172 THE ARCTIC PRAIRIES 



all the steam I could get back of it. But he did not 

 wait. At a safe distance he turned and in a totally 

 different manner said: 'I only want to know; I thought 

 maybe the old man (the guide). I'll do it, all ri, all 

 ri,' and he smiled and smiled. 



"Oh! why did I not heed Pike's warning to shun 

 all Beaulieus; they rarely fail to breed trouble. If I 

 had realised all this last night before coming to the 

 open lake I would have taken the whole outfit back to 

 Resolution and got rid of the crowd. We could do 

 better with another canoe and two men, and at least 

 make better time than this (17 miles a day). 



"Yesterday the Indian boys borrowed my canoe, 

 my line, and in my time, at my expense, caught a big 

 fish, but sullenly disregarded the suggestion that I 

 should have a piece of it. 



"Each of them carries a Winchester and blazes away 

 at every living thing that appears. They have volleyed 

 all day at every creature big enough to afford a mouth- 

 ful — ^Ducks, Gulls, Loons, Fish, Owls, Terns, etc. — ^but 

 have hit nothing. Loons are abundant in the water 

 and are on the Indians' list of Ducks, therefore good 

 food. They are wonderfully expert at calling them. 

 This morning a couple of Loons appeared flying far 

 to the east. The Indians at once began to mimic 

 their rolling whoo-ooo-whoo-ooo; doing it to the life. 

 The Loons began to swing toward us, then to circle, 

 each time nearer. Then all the callers stopped except 

 Claw-hammer, the expert; he began to utter a peculiar 

 cat-like wail. The Loons responded and dropped their 

 feet as though to alight. Then at 40 yards the whole 



