ce River buffalo herd is somewhere up in this country, and that
when people want to find out about it they go to Smith's Landing."

"That's true," said Uncle Dick. "That somewhat mythical herd has been
under the more or less mythical charge of the Dominion government in
here for some time. It isn't worth while for us to make a trip out to
see it; that is usually done by parties who are going back from here.
Nor do we care to see the celebrated Dominion government reindeer herd
which is out on the promontory of the Mountain Portage below here.

"I understand there were about a dozen of these reindeer once, but
most of them got into the river and swam across. The last report was
that the keeper of this herd had only one reindeer left, and he was
sitting tight, with several Lapland dogs which had been sent out by
the government!"

"The trouble with people that run things," said Rob, judicially, "is
that sometimes they don't know about the things they are running."

"Well, I don't see why they sent reindeer up into the caribou
country," said Jesse. "Of course I'm only a boy, but I can't see why
they do that."

Uncle Dick grinned. "We may see a good many things we can't understand
before we get done with the trip. But all the same we'll have a good
time finding out.

"You may sleep ashore to-night, young men," he said, later,
"for perhaps you would rather not lie in your berths on the boat.
The captain tells me that Smith's Landing is famous for its
mosquitoes--they are supposed to be worse here than anywhere else
on earth."

"Well, that's saying a good deal," said John. "I didn't know there
were so many mosquitoes in all the world. What makes them, anyhow, and
what do they have them for, Uncle Dick?"

That gentleman only shrugged his shoulders and spread out his hands.
"It's all in the game," said he. "You must learn not to kick. Look at
the half-breeds all around. How hard their life is, and what
punishment they have to take all the time. Well, they don't kick. One
great lesson of this trip ought to be to take your medicine and be
game and quiet as well."

The boys did not find the stop at Smith's Landing of special
interest, for there was so much drunkenness among all the population
that they became quite disgusted at the sloth and noisiness of it all.
They learned through the captain that while liquor is not allowed to
be sold generally at the Hudson's Bay posts, among natives, the
government does allow a "pe