lways
seen his father and the other hunters of the Bay capture them in steel
traps. It was his first lesson in the Indian method of hunting.

That evening the flesh of the beavers went into the kettle, and their
oily tails--the greatest tidbit of all--were fried in a pan. The
Indians made a feast time of it, and never ceased eating the livelong
night. This day of plenty came in cheerful contrast to the cheerless
nights with scanty suppers following the weary days of plodding that
had preceded. The glowing fire in the centre, the appetizing smell of
the kettle and sizzling fat in the pan, and the relaxation and mellow
warmth as they reclined upon the boughs brought a sense of real
comfort and content.

The next day they remained in camp and rested, but the following
morning resumed the dreary march to the westward.

After many more days of travelling--Bob had lost all measure of
time--they reached the shores of a great lake that stretched away
until in the far distance its smooth white surface and the sky were
joined. The Indians pointed at the expanse of snow-covered ice, and
repeated many times, "Petitsikapau--Petitsikapau," and Bob decided
that this must be what they called the lake; but the name was wholly
unfamiliar to him. In like manner they had indicated that a river they
had travelled upon for some distance farther back, after crossing a
smaller lake, was called "Ashuanipi," but he had never heard of it
before.

The wigwam was pitched upon the shores of Petitsikapau Lake, where
there was a thick growth of willows upon the tender tops of which
hundreds of ptarmigans--the snow-white grouse of the arctic--were
feeding; and rabbits had the snow tramped flat amongst the underbrush,
offering an abundance of fresh food to the hunters, a welcome change
from the unvaried fare of dried venison.

Bob drew from the elaborate preparations that were made that they were
to stop here for a considerable time. Snow was banked high against the
skin covering of the wigwam to keep out the wind more effectually, an
unusually thick bed of spruce boughs was spread within, and a good
supply of wood was cut and neatly piled outside.

The women did all the heavy work and drudgery about camp, and it
troubled Bob not a little to see them working while the men were idle.
Several times he attempted to help them, but his efforts were met with
such a storm of protestations and disapproval, not only from the men,
but the women also, that