Letters Home 



a lid to keep steam in and fire out. In a very 

 short time supper is ready, and after eating oiu* 

 meal, the fire having died down, we scrape the 

 embers over towards the horses, but not too 

 close, where we start a fresh fire, not entirely 

 of dry wood this time, so that it will keep in longer. 

 We put spruce boughs down for our own bed, 

 and no spring mattress is superior. We un- 

 harness the horses, feed them with oats, and put 

 two blankets apiece on them, finally giving them 

 a feed of hay, if we have it. Pile the logs on 

 the fire, take your socks and moccasins off and 

 dry them, put them on again, same with mitts 

 and fur cap, crawl into the bags, and then into 

 the double bag, pull the flap over and go to sleep. 

 T noticed that I got more real rest out of four 

 ■ r five hours' sleep like this than if I had, say, 



ven in a house. The horses were all right, 

 • nd kept all right until within two days of home, 



lien they caught cold owing to stopping in a 



arm stable and not being used to it. Now I 

 have given you a good idea of camping in the 

 bush, so will go on with my narrative. 



" At dinner-time on the third day we made 



1 Norwegian's place about twelve miles this side 



Wichigan Lake, striking the lake just as it got 



I dark. We got on the ice and cut a hole to make 



' >ure it was strong enough, finding it about ten 



259 



