Plenty of Company. 



Excepting for an occasional pioneer woodsman, the canoeist 

 sees no more of his kind, but he lacks not for company. The 

 deer stand in the rushes along the shores of lake and river 

 and watch him paddle by. Partridges sit on the rocks at the 

 verge of the pine forests and inspect his strange craft with 

 much curiosity. Moose watch him with wonder and in many 

 instances with some resentment. The traveler may often, 

 especially at this time of the year, paddle up close to his 

 highness, the Bull Moose, before he consents to wade out of 

 the water where he has been freeing himself from flies, and 

 grant right of way to the intruders. 



There were three canoe loads of human freight and pro- 

 vender for the same in the game and fish commission excur- 

 sion which paddled away from the piers back of the sawmill 

 at Winton on a Sunday morning not long ago. 



The canoes took it easy the first day. A gasoline launch 

 towed them down Fall lake six miles to the first portage, and 

 after the portage a couple of hours' paddle carried the canoes 

 to Pipestone Rapids. 



An Enthusiastic Kansan. 



It was here that the party met the only other tourists en- 

 countered on their long trip. Dr. Haviland Holes, civic service 

 commissioner of Kansas City, Kan., and a friend paddled in 

 toward night bound on much the same trip the commission 

 planned but the Kansans were going to take it easier. 



That night Dr. Haviland expressed himself as delighted 

 with the little he had seen of the country, and astounded at 

 the number of lakes and rivers which the map showed to lie 

 beyond. 



It was some second day trip that the state commission party 

 took, considering that three of the party were not entirely 

 in training. Up the Pipestone the route lay for six miles 

 and then came the first nasty portage. 



This portage was taken to avoid a long distance around 

 through the waters of what is known as "The Basswood." 



6 



