124 HUNTING CAMPS. 



of hard wood whittled into chips makes but a poor sub- 

 stitute. 



Newfoundland, it is true, is far from being a difficult 

 country in which to find one's way. On the other hand, it 

 contains several thousand square miles where a man may 

 be lost very effectually. In fact, if Sam had managed to 

 wander off the trail there might be only a risky chance of 

 finding him again. Yet, but for Walter's obvious fears, it 

 would not have occurred to me to be alarmed, but his state 

 of mind was infectious, so that when dark finally fell I 

 would have given a good deal to see Sam walk up to the 

 fire. We passed rather an anxious night, and it was ar- 

 ranged that at dawn the men should light a large smoke ; 

 but when the morning light began to show we saw that 

 the whole face of the country was draped in a mist that 

 was thicker than ever, and far from improved by a con- 

 tinual downpour of heavy rain. Through this Jack and 

 Walter went off to Beaver Drogue in order to see if the 

 canoe was still where we had cached it. The rest of us 

 remained in camp and kept up a big fire, while all through 

 the day .the mist and rain persisted without a break, ren- 

 dering any attempt to go in search of Sam useless. It was 

 only to be hoped that Sam had reached the canoe, other- 

 wise he would be unable to find anything but berries to 

 eat, as he started with only a knife. Had he carried a 

 rifle there would have been little to fear. It was a relief when 

 Walter appeared late in the afternoon with the news that 

 the prudent Sam had been found, warm and comfortable, 

 fast asleep under the canoe? I think that on this occasion 

 the fears of our men made us unduly anxious, but, at the 

 same time, in an uninhabited country the margin between 

 safety and danger is always a narrow one, and we gave 

 orders that for the future Sam was not to go far from camp 

 without one of the other men. 



On the morning of the next day we moved camp, chan- 



