MAKING NIGHT CAMP 171 



Even after the short winter's day had ended we 

 were still calling to the dogs and urging them 

 onward as they flagged at the end of a hard day's 

 work. The wind had dropped, it was some de- 

 grees more intensely cold, and, outside our small 

 activities, the whole vast land was deadly still 

 with silentness. On, ever on, like a shaft of black 

 shadow, the line of sleds crept toward the head of 

 the large lake we were crossing, until our moving 

 forms were brushed from the level white surface 

 and engulfed in the darkness of the dwarf forest 

 on shore. 



Among the trees we made camp. The sleds 

 were drawn into position to barricade our sleeping 

 ground against the dogs and the cold ; and then 

 the dogs were released from their harness. Boughs 

 were cut and laid for the dogs to rest on, and 

 then all hands turned toward making the night's 

 camp. Space was cleared sufficient to accommo- 

 date a large log-fire and our outstretched forms. 

 The fire was kindled at the edge of the space 

 down-wind ; up-wind, the full length of our 

 bodies from the fire, the back of a two to three 

 foot barricade was built, while similar sides en- 

 closed our camping space to the fire, which counted 

 the fourth side of our enclosure. This three- 

 sided barricade before the fire was partly formed 

 with sleds, and completed with felled trees and 

 snow-banking. 



As soon as the fire was well ablaze the " sticks " 

 of fish were ranged before it to partially thaw 

 out before being fed to the dogs. While this was 

 being done the camp was laid with a thick mat- 

 tress of boughs so that we would not sleep 



