ge from the blasts in the lee of
bushes and trees so as to recover our breath; but we managed to advance
our camp three miles on the first, pitching the tent on the shore of
one of the limpid ponds among the boulders. For supper we ate the last
of the dried fish, which again left us with only the diminishing stock
of pea meal, and none of us did much talking when we crouched about the
fire.

On Friday (October 2d), with high hopes of getting fish, we hurried
ahead with our packs to the pool where Hubbard had caught the big trout
with his emergency kit and the tamarack pole, and near which we had
camped for a day while he rested and George made a trip to the
mountains from which he discovered Lake Mary and Windbound Lake. The
sight of the old camping place brought back to me the remembrance of
how sick Hubbard had been there a month before, and how the thought had
come to me to try to make him give up the struggle.

The weather was very unfavourable for trouting--a cold west wind was
blowing accompanied by snow squalls--but Hubbard caught two within a
few minutes, and George boiled them with a bit of pea meal for
luncheon. Then, leaving Hubbard to try for more fish, George and I
went back to the canoe. While we were returning to camp, George shot a
duck with my rifle. It was a very fat black duck, and we gloated long
over its fine condition. Only three more trout rewarded Hubbard's
afternoon's work. However, we had duck for supper, and were nearer
home, and that comforted us.

I remember that while we sat by the fire that evening George produced
from somewhere in the recesses of his pockets a New York Central
Railroad timetable on which was printed a buffet lunch menu, and handed
it to us with the suggestion that we give our orders for breakfast.
Hubbard examined it and quickly said:

"Give me a glass of cream, some graham gems, marmalade, oatmeal and
cream, a jelly omelette, a sirloin steak, lyonnaise potatoes, rolls,
and a pot of chocolate. And you might bring me also," he added, "a
plate of griddle cakes and maple syrup."

Every dish on that menu card from end to end we thoroughly discussed,
our ultimate conclusion being that each of us would take a full portion
of everything on the list and might repeat the order.

It was on this evening also that, while calculating the length of time
it would take us to travel from point to point on our back trail, we
began the discussion as to whether it would be bet