THE VOYAGE ACROSS THE LAKE 175 



"If the mythical monster that dwells in the bottom 

 of Great Slave Lake had reached up its long neck now 

 and taken this same half-breed son of Belial, I should 

 have said, 'Well done, good and faithful monster/ 

 and the rest of our voyage would have been happier. 

 Oh! what a lot of pother a beneficent little bean can 

 make. 



"At noon that day Billy announced that it was time 

 to give me a lobstick ; a spruce was selected on a slate 

 island and trimmed to its proper style, then inscribed : 



E. T. SETON 



E. A. PREBLE 



W. C. LOUTIT 



20 July 



1907 



"Now I was in honour bound to treat the crew. I 

 had neither the power nor the wish to give whiskey. 

 Tobacco was already provided, so I seized the op- 

 portunity of smoothing things by announcing a feast 

 of beans, and this, there was good reason to believe, 

 went far in the cause of peace. 



"At 1.30 for the first time a fair breeze sprang up 

 or rather lazily got up. Joyfully then we raised our 

 mast and sail. The boys curled up to sleep, except 

 Beaulieu. He had his fiddle and now he proceeded 

 to favour us with 'A Life on the Ocean Wave/ 'The 

 Campbells are Coming/ etc., in a manner worthy of 

 his social position and of his fiddle. When not in 

 use this aesthetic instrument (in its box) knocks about 

 on deck or underfoot, among pots and pans, ex- 



