LOST IN THE WILDERNESS 199 



where to find me was the problem, so they had 

 been keeping watch for some signal from me. They 

 had been blowing a small horn at intervals, which 

 I had not heard, and my father would not allow 

 any shots to be fired, as he was afraid I might be 

 misled by the echo as to their direction. The next 

 day I found out that I must have travelled in a 

 pretty straight course, for the place where I had 

 built my fire was only about a quarter of a mile 

 from the Post. Had I continued a few minutes 

 longer I would have come out to the wood road or 

 the house. I confess that I had felt somewhat 

 anxious for a while, but I was not frightened, 

 and if I had received no answer to my shots, 

 would have spent the night near my fire and pro- 

 bably have cooked one of my partridges to eat, 

 before trying to make my way out of the bush. 



During the first few years in which I spent my 

 winters on the coast line, I used to buy furs on 

 commission for the Hudson Bay Co. Post at Ber- 

 simis. Mr. W, S. Church was then in charge. 

 Having some business to settle with him and hav- 

 ing then no regular mail service, I decided to go 

 and see him. I had never been over the ground 

 before, and though I felt quite sure I could find 

 my way all right, I thought it would be best to 

 secure a good guide; the more so as I had a pack 

 of valuable furs to take with me, which, with 

 necessary kit and provisions, made it rather too 

 heavy for one man. I engaged for this purpose 



