;i : ; ^r r r CANADIAN NIGHTS 



" dug-out," more than usually insecure. It was 

 that uncomfortable interlude between summer and 

 winter when the weather is not cold and dry enough 

 to admit of soft caribou skin moccasins over heaps 

 of woollen socks, and is much too wet and cold to 

 make raw-hide knee boots comfortable wear. 



But poling up a rushing river is vigorous exer- 

 cise. Presently the great sun rose in a flood of 

 light, shedding genial warmth ; and as the day 

 wore on towards noon we were hot enough and 

 tired enough to enjoy a pannikin of strong tea, a 

 piece of hard bread, a quiet smoke and a rest. 

 But the rest was short. It was freezing so hard 

 that it became evident that unless we pushed on 

 our chance of reaching the old lumber camp at 

 the head of the stream before the ice made on the 

 still reaches was small indeed. So push on we 

 did, forcing the canoe up with our poles where 

 the open current ran strong, and breaking our way 

 with our paddles through the rapidly forming ice 

 on still reaches, till a little before sundown we ran 

 the dug-out ashore at the old camp situated just 

 above where the stream drained the still waters of 

 a chain of small ponds or lakes. 



The prospect was not encouraging. Further 

 progress by water was obviously impossible as 



