MOUNT CORMACK REGION 215 



said Joe to me one day. "We have no doctor there but 

 the priest. He knows lots, but he ain't got no medicines 

 Hke yours, pore fellow." 



When he became melancholy Joe was always pitying 

 some one, either himself, the priest, the Government, or his 

 wife. A propos of his wife, I asked him one day if his wife 

 went with him trapping. 



" No, not now ; she came once, but she got to stay at 

 home now to look after de apple-tree." 



"Good gracious, what for?" I asked. 



"Why, you see, I've got a fine apple-tree, the only one 

 in Conn River, and the fall she was in with me the ' beach ' 

 boys got flinging stones, and smashed all my windows and 

 took the apples." 



"But surely you don't care for the apples more than 

 your wife." 



"Well, no, but I've got a pig — and what between watchin' 

 that apple-tree and feedin' de pig on squid, she don't have 

 no time to do nothin' else — pore woman." 



It must not, however, be supposed that Joe was a melan- 

 choly individual ; on the contrary, he was generally full of 

 fun and laughter. He could see a joke as well as any man, 

 and his skill in woodcraft was exceptional. He was as lithe 

 and strong as a lynx, and could run over the marshes and 

 hills like a deer, and climb like a monkey. He was most 

 careful of stores and canoes, and when guiding was necessary 

 he proved himself to be a genuine guide. 



I had an example of this on the morning after we arrived 

 at Shoal Lake Island, from where we were to start on the 

 following day up the Dog Lake Brook into the unknown 

 country. Joe had never been there before, and so he made 

 it his business to go and find out the condition of the brook 



