158 SPORT INDEED 



effect a handsome, healthy and well-built woman can 

 produce upon a bunch of travel-tired men, especially 

 if she be an independent specimen of her sex that is, 

 one who is willing to shoulder her share of work and 

 privation, and ask no odds on account of her 

 womanhood. 



After some discussion of ways and means, a corner 

 of the cabin was curtained off for the lady, while the 

 guides spent an hour in rigging up a tent outside for 

 themselves and in getting some dry underclothes on 

 in place of wet ones. 



Bedtime came and the party turned in. By mid- 

 night everything had quieted save the rain that came 

 down the wooden chimney and sputtered on the burn- 

 ing logs. The silence, too, was somewhat interfered 

 with by a choir of snorers or rather two choirs, for 

 truth compels me to say that the melody was not 

 confined to the tent outside. Who the choristers 

 were in the cabin, I can't say ; I don't think the 

 lady was one of them, for I heard no soprano notes. 



Next day the newcomers started out to explore the 

 lake and its surroundings, and to try the artificial 

 flies on the trout. They had brought a tent with 

 them which was set up some distance from ours, and 

 to which they removed. It was a nast}^ night, so all 

 stayed indoors. At half-past three in the morning 

 the startling cry of " Fire ! fire ! " awoke me. The 

 inside of the cabin was ablaze. The clothes hanging 



