LOST IN THE WILDERNESS 211 



was up the left branch of it that the route 

 passed. Just at the foot where these two gullies 

 met it formed a small level bottom covered with 

 tall alders. In going through this patch one of 

 the cords of William's pack got entangled in a 

 branch, which delayed him a few seconds, as he 

 had to turn around to loosen it. Just about that 

 moment I was turning to the left, and when he 

 faced around he could not see me. Too much 

 flurried to think of shouting out, he started on the 

 run to overtake me and went straight on up the 

 right divide. Not getting sight of me then, he 

 dropped his pack to run faster. By that time I 

 had probably gone about a hundred yards, when 

 not hearing him behind I turned to look. He 

 was not in sight. I put down the canoe to wait 

 for him. Not seeing him appear after a couple 

 of minutes' waiting, and knowing how close he 

 generally stuck to me, I felt that something must 

 have happened. I therefore hurried back, look- 

 ing carefully as I went down. On reaching the 

 foot of the divide, I saw to my dismay where he 

 had left the trail. I pushed on as fast as possi- 

 ble, and came to his pack, and a few yards fur- 

 ther the two axes and the tin kettle, and then 

 there began a fearful race. I could follow his 

 tracks easily enough, but I had to be cautious, so 

 as not to lose them and therefore knew that he was 

 going ahead twice as fast as I could follow. My 

 only chance of overtaking him, I thought, was 



