tion, until we
struck Caribou River and then turned toward White River and finally
arrived at God's Lake. Our little party included Oo-koo-hoo, his wife
Ojistoh, their granddaughter Neykia, and myself. Our domestic outfit
was loaded upon two hunting sleds in the hauling of which we all took
turns, as well as in relieving each other in the work of track beating.
At night we camped in the woods without any shelter save brush
windbreaks over the heads of our beds, our couches being made of
balsam-twigs laid shingle fashion in the snow. For the sake of warmth
Ojistoh and Neykia slept together, while Oo-koo-hoo and I cuddled up
close to one another and fitted together like spoons in a cutlery case,
for the cold sometimes dipped to forty below.

The prisoner of the city, however, may think sleeping under such
conditions not only a terrible hardship but a very dangerous thing in
the way of catching one's death of cold. I can assure him it is
nothing of the kind--when the bed is properly made. And not only does
one _never_ catch cold under such conditions, but it is my experience
that there is no easier way to get rid of a bad cold than to sleep out
in the snow, wrapped in a Hudson's Bay blanket, a caribou robe, or a
rabbit-skin quilt, when the thermometer is about fifty below zero. But
rather than delay over a description in detail of the mere novelty of
winter travel, let us hurry along to our first destination, and visit
the Free Trader Mr. Spear and his family, and find out for our own
satisfaction whether or not the mysterious "Son-in-law" had recently
been courting the charming Athabasca.

When we reached God's Lake, for a while we snowshoed down the centre,
until at the parting of our ways we said good-bye, for the Indians were
heading directly for Fort Consolation. As I neared Spearhead and came
in view of its one and only house, the Free Trader's dogs set up a
howl, and Mr. Spear came out to greet me and lead me into the sitting
room where I was welcomed by his wife and daughter. Now I made a
discovery: quartered in a box in the hall behind the front door they
had three geese that being quite free to walk up and down the hall,
occasionally strolled about for exercise. As good luck would have it,
supper was nearly ready, and I had just sufficient time to make use of
the tin hand-basin in the kitchen before the tea bell rang. Again,
during the first half of the meal we all chatted in a lively strain,
all save