2i8 CANADIAN NIGHTS 



he had with him lying outside by the dead sodden 

 ashes of the fire, in a most uncomfortable attitude, 

 leaning on his elbow with his head supported by 

 his hand, drenched of course to the skin through his 

 tattered clothing, and shivering with cold, but 

 sleeping soundly all the same. " Why, Joe," I said, 

 " what a shame to keep that miserable little boy out 

 in the cold and wet all night." " Oh," he replied, 

 " he don't mind ; he hard, hard all the same as one 



d dog : do him good." 



We remained a few days on the shores of the 

 lake, but finding no sign of game, crossed to the 

 opposite side, made a short " portage " to another 

 lake, traversed that, and after a long and toilsome 

 tramp over land of some eight or ten miles, arrived 

 at what we hoped would prove our final destination. 

 What a lovely hunting country it was ! Not 

 more than half a mile from our camp, which was 

 placed in a nicely sheltered little island of wood, 

 rose a steep hill, which commanded an unob- 

 structed view over miles of open country. Bare, 

 dry, barren, the surface principally composed of 

 rock covered with lichens on which the reindeer 

 feed, alternating with patches of softer ground 

 carpeted with the beautiful ivory white caribou 

 moss, shallow pools and trickling streams, sheltered 



