DOWN THE PORCUPINE RIVER 223 



look back. Then he walked into the forest and disap- 

 peared. 



But for this meeting with the moose I should have had 

 no chance to kill game with my revolver so long as I 

 was on the river. This chance I did not take for I 

 considered I had enough bacon and groceries to take me 

 all the way. But I suppose I could have killed some 

 fish for they were jumping out of the water all around 

 me nearly all the time. I have at other times shot fish 

 both with rifles and shotguns and had no doubt of my 

 ability to get some with the revolver. If you are in 

 a position to seize a fish you do not actually have to hit 

 him, for the impact of the bullet on the water right near 

 him will stun him temporarily. 



When the mind is strongly preoccupied with any idea 

 your eyes will play curious tricks on you. There was 

 scarcely a long stretch of the river when I did not dis- 

 cover in the blue distance an Indian smoke curling up. 

 But as I drifted nearer and nearer the smoke became less 

 and less certain until it generally disappeared. Some 

 persisted, however, until I came abreast of them, where- 

 upon I used to land and walk half a mile or so inland 

 to the top of a hill. As these hilltops were frequently 

 covered with trees I used to have to climb a tree to get 

 a view, whereupon I failed to see smoke and returned 

 to the river. 



But in one case the smoke was indubitable. I saw 

 three or four wisps of it curling up among the trees 

 about half a mile inland. I think this was on the third 

 or fourth day. Sure now of having found people, I fired 

 three shots from my revolver to attract their attention, 

 but got no reply. This was strange, for a number of 

 shots in rapid succession are recognized by the northern 



