74 CANADIAN WILDS. 



turned. The handshaking, talk and laughter 

 when the canoes beached was never to be for- 

 gotten. 



Most of those at the fort had relatives or 

 friends at one or other of the outposts, and if 

 they were not present anxious inquiries were 

 made and answered on the beach. Possibly some 

 loved one had been called away since the last 

 opportunity of communication with the fort; 

 in such a case it devolved on some person of the 

 new arrivals to. break the sad news or receive 

 bad tidings himself. In that case no words were 

 necessary, the downcast look and the prolonged 

 clasp of the hand told as well as words the be- 

 reavement. I have witnessed such meetings, 

 and know it was only hours after the meeting 

 that the details were imparted by words, and 

 that night far into the small hours could be 

 heard the death chant of the sorrowing relative. 



Every night during car stay at headquarters 

 our crews congregated at the men's guard room, 

 and there hoed down the Red River Reels, and 

 entered into other harmless pastimes till well up 

 to midnight. During that week the former 

 rigid discipline of the fort was considerably re- 

 laxed in honor of the strangers. 



In the days of which I write liquor had been 

 abolished for the servants and trade through- 

 out the country, and a few years after even the 



