UNDER WAY FOR McMURRAY 45 



I, who relieved one another breaking trail for the dogs, 

 found it very fatiguing. 



It was storming hard and getting colder, and I was 

 ahead setting the pace, when, about three o'clock that 

 afternoon, I came upon a log hut, and two trails that bore 

 away in different directions. I wish I could have photo- 

 graphed the scene which slowly materialized from out of 

 the darkness as I stood on the earthen floor within the 

 cabin while my eyes grew accustomed to the changed con- 

 ditions. On entering I could distinguish only the fire in 

 one end, before which squatted a couple of Indians and 

 a squaw, but gradually the shadows lifted, and I found 

 myself for a few moments busily engaged shaking hands 

 with Indians as fast as the new light revealed them. It 

 was a very small cabin, barely ten feet square, I should 

 say, with a parchment-covered hole in the wall for a win- 

 dow, and a door which demanded a bowed head of every 

 visitor. I do not know how many Indians were in that 

 hut, but I recall wondering how they arranged for sleep- 

 ing, as there seemed hardly space for them to sit, much 

 less lie down. They were about to eat, and several rab- 

 bits, suspended full length from a deer thong, and minus 

 only their skins, were twirling and roasting before the fire, 

 while others were being prepared for the cooking. I was 

 not partial to rabbit, nor especially happy in the cabin's 

 atmosphere, so when I had wanned a bit I went outside 

 to await the remainder of my party. 



Heming and John hove in sight shortly, but quite half 

 an hour had passed when " Shot " and his dogs loomed up 

 in the storm, that seemed increasing every minute. Then 

 " Shot " and I had our first battle royal. He fancied the 

 smell of the roasting rabbit and the warm cabin ; he did 

 not like the sleet driving in our faces, and he wanted to 

 camp. I was annoyed at the interruptions to our prog- 



