Page:Across the sub-Arctics of Canada (1897).djvu/245

 time the big dry sticks of wood were thrown upon the fire, showers of sparks ascended until they found hiding-places among the dark branches of the overhanging spruce trees.

Camp-fire stories and gossip were indulged in for an hour, then several logs were thrown upon the fire, and each man, rolled up in his blanket and with feet toward the fire, lay down to sleep. There was little sleep for me, however, because of my knee, which gave me great pain during the night.

The next morning camp was called at five o'clock, and under the still star-lit sky all hands rolled out into the keen frosty morning air. At the first streak of dawn, after breakfast and other preliminaries, our march was resumed.

It was yet dark in the woods, and to most of us there was no more indication of a trail in one place than in another, but our veteran guide, who possessed all the sagacity of the ideal red-man, led the way, and all the rest of us had to do was merely to follow his tracks. Soon we merged from the Eastern Woods, and getting into more open country, turned our course toward the south, crossing broad plains, diversified here and there by stunted, scattered trees, ice-covered ponds, and occasionally the thickly wooded valley of a winding stream. As we travelled on my leg caused me intense pain, so that it became impossible to keep up with the train. I hobbled along as well as I could for a time, but finding that I was seriously retarding the progress of the march, arrangements were made to give me a lift on one of the sleds. Pierre and Louis were also becoming lame from