ig8 HUNTING CAMPS. 



After some three days spent in struggling against the fast 

 dark current, we reached the neighbourhood of Cooper's 

 Brook, where we found another Indian teepee this time 

 empty and a little further up a birch-bark letter in a cleft 

 stick, from one Nicolas Jeddore, a Micmac, stating to whom- 

 soever it might concern that he came from Conn River, and 

 having travelled east to Child's Pond and Baby Lake was 

 now on his way back to Conn River again. The Indians 

 often leave such letters, set up in prominent positions, for 

 the information of their friends and comrades. 



Up to this time we had seen no open country, the 

 woods growing thickly to the very water's edge ; but as 

 we approached Migwell's Brook the banks began to show 

 signs of change. At the outlet to the Brook we caught 

 three good ounaniche, the only fish caught on the whole 

 trip. 



After this followed a period of rather dull toil. The rival 

 party was still ahead of us, and at the most likely spots for 

 game on the bank we were sure to find the inevitable and 

 irritating traces of their boots. Sometimes the track of a 

 stag was near by, but the signs showed that in most cases 

 the deer had turned back into the woods. Reuben Lewis 

 had told us of a spot which he said was one of the best 

 crossing-places for caribou on the river, or, in fact, in the 

 island. This place was Serpentine Hill, a cliff some two or 

 three hundred feet high, bare of trees and covered with 

 asbestos. From Migwell's Brook we had to work up-river 

 by wading ; at noon we grounded our canoes under the cliff, 

 and leaving Ned Sweetapple to prepare a meal the rest of us 

 climbed the peak to have a look round. 



The prospect was most satisfactory. We were at last 

 clearly in good deer country. We could see for four or five 

 miles, and the low woods were broken by outcrops of hard 

 mossy barrens, such as the caribou love to haunt. That 

 was on the north of the Gander. On the south the country 



