30 CAMP FIRE REMINISCENCES 
The time passed quickly as I wandered over the 
springy moss, and it was not until an impassable 
creek with soft peaty banks was reached that I 
realised the hour and started on the return jour- 
ney. Arriving back at the trail I followed it to 
Lac Long, where I found the canoe and the first 
installment of the baggage. The light was failing 
when the men arrived so we embarked at once. 
We passed a number of beaver houses which were 
all occupied, and there was a great deal of timber 
lying about which had been felled by them. Some 
of these trees were five or six inches in diameter. 
There were a number of pieces several feet long 
lying at the place from which we started, and the 
tooth marks of the little animals were distinctly 
visible on their tapering ends, while some of the 
chips lying around and also tooth marked, gave 
one a good idea of how much could he chiselled off 
at one bite by an industrious beaver. Lac Long 
and a great many of the other lakes appeared to 
have been either formed or greatly increased in 
depth by beaver dams. 
As we passed down the lake for a mile or so the 
water was like a mirror, and the reflection of the 
trees was beautiful in the evening light. We 
landed on the north side of it half a mile from 
the end. While Dalle unloaded the canoe, Semond 
and myself, taking the tent, selected a site for camp 
on a small clearing ten feet above the water. We 
picked out two little spruce trees a dozen feet apart, 
and trimming the lower branches off the opposing 
sides spread them on the ground. A ridge pole was 
