g. In and out among them glide the merry skaters.
Everybody in that land big enough skated, and skated well.

Jolly parties from the fur-trading posts and mission home joined with
others in making merry groups, who for hours at a time engaged in this
joyous and exhilarating sport. Sometimes several young gentlemen in the
service of the Hudson Bay Company would come over from the fort and join
them in their moonlight excursions. So glorious were the surroundings,
and so exhilarating the sport, that the nights would be far spent ere
they thought of returning home.

There seemed a strange fascination in seeking out new places and
exploring untried branches of the great rivers, which seemed like
streams of molten silver in the bright moonlight as they stretched away
into primitive forests, where the trees on the shores hung heavy with
icicles, or were so bent under the weight of snow that, at times, they
looked like ghostly visitants from dreamland.

As the days passed on these skating excursions were much more extended,
and as the skaters began to get familiar with the different routes the
vigilance which was at first kept up, that none might go astray, was
much relaxed. When there were any indications of a storm or blizzard it
was well understood that no skater was to go out alone, and even then
not beyond some well-defined landmarks.

However, when the weather seemed settled, and the sun shone brightly by
day and the moonlight was clear and beautiful at night, no positive
restraint was upon anyone. Thus, day after day, they merrily skated in
little groups or in pairs as they desired. Sometimes one would dash off
alone, and for hours amidst the weird, picturesque surroundings, such as
a skater alone can find in such a land, would, in the very intoxication
of his bliss, push on and on, without any idea of the progress of time
or of the distance he was travelling.

To Alec, the Scottish lad, there came one beautiful moonlight night an
experience which nearly had a tragic ending. The night was one of
rarest beauty, but it was very cold, so cold that Mr Ross remarked that
the moon looked more like burnished steel than silver. As the merry
party started out he warned them to keep their furs well around them or
severe frostbites would be theirs, in spite of the vigorous exercise of
rapid skating.

The company of half a dozen or so kept together for a time, and then, in
joyous rivalry, shot out and in along the icy