WAPITI-RUNNING ON THE PLAINS 97 



It wanted about two hours to sundown when 

 the thin sound of distant voices reached us through 

 the still crisp air, and presently the party foreseen 

 by Willie Whisper came into camp. He proved 

 accurate in his vision. The party consisted of 

 two English gentlemen novices in the woods, and 

 three countrymen — " habitants " as they would be 

 styled in Quebec — conducting them on a hunting 

 trip. They had, as Willie suggested, run down 

 the stream in two birch- bark canoes to the little 

 chain of lakes, where, finding the ice too thick 

 to permit of attempting to break a passage for 

 80 fragile a structure as a birch-bark, they had 

 " cached " their canoes and stores, and tramped 

 across the cranberry marshes to the disused lumber 

 camp in which we had taken up our temporary 

 abode. The afternoon passed busily in helping 

 to make the newcomers — guests in a sort of way 

 — comfortably at home. Cheerily it passed also, 

 for they brought some luxuries in their packs, 

 flour, tea and sugar, a little keg of butter, and a 

 littler one of whisky. By nightfall we had all 

 settled down to wait for a thaw with what patience 

 we could command. Willie Whisper stayed with 

 us during the cold snap, and took his share and 

 contributed his share of shelter, warmth, and 



