28 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



easterly clean across the country to Labrador, where few were 

 to be found twenty-five years ago. Don't misunderstand me. 

 I'm not saying that beaver were not found in those parts 

 years ago, but what I mean is that the source of the greatest 

 harvest of beaver skins has moved steadily eastward during 

 the last forty years. Strange to say, the finest marten skins 

 secured in Canada are not those of the extreme northern limit, 

 but those taken on the Parsnip River in British Columbia." 



WANTED, A SON-IN-LAW 



Next morning I busied myself making a few additions to 

 my outfit for the winter. Then I borrowed a two-and-a-half 

 fathom canoe and paddled across the lake to Spearhead. The 

 town I had heard so much about from the Free Trader was 

 just a little clearing of about three acres on the edge of the 

 forest; in fact, it was really just a stump lot with a small one- 

 and-a-half story log house standing in the middle. Where 

 there was a rise in the field, a small log stable was set half under- 

 ground, and upon its roof was stacked the winter's supply of 

 hay for a team of horses, a cow, and a heifer. 



At the front door Mr. and Mrs. Spear welcomed me. My 

 hostess was a prepossessing Canadian woman of fair education, 

 in fact, she had been a stenographer. On entering the house I 

 found the trading room on the right of a tiny hall, on the left 

 was the living room, which was also used to eat in, and the 

 kitchen was, of course, in the rear. After being entertained 

 for ten or fifteen minutes by my host and hostess, I heard fight 

 steps descending the stairs, and the next moment I beheld a 

 charming girl. She was their only child. They called her 

 Athabasca, after the beautiful lake of that name. She was 

 sixteen years of age, tall, slender, and graceful, a brunette with 

 large, soft eyes and long, flowing, wavy hair. She wore a 

 simple little print dress that was becomingly short in the skirt, 



