340 MAIL SERVICE 



through the trees the edge of the beach which at 

 that point was level. I was some distance ahead 

 breaking the road, and as I carried no mail, but 

 only my provisions, my pack was considerably 

 lighter and I often had to wait for them on the 

 way. When the two carriers, both young men, 

 got to this place, a fancy struck them to go along 

 by the hard beach instead of following my track 

 through the woods. It was all right for a short 

 distance, but they soon met a steep cliff which 

 they could not get around, as the sea covered the 

 base of it. Instead of returning to the path they 

 stupidly set to work to climb around it. In do- 

 ing so, Levesque, who was in the lead, lost his 

 footing in the loose snow and slid down into the 

 water. His companion, trying to turn back, met 

 the same fate. Fortunately the tide was low and 

 they found footing on some loose rocks in four or 

 five feet of water. After much trouble and exer- 

 tion they scrambled up wet through and chilled. 

 I had gone on some distance and waited for them, 

 but after a reasonable time had elapsed I got 

 anxious and turned back to see what the trouble 

 was and found their tracks leading down to the 

 sea shore. I knew of the cliff in the way and 

 presumed that by this time they must have gone 

 around and were on their way to the camping 

 place; so as it was getting late in the day I felt 

 that I must hurry up to prepare the camp. I was 

 undecided, however, about resuming my return 



