vers, but we haven't passed them yet, that's sure. Then down below
the mouth of the McLeod is the Nation River, quite a good stream, I
suppose, on the west side. The modern maps show another stream called
the Manson still farther. I don't know whether Mackenzie knew them by
these names, or whether we can tell them when we see them, but it's
all the more fun if we can't."

VII

AROUND THE CAMP-FIRE

The point at which they ended their day's voyage was a long sand-pit
projecting out from the forest and offering a good landing for the
canoes. They were glad enough to rest. Moise and Alex, who had paddled
steadily all the afternoon, stepped out on the beach and stretched
themselves.

"Let's go back into the woods," said Jesse. "We can't sleep on these
hard little rocks--we can't even drive the tent-pegs here."

"Well, Mr. Jess," said Alex, "if you went back into the woods I think
you'd come back here again--the mosquitoes would drive you out. If you
notice, the wind strikes this point whichever way it comes. In our
traveling we always camp on the beaches in the summer-time when we
can."

"Besides," added Rob, "even if we couldn't drive the tent-pins, we
could tie the ropes to big rocks. We can get plenty of willows and
alders for our beds, too, and some pine boughs."

The long twilight of these northern latitudes still offered them
plenty of light for their camp work, although the sun was far down in
the west. Alex, drawing his big buffalo knife, helped the tired boys
get ready their tent and beds, but he smiled as he saw that to-night
they were satisfied with half as many boughs as they had prepared on
their first night in camp.

"I don't suppose," said Rob, "that Sir Alexander and his men made very
big beds."

"No, I'm afraid not," replied Alex. "On the contrary, the canoemen
always broke camp about four o'clock in the morning, and they kept
going until about seven at night. Fifteen hours a day in and out of
the water, paddling, poling, and tracking, makes a man so tired he
doesn't much care about what sort of bed he has."

While the others were getting the tent ready Moise was busy making his
fire and getting some long willow wands, which he now was making into
a sort of frame.

"What's that for, Moise?" asked Jesse.

"That's for dry those feesh you boys'll got this morning. Fine big
trouts, three, four poun', an' fat. I'll fix heem two, three, days so
he'll keep all right."

"But we couldn't s