ood and he had hated to leave while the skins were
heaping up. At last a real thaw came and he had to start for Escoumains.
He was about sixty miles north of here, he said, and he rushed along
with his dogs wallowing in the snow at every step. When he came to the
Port Neuf River, he found the ice just ready to go out. As he got in the
middle of the river, it started to break up. He feverishly drove ahead
and though he lost part of his load, he got to the other side. His son
was not so fortunate, for on looking back, he saw him on a big ice float
that had become separated from the shore. He yelled to Jean, who was
then only fifteen years of age, and directed him what to do. The ice
suddenly began to break up, and he followed his son down the river
nearly a mile before he could get to land, and then he was on the wrong
side of the river.

"Signing to him to stay where he was, Pierre had to retrace his steps to
get his dogs and sleigh. He found them nearly frozen to death, for with
the going down of the sun, it began to get very cold. He at last roused
them and started down the river. He could see the water steadily rising
and knew that it would be only a short time until he would have to get
back to higher ground. By hurrying, he reached a point opposite to where
Jean was. He yelled across and his cry was answered. He then started
down the river, hoping that in some place the ice would still be
holding. After going about two miles, the river narrowed and the ice had
piled up into a jam. It was threshing around, munching and crunching
like some giant monster. He stopped there and waited for the moon to
rise.

"The night had become cold and the fore part of the jam seemed frozen
into a solid mass. He determined to risk a crossing. Strapping
everything tightly on the sleigh, he called to the dogs. They were
frightened and he had to lick them to get them started. Four or five
times on the way across he thought they were lost, but they finally got
to the other side. Everything was drenched and he found himself in great
danger of freezing to death, and he found Jean in almost as bad shape.
Their first care was to find some rising ground. After slipping into
several pools of icy water, they at last got to a small hill. With
frost-bitten fingers and frozen feet, they both were almost helpless. By
exercising the greatest determination, they at last succeeded in making
a fire and they gradually warmed themselves.

"So far, their