OFF FOR LAC LA BICHE 



21 



River. It is the site of a Hudson's Bay Company trading- 

 post, and the end of the telegraph line. Once past here, 

 the most rapid means of communication is the " express," 

 as the Indian runner is called. To me, as sportsman, the 

 most interesting feature of Vic- 

 toria was the fact of its being 

 about the northern limit of wa- 

 piti in this particular part of the 

 continent. Formerly, in the days 

 of the bison, wapiti were numer- 

 ous, particularly near the Battle 

 River, but, although they have 

 not entirely disappeared, they are 

 not now plentiful, and are to be 

 had only by the most skilful 

 hunters. Because of this the Ind- 



ians living near Victoria resort 



COPPER KET11.K 



in which the author brewed his tea 



during the entire trip 



to every device for a shot, but 

 with indifferent success. 



This was our longest day's drive, for we had made very 

 close to eighty miles by eleven o'clock at night, when we 

 camped, and the road, or rather the multiplicity of roads, 

 of the afternoon proved even more perplexing than on 

 the day previous. Our direction lay along the border of 

 a Cree Indian reservation, and was cross -sectioned at 

 times with trails, or at least what in the snow had the 

 appearance of trails, running to the four points of the 

 compass. We knew we had but one point of the compass 

 to follow of that much, at least, we were sure, and pro- 

 portionately thankful but that point seemed to be such a 

 broad one we were constantly at a loss for our precise bear- 

 ings. I should be very much relieved to know positively 

 if there was indeed any trail taking a northeasterly course 

 that escaped us, and shall always regret I did not return 



