232 THE SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE; 



when I raised my rifle and forwarded my compliments. 

 One fine bird in the flock promptly acknowledged the 

 receipt of the same by the loss of her head and turning 

 up her feet. This was our prompt commencement in 

 providing flesh food for our larder, and the success of the 

 shot gave us much satisfaction. We pulled away on our 

 paddles, picked up our game, and then headed for that 

 point on the shore where we intended to disembark. 

 Breaking the ice with the paddle was now becoming per- 

 ceptibly more difficult every hour, and the lapse of a very 

 brief period will render it an impossibility. The shore 

 was finally reached, the canoe taken from the water, and, 

 after being turned bottom upward, was placed on some 

 brush, while the captain remarked, " Navigation is closed ; 

 we shall have no further use for little birch-barks this 

 year." The tramp was at this point again resumed, and 

 we pushed forward as rapidly as was possible under the 

 circumstances for our destination. The captain aimed to 

 reach a little hut which he had constructed some years 

 previously, while trapping in this part of the forest, before 

 nightfall, in order to spend the night in it. 



The storm had now ceased ; the sun shone out, but it 

 was nevertheless very cold. The game had commenced 

 to move about, although during the storm it had remained 

 under cover and was inactive. We saw tracks of the red 

 deer and the moose. It was about five o'clock when we 

 arrived at the trapper's cabin. We were once more dis- 

 appointed : we had hoped for shelter and there was none. 

 The roof of this cabin had fallen in, evidently some months 

 previously, and consequently its interior was filled with 



