THE SASKATCHEWAN EXPRESS 



honeycombed with the nest holes of the 

 sand swallows, whose owners circled 

 around the nests and over the river in 

 countless numbers. Many places along 

 the river banks show plainly the dif- 

 ferent layers in their formation and 

 would no doubt prove of interest to the 

 geologist. There were no coal mines to 

 be seen after we passed the Fort. At 

 several points swift flowing creeks 

 emptied noisily into the river, and still 

 more numerous were the many little 

 streams coming from the springs. The 

 gullies or runs through which most of 

 these reached the river were almost 

 buried in a tangle of trees and brush, 

 both living and dead. 



We had hoped to reach Victoria, a 

 small Indian post or agency, that night, 

 but were badly disappointed. Nine 

 o'clock came, ten o'clock, and no Vic- 

 toria to be seen. About twenty miles 

 back we had hailed an Indian on shore, 



who told us Victoria was ten miles. It 

 was now growing very dusky ; the long, 

 gloomy stretches along the shores in- 

 creased all too rapidly. In the front 

 scow two of the Frenchmen tended the 

 sweep, and my father and I manned the 

 one in the rear. The third Frenchman 

 stood in the front scow, straining his 

 eyes in a vain endeavor to pierce the 

 darkness ahead. There was little 

 said, but every one hoped fervently 

 that no rocks or sandbars were near. 

 Half-past ten came and we dared 

 travel no longer, but pulled blindly for 

 shore and were lucky enough to strike 

 a place where we could snub the boat. 

 We found next morning that we were 

 oniy a short half-mile above Victoria. 

 It was too late and dark to pitch the 

 tent that night, so we rolled in our 

 blankets and slept on the boat, slept as 

 soundly as any one can with a herd of 

 hungry mosquitoes wanting refresh- 



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