IN ALGONQUIN LAND [99 



ried by tramps through the woods. In Several other starts proved useless and 

 this way we found that there were six we returned to camp. A few days after- 

 lakes within a radius of two miles. Of ward, armed with further information, 

 course we always carried a compass, we tried again, with similar success, 

 and did not venture too far from our Finally honest John Urquardt offered 

 camp. We afterwards found that the his services as guide, and one bright 

 year before two men had been lost morning, after a short tramp, we threw 

 nearly a week in this region and had out from the bank of a very pretty little 

 succeeded in reaching a settlement only lake some baited hooks and sat down 

 after a hard tussle with hunger and to await developments. None came, 

 exhaustion. Our guide remembered that there was 



As fresh meat was not easily ob- a roughly improvised raft on the lake 

 tained, fishing became a necessity as which was found after some search, 

 well as a pleasure. It was some time By agile skipping from one tippy side 

 before we found the haunts of the black to another we managed to propel the 

 bass, but once found they yielded us craft, by means of poles, into deep 

 some very fair meals. An hour's troll, or water, where we tried again. Our sue- 

 still fishing, after supper would usually cess was ineffable. We abandoned the 

 earn us a breakfast. But fishing in lake and slunk home. We found it 

 Rainy Lake did not prove exciting and always thus. The fish are always in 

 we decided upon an expedition to a the lake further on. We came to 

 lake to the north of which we had recognize the signs. "No, there is no 

 heard entrancing fish-tales. It was our fishing here, but you go up to Smith 

 first step into the depth of the woods, Lake, two miles north of here, and you 

 for the forest stretched north of us to will get all the pickerel and bass you 

 Hudson Bay. We were told in much can carry." Arrived on the spot, and 

 detail how to find the trail: "So plain having put in a biteless day, the soli- 

 that you can't possibly miss it." It tary inhabitant starts in: "Well, you 

 led off from a logging camp on the see, there used to be fish here, but, I 

 shore of the lake. This we found tell you, if you want some exciting fish- 

 without difficulty, tarrying a short time ing, there is a lake " and you are 



to look into a few of the ill-smelling off, leaving him scratching his head, 

 buildings. The sleeping hut, with its A month of fishing, paddling, tramp- 

 row of stalls still filled with the straw ing and "lazing" saw us ready for a 

 left by the sleepers of the past winter, change of scene, ^and we decided to 

 was a disagreeable reminder of the move down to Cache Lake, where the 

 filth that breeds the scourge of the headquarters of the park superintendent 

 lumber-camp — small-pox. are situated. After a continued rain 



We soon found what we supposed of several days the morning we had 

 was the trail, but we found it anything appointed for departure dawned with 

 but plain. The glimpse of light far fair promise. We arose very early as 

 in the distance suggested wildcats we had to pack our duffle, paddle three 

 and reminded us that our only weapon miles to the settlement, and then trans- 

 of defense was a broken camp ax. We port by land to the station. Taking 

 found later that this was a cat, too, good care to burn our rubbish, as every 

 but not so very wild, having been left good camper should, we started down 

 by the lumbermen to earn its own the lake, our canoe loaded to the gun- 

 livelihood during the summer. After wale with ourselves and belongings, 

 walking two or more miles after a lake Even the need of exercising extreme 

 said to be one mile distant, and that, care to prevent a spill did not deter 

 too, over ground that was an alternation us from taking advantage of a stiff 

 of boggy holes and bushes and brambles breeze that had sprung up by hoisting 

 as high as our heads, we turned back, an umbrella for a sail. With this aid 



