248 MEN I HAVE FISHED WITH. 



Our provisions and cooking utensils with one rifle 

 were taken on the first trip, and the furs on the second. 

 The otter skins had been stretched on long "shakes" 

 split by Antoine's axe; the other skins, except those of 

 the two wolverines, the deer and bear skins, were 

 "cased" and had been stretched on forked twigs, and 

 therefore the flat hides made a large, broad pack, which 

 was more difficult to get through the forest than the more 

 valuable furs, which were cased. Just here it has oc- 

 curred to me that there are technical terms used in the 

 above that a small boy in the back seats might not under- 

 stand, and for his benefit I will say that a "flat hide" is 

 one that is split on the belly as a butcher skins an animal. 

 Fine furs are "cased," i. e., only cut on the hinder edge 

 of the hindlegs, and the skin drawn off over the head, 

 leaving it like a mitten without a thumb and wrong side 

 out that is, with the fur inside. 



There was a feeling of regret at leaving the cabin, 

 even though it was for home. It had been a home to us, 

 and Antoine fastened up the door, saying: "S'pose we'll 

 come nex' wint'. Who knows? Wen we come we 

 gotta da good ole shanty. Come on." And we turned 

 our backs to our winter home. We stopped a day at the 

 boat to soak it up and swell the seams, and stowed our 

 furs and provisions under the two tarpaulins, and cast 

 loose. The Bad Ax was swollen, and the current was 

 swift. There was no expenditure of muscle in rowing, 

 but there was an anxiety lest pole or paddle should fail 

 and wreck us on a bend or a rifHe. Some of the latter, 

 which we had to make a portage round in the fall, we 

 could shoot now, with more or less risk. When we 

 reached the Wisconsin River we camped, and felt that all 

 danger was over. It was plain sailing after this. We 

 killed five mallards with our rifles, and that gave us 



