rain that came 

 down the wooden chimney and sputtered on the burn- 

 ing logs. The silence, too, was somewhat interfered 

 with by a choir of snorers — or rather two choirs, for 

 truth compels me to say that the melody was not 

 confined to the tent outside. Who the choristers 

 were in the cabin, I can't say ; I don't think the 

 lady was one of them, for I heard no soprano notes. 



Next day the newcomers started out to explore the 

 lake and its surroundings, and to try the artificial 

 flies on the trout. They had brought a tent with 

 them which was set up some distance from ours, and 

 to which they removed. It was a nasty night, so all 

 stayed indoors. At half-past three in the morning 

 the startling cry of " Fire ! fire ! " awoke me. The 

 iiisi^e of the cabin was ablaze. The clothes hanging 



