experience had been very disheartening. They had lost one
load of furs, together with the sled and the dogs. In addition, two of
Pierre's five dogs died before morning from their exposure to the icy
waters. The next morning, they found themselves marooned on their little
hill. The jam could be seen still holding and the waters had been backed
up far over the banks. There was nothing to do except to wait for the
jam to break. This it did that afternoon and the waters went out with a
mighty roar, no doubt carrying devastation down through the valley. This
made it possible for them to leave their refuge, but they did not dare
do so at once for the thaw had continued all that day and it would have
been impossible for the dogs to make any headway.

"After careful deliberation, the father and son determined to make their
way if possible down the river about twelve miles to an old lumber camp.
They started about midnight to take advantage of the frost that had put
a hard surface on the snow. The dogs went along finely for they were not
too heavy for the crust on the snow. Time after time, the two men broke
through, frequently going up to their hips in water. They kept going and
by dawn they had covered about half the distance. They again sought a
hillock and once more thawed out their frosted hands and feet. Both
suffered intensely because of the hardships they had undergone. They
again started a fire going and got a little sleep for the first time in
two days.

"They repeated their previous night's experience again and at last
arrived at the lumber camp. Their troubles were then nearly over for
they found a canoe there. This they determined to confiscate as they had
but few provisions since most of their supplies had been lost on the
sled that had gone under the ice. They rested up a whole day and then as
the ice had practically all gone down the river, they set out. The river
was very high and they came near swamping on several occasions but at
last they came to the mouth of the river and reached their friends
safely. Pierre stated that he lost two toes through the frost on that
adventure. He said that it taught him a lesson for if he had not been so
greedy for pelts and had come out when he knew he ought to, he would
have had no trouble."

"That was an ugly experience," said Bill. "I guess it gets pretty cold
up here in the winter time."

"Yes, Pierre says that it often gets to forty below zero," replied Bob.
"He says