128 CANADIAN AVILDS. 



SUMMER. 



Suppose your canoe has been turned over on 

 the beach all night, never launch it in the morn- 

 ing without first thoroughly examining the bot- 

 tom from end to end. If there are rabbits or 

 rats about, the place of a greasy hand is enough 

 to draw them, and they will gnaw a lot of boat 

 for very little grease. 



This might be overlooked in the hurry of get- 

 ting away, and the canoe either sink under you 

 or sufficient water enter to damage your things. 



Once my chum and I were making our way 

 up river with our supplies. Amongst the pro- 

 visions was a half barrel of pork. When camp- 

 ing the first night we left the pork near the over- 

 turned canoe. The rest of our outfit we carried 

 up to our camp on the top of the river bank, 

 thinking nothing would touch a solid hardwood 

 barrel. 



Well, in the grey morning, when we went to 

 get water for our coffee we found the staves iu 

 shooks and the bricks of pork scattered about 

 the gravelly beach. Rabbits had cut the hoops 

 and the barrel had fallen to pieces. The rest 

 was easy to the rabbit not to us. 



If you are a lone hunter never travel in sum- 

 mer without an extra paddle. You may lug this 



