8 WILD BROTHER 
operation back in the forest, and whether Gordon’s 
was the first, the second, or the third on our road, 
was the cause of the dispute. 
Another, and to me a more serious, discussion 
now arose. There were two different roads that led 
into this lumbering region. The teamster who was 
to act as my companion and guide had never been 
over either of these trails. In the argument the 
natives were divided into two hostile groups. One 
group favored the lake route ; the other maintained 
that this trail was impossible, inasmuch as no 
teams had crossed the ice since the last fall of snow. 
We might get to the lake all right, but it was seven 
miles across it, and after we got out on it, we could 
not tell where to get off. New snow had hidden the 
sled-tracks. 
The opposition very loudly favored the logging 
road. That was more direct and easy to follow the 
whole way. The lake advocates admitted this. 
“But what’ll he do when he meets any sleds?” 
demanded one big chap. “Yer know as well as I 
do, Dan, there ain’t a single turnout fer ten miles 
on that loggin’ road. It’s a one-haul road. They’ll 
all be comin’ out this mornin’ and heavy loaded, 
too. There’ll be some cussin’ and swearin’ if he 
gits in their way. He can’t git by in that narrow 
road any way you figure it; if he tries to turn out 
he’ll be stuck in the soft snow.” 
