IN THE FOREST 97 



recovered or died, for it is impossible to move 

 a sick or injured man through the Vancouver 

 forest. With nothing to read and obliged to 

 lie on my back, the day was long in passing, 

 and I find the following entry in my diary : 

 ' Knee very painful, am quite unable to walk 

 and miserable at the idea that my entire trip 

 may be spoiled and that I may have to turn 

 back. Am black and blue with bruises from 

 the many falls I had yesterday after I injured 

 my knee." 



Smith had succeeded in getting one willow 

 grouse, shooting it with a pistol, but he 

 missed two others close to the camp. The 

 men returned about 4 o'clock, having made 

 good time, as we had blazed our track of yester- 

 day. Smith got in about 7 p.m., utterly ex- 

 hausted, and having failed to find Lake Keogh. 



Here was a man, certainly one of the best 

 woodsmen in the island, defeated by the diffi- 

 culties of the Vancouver forest. It must be 

 remembered the northern portions of the 

 Island are unsurveyed, so marching was all 

 compass work. There had probably been 

 some slight error in the bearings given him 

 by his brother, but the fact remained, that 

 Keogh Lake had still to be hunted for. 



Dick had found a cougar and Smith shot 

 him a fine specimen of a male. Smith's 



