llous
intelligence once got to know what was expected of him. No blizzard
storm, no matter how fickle and changeful, could lead him off from the
desired camping place, even if the courage of other dogs failed them,
and even though the guides gave up in despair.

The distance we could travel with dogs depended of course very much on
the character of the trail or route. On the frozen surface of Lake
Winnipeg, when no blinding gales opposed us, and our dogs were good and
loads not too heavy, we have made from seventy to ninety miles a day.
One winter I accomplished the journey from Fort Garry to Norway House in
five days and a half--a distance of nearly four hundred miles. When we
were toiling along in the dense forests, where the snow lay deep and the
obstructions were many, and the country was broken with hills and
ravines, we often did not make more than a third of that distance, and
then suffered much more than when we had made much greater journeys
under more favourable auspices.

The dog sleds are made of two oak or birch boards, about twelve feet
long, eight or nine inches wide, and from half an inch to an inch thick.
These two boards are fastened securely together, edge to edge, by
crossbars. Then one of the ends is planed down thin, and so thoroughly
steamed or soaked in hot water that it can easily be bent or curved up
to form what is called the head of the sled. It is then planed smooth,
and fitted out with side loops. The front ones are those to which the
traces of the dogs are attached, and the others along the sides are used
to fasten the load securely. When finished, allowing two or three feet
for the curled-up head, a good dog sled is nine or ten feet long, and
from sixteen to eighteen inches wide.

Sometimes they are fitted with parchment sides and a comfortable back.
Then they are called carioles. When the dogs were strong enough, or the
trail was a well beaten one, or we were travelling on the great frozen
lakes, I was able to ride the greater part of the time. Then it was not
unpleasant or toilsome work. But as many of my winter trails led me
through the primeval forests, where the snow was often very deep, and
the hills were steep, and the fallen trees many, and the standing ones
thickly clustered together, on such journeys there was but little
riding. One had to strap on his snow shoes, and help his faithful
Indians to tramp down the deep snow in the trail, that the poor dogs
might drag