212 HUNTING CAMPS. 



were quite mistaken as to the possibly dangerous 

 results, as it made him well very quickly. This may 

 have been so. At least he did not die. 



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 whomsoever 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. Some- 

 times 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 



