under the spruce-trees. They were very
tired but happy by this time, and hungry as well, for now evening was
closing down.

"I'll show you how to make a fire now," said Alex, "because you will
see that we aren't over sand or gravel in this camping place, as we
are on the river."

He scraped away the bed of spruce needles and loose soil until he got
down to the moist and sandy layer, with some rocks here and there
projecting through.

"That'll do, I think," said he. "We won't build a big fire, and we'll
have rocks under and around it all we can. You always want to remember
that a forest fire is a terrible thing, and nearly always they come
from careless camp-fires. You know the earth itself burns in a forest
like this. Never allow a fire to get away, and never leave it burning.
These are laws which we have to follow up here, or we get into
trouble."

IX

A NIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS

"I believe I like it up here better than I do along the river," said
John, after they finally had their little fire going.

"Yes," remarked Rob, "you can see out farther here. The mountains are
fine. See how pink they are over where the snow is--the sun from the
west makes it all like a picture, doesn't it?"

"I never tire of the mountains," said Alex, "and I've lived among them
many years."

"I'd like to be a hunter," Rob began.

"Not to-day," rejoined Alex. "Our people can't make a living that way
now. We have to buy things of the Company, and pay for them with our
furs and robes. But we'll be hunters for this time, sure, with meat in
camp and two fine heads as well. I wish we could eat some to-night."

"Why, why can't we?" demanded John, who looked as though he could eat
a good-sized piece quite raw.

"We could if we had to," said Alex, "but the meat will be better if we
let it hang over night. If we ate too much of the very fresh meat it
might make us sick."

"Men eat bear liver the day it is killed."

"Yes, white men do, but not many Indians will eat bear liver at all.
We can try some of the sheep liver, if you like, for I've brought it
down in the packs. For that matter, it won't hurt us maybe to try a
little piece of meat roasted on a stick before the fire, the way the
Indians cook. That, with a bit of bacon and some bannock that I'll
make, will do us, if we have a cup of tea. You see, I've a little can
along which I got in Moise's cook-bag."

"I don't see how you're going to make bread," began John, "for you