MEETING OF THE WILD MEN 169 



days, and it would travel for part of the way along our home- 

 ward trail, I accepted Mr. Mackenzie's invitation to return 

 to Fort Consolation and depart with the Fur Brigade. 



It was a cold trip across the lake as the thermometer had 

 dropped many degrees and a northwest wind was blowing in 

 our faces. As I had frequently had my nose frozen, it now 

 turned white very quickly, and a half-breed, who was crossing 

 with us, turned round every once in a while and exclaimed to 

 me: 



"Oh my gud! your nose all froze!" 



The snow seemed harder than ever, and for long stretches 

 we took off our snowshoes and ran over the drifts, but so wind- 

 packed were they that they received little impression from our 

 feet. Of course, when we arrived at Spearhead, the house was 

 cold and everything in it above the cellar — except the cats and 

 geese — was frozen solid ; but it is surprising how quickly those 

 good old-fashioned box stoves will heat a dwelling; for in 

 twenty or thirty minutes those wood-burning stoves were red- 

 hot and the whole house comfortably warm. 



It's strange, but nevertheless true, that "Son-in-law" was 

 never once mentioned at dinner, but later on, when Athabasca 

 and I were sitting one on either side of the room, Mrs. Spear 

 got up and, getting a picture book, asked: 



"Mr. Heming, are you fond of pictures? Daughter has a 

 delightful little picture book here that I want her to show you, 

 so now, my dears, both sit over there on the sofa where the 

 light will be better, and look at it together." 



Moving over to the old horsehair sofa — the pride of all 

 Spearhead and even of Fort Consolation — we sat down to- 

 gether, much closer than I had expected, as some of the springs 

 were broken, thus forming a hollow in the centre of the affair, 

 into which we both slid without warning — just as though it 

 were a trap set for bashful people. Then Mrs. Spear with a 

 sigh, evidently of satisfaction, withdrew from the room, and 



