256 WITH GUN AND GUIDE 



selves for the night. I told Neil to go to sleep, and I 

 would waken him at midnight, and then he should go 

 on watch. Neil lay down in the stern and cuddled up 

 as best he could. He was soon snoring and dead to the 

 world, and while my vigil lasted he could be plainly 

 heard at times above the noise of the rushing water. 

 This was something I hadn't counted on and I felt sure 

 that no bear would come near us while the snoring 

 lasted. But how to stop it was a problem which could 

 not be solved during that night at least. 



The night passed very slowly, the only sounds heard 

 being the calls of a pair of moose lovers away off to 

 the back of us and the splashing of an occasional musk- 

 rat. I did not waken Neil, but kept watch all of the 

 night and morning myself, dozing off at times for a few 

 minutes until the welcome glow of sunrise bade us be 

 up and doing. 



Then I saw an exhibition of patience and endurance 

 on the part of Neil, which had lasted through the most 

 of the night, that impressed me more by its silent tes- 

 timony than a whole chapter of words could have done. 

 The boat had been leaking, and as he lay upon his left 

 side and the boat was tilted some degrees, it happened 

 that where he lay just one-half of his body was in the 

 water, and therefore was wet, while the upper half 

 was dry. 



His teeth were chattering when I called him. He 

 simply remarked that his sleep had been fitful and dis- 



