THE GIANT MOOSE 251 



cut to make skids, and the injured boat hauled up on the 

 beach for examination and repair. We pitched a tent 

 in the snow, hung our damp blankets and clothing over 

 ropes around the big fire, and by bed-time were com- 

 fortable again. With the use of a piece of board, some 

 canvas, pitch, grease and nails. Bill patched up the hole 

 in the boat and we were ready to start early next 

 morning. 



After that I took a hand at the line wherever I could 

 do so from dry ground, in order to keep warm. The 

 wind blew hard against us all the fourth day and with 

 one end of the long rope cutting into one's shoulder and 

 the weight of the two boats laden with over a thousand 

 pounds of stuff worrying in the swift current at the other 

 end, it was not easy to make progress up stream. 



Since we had come down the river, moreover, the 

 water had fallen several feet and left too shallow many 

 of the side branches where the current would have been 

 easier. Further, we were obhged in places to go ahead of 

 the boats with an axe and cut away falling or fallen trees 

 which overhung the river bank — in other words, to 

 swamp out a clear trail for the towing of the boat. 



A long, thin spruce tree had been cut and trimmed of 

 branches and the heavy end of it tied with a rope to the 

 bow of the leading boat, in such a way that Bill could 

 walk on the bank or in the shallow water and hold the 

 head of the boat out or in from the bank as conditions 

 required, while the other two men pulled on the long 

 rope, a hundred and fifteen feet farther up stream. 

 Without this gee-pole it would hardly have been prac- 

 ticable to get the boat around the snags and rocks which 

 fined the banks at many spots. 



On approaching a riffle, where the water dropped 



