ned from a long journey,
and Monsieur Duclos said they were not fit for travel, but finally, to
my great joy, he very kindly consented to let me have them, with
Belfleur, a French-Indian, as driver, after they had a couple of days'
rest.

It was Mackenzie's custom to make an annual trip to Rigolet on post
business, and this usually took place in May; but he expedited his
arrangements so as to be able to leave with us and thus save his dogs
an additional journey. Belfleur arrived with his dogs early on the
morning of April 21st. Unfortunately Fred Blake, Mackenzie's driver,
was not on hand, but it was decided that Belfleur should go ahead with
George and the coffin, and that Mackenzie and I should follow with the
baggage the next morning. It was nine o'clock when the eight dogs that
were to haul the two men and the coffin got under way. All the natives
were sorry to see George go, his genial manners and cheerful grin
having made him a prime favourite. Mackenzie's little housekeeper and
Mark Blake's wife, who had been George's hostess, wept copiously.

Mackenzie, Fred Blake, and I got off at six o'clock the next morning.
Our seven big dogs were howling and straining on the long traces as I
said good-bye to all the good friends that had been so kind to me and
had gathered to see me leave. It took us until evening of the
following day to reach Rigolet. The Eskimo dogs almost invariably
leave a house and arrive at one with a great flourish, but between
times they settle down to a gentle pace and have to be urged on with
exclamations and much snapping of the whip. Ours were much better
travellers than those belonging to the French post, and, despite the
fact that they had a heavier load to haul and were one less in number,
we overtook George and Belfleur on the afternoon of the second day. A
part of the time Mackenzie and Fred ran beside the komatik on their
snowshoes to get warm, but my knees were still so weak that I had to
stick to the komatik all the way. We spent the night at the log cabin
of a breed, and before noon the next day came to the cabin of one Bell
Shepard, where we learned George and Belfleur had spent their second
night.

It is considered a gross beach of etiquette on The Labrador to pass a
man's house without stopping for bread and tea, and so we had to turn
in to see Bell. As he served us with refreshment, he gave us a
startling bit of news, to wit: that there was a great war raging in the
ou