ormer appears the best. It is really a good
fair-weather axe, but winter work proves the superiority of the
Canadian implement. The latter does not chip so readily in cold
weather. Furthermore, the eye of the American axe is too small for the
soft-wood helve usually made in the northern forest, since in many
parts no wood harder than birch is to be had. But to reduce the high
temper of the American axe, the hunter can heat the head in fire until
it becomes a slight bluish tinge and then dip it in either fish oil or
beaver oil. The sizes of axes run: "Trappers," 1 1/2 lbs.;
"Voyageurs," 2 1/2 lbs., "Chopping," 3 1/2 lbs., and "Felling," 4 lbs.

At last the eventful morning arrived. Now we were to go a-hunting.
The trap-setting party was to be composed of four persons: Oo-koo-hoo,
the two boys, and myself. Our _ne-mar-win_--provisions--for four, to
last a week, consisted of: one pound of tea, eight pounds of dried
meat, four pounds of grease, four pounds of dried fish, and a number of
small bannocks; the rest of our grub was to be secured by hunting.

Of course, while hunting, Oo-koo-hoo always carried his gun
loaded--lacking the cap--but it was charged with nothing heavier than
powder and shot, so that the hunter might be ready at any moment for
small game; yet if he encountered big game, all he had to do was to ram
down a ball, slip on a cap, and then be ready to fire at a moose or a
bear.

SETTING FOX TRAP

After the usual affectionate good-bye, and the waving of farewell as we
moved in single file into the denser forest, we followed a game trail
that wound in and out among the trees and rocks--always along the line
of least resistance--and for a while headed westward through the valley
of Muskrat Creek. Oo-koo-hoo led the way and, as he walked along,
would occasionally turn and, pointing at the trail, whisper:

"My white son, see, a moose passed two days ago . . . That's fox--this
morning," and when we were overlooking the stream, he remarked: "This
is a good place for muskrats, but I'll come for them by canoe."

The principal object of the trip was to set fox and marten traps.
Hilly timberland of spruce or pine, without much brushwood, is the most
likely place for martens; and in fairly open country foxes may be
found. The favourite haunt of beavers, otters, fishers, minks, and
muskrats is a marshy region containing little lakes and streams; while
for lynxes, a willowy valley interspersed with popla