nscious. When she came
to herself both the bear and the papoose were gone. She returned to her
wigwam and gave the alarm, but as the men were away hunting several days
passed ere they could begin the search.

When at length they discovered the bear's den they found the child was
there alive. In killing the bear they had to take the greatest care
lest they hurt the child, as the bear seemed in its ferocity to think
more of defending the child from them than of saving its own life. The
child when rescued was perfectly naked, yet was fat and healthy, and
cried bitterly when taken away from the warm den and the body of the
dead bear that it had suckled with evident satisfaction.

To this and other wonderful stories the boys listened with the greatest
delight. The fact is, while the children were lost they were as
miserable a trio as could be found, and now the reaction had come, and
they were just bubbling over with delight and ready for any story that
had, even in the remotest degree, anything similar to what had so
excited them.

Indians love good companions, and they found them in the boys; so it was
not long before some of those who had come from Oxford Lake invited them
to return with them, and they promised them some rare sport. At first
Mr Ross was a bit fearful about letting them go so far, but as Big Tom
and Martin Papanekis offered to go in charge of the two canoes he at
length yielded. So, in company with the Indians from that place, they
started off in great spirits, well supplied with guns and ammunition,
and all the necessary camping outfit for a ten days' or two weeks'
excursion.

It was with very great delight that the boys set off with their fresh,
dusky, red companions on this trip. It was principally down the rapid
lakes and rivers up which the boatmen gallantly rowed on their journey
from York Factory. The running of the rapids, especially a wild,
dangerous one through Hell's Gate, very much excited the boys.

On one of the beautiful islands in Oxford Lake they pitched their tents,
and had some capital sport in fishing for the gamy trout which there
abound. The only drawback to the fishing in such a land as this, where
the fish are so abundant, is that the sportsmen soon get weary with
drawing up the fish so rapidly. The finest whitefish in the world are
to be found in Oxford Lake. They, however, will not take the hook, and
so are caught only in gill nets.

Black bears are quite numero