A Sportsman 87 



taking such fine, large trout, always in good form, and 

 surpassing all others of which I have known. 



Despite the sometimes unfavorable weather, when 

 storms and cold predominated, the pleasures and 

 realizations of buoyant cheerfulness, appetite, and 

 sleep well repaid all privations and inconveniences. 

 Sometimes it was difficult to get there, owing to heavy 

 snowfalls and unbroken roads, requiring two or three 

 days from the settlement to get through and estab- 

 lished. But this was the commencement of fun, of 

 which there was no cessation. There were no settle- 

 ments then within miles of the lakes we visited, and we 

 had to haul in our supplies on bob-sleds. Sometimes the 

 ice would be treacherous, and we would break through 

 with our horses, but no particular danger attended this, 

 though we once lost a pair of horses, which was occa- 

 sioned by the carelessness of the driver, who ventured 

 beyond the route which had been lined and tested by 

 axe strokes. This was in early December when the 

 ice was thin at places, and in this place of breaking 

 through the ice all about was too thin to allow any 

 leverage to pry up the horses so that they could be 

 pulled out, and we had to abandon them as the weather 

 was very cold, below zero, and darkness coming on. 



We often got horses in over spring holes where the 

 water below had cut the ice thin, and at cracks and 

 blow-out holes. But it was a simple method the 

 natives had, though not gentle. Always having ropes 

 on the sled, a rope with a noose was thrown over a 

 horse's head after it was detached from the sled, 

 the latter being pulled back, seldom going in with 

 the team. The horse, being well choked, swells 

 up in the body, which prevents sinking. A stout pole, 



