A CHRISTMAS JAUNT 



through which the St. Urbain road finds 

 a difficult passage, the heights of Les 

 Eboulements, the St. Lawrence and Isle 

 aux Coudres far beneath us, half hidden 

 in ragged vapours gilded by the heatless 

 beams of the low sun. 



Practically all the way to La Barriere 

 it was an ascent through an increasing 

 depth of snow which tried the horses, 

 and made the passing of other vehicles 

 rather a ticklish business. Some one 

 must give way and leave the narrow 

 track; light yields to loaded, a single 

 horse to two, two to three, the etiquette 

 of the road is well settled, and debate 

 only arises where conditions are equal. 

 With six feet or more of unpacked 

 snow, as often there is at this elevation 

 later in the winter, the horse is unhar- 

 nessed, the driver steps off and is sub- 

 merged to his neck, he tramps down 

 some square yards and perhaps adds his 

 robes and blankets to give a foothold, 

 the horse is coaxed into the hole thus 



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