BEYOND THE ARCTIC CIRCLE 253 



failing courage. How little I felt like singing may be 

 imagined. 



Night was indeed trying. We always camped on top 

 of a hill, and pitched the lodge on the highest point of 

 that hill, so as not to miss any of the force of the arctic 

 zephyrs, but really. I believe, that the scouts sent out 

 every afternoon hunting caribou might direct their steps 

 to the lodge. 



In camping there was an invariable argument as to the 

 best of several different locations, and when a site had 

 been finally determined the pitching of the lodge gave 

 further excuse for discussion that to me was maddening. 



A lodge, or tepee, as some call it, is taken into the Bar- 

 ren Grounds more to protect the fire than the men. The 

 high wind that blows continuously makes impossible the 

 building of a fire from the little kindling into which the 

 sticks are split, and even were a blaze started, the gale 

 would not only quickly kill the flame, but sweep away the 

 wood. 



When a camping-ground has been chosen, a circle is 

 made of the sledges, the three lodge-poles (tied together 

 at the top) that form the triangle are stuck into the packs 

 to give firm footing, and the remaining poles placed so as 

 to make a cone of the triangle. Then the caribou- skin, 

 revealing countless holes (about the size of a lead-pencil) 

 the grubs have made, is stretched over the poles and out- 

 side of the circle of sledges. The lodge is set very low, 

 so low that standing in the centre your head and shoul- 

 ders will be out in the open. 



Blocks of snow are then cut and piled around the 

 sledges and on top of the caribou-skin, to keep it from 

 being lifted by the wind. When this is completed, four 

 to five of the sticks are taken from the sledges equally, so 

 as to even the loads, and these are split into kindling- 



