s get out and disappear into the trees as
if the country ate them up, and, indeed, I am not so sure but it does.

A baby gets off too--a new baby that has come from the city hospital is
being brought home. You would fancy a baby was a miracle the way the
men look at it and ask questions. Her name is Annette. She was born
on duck-day. Her father works in a saw-mill. We crowd to the window
to watch him meet Annette, for we would see the gladness on his face.
He is an admirably strong man, with the hard sinews of a wolf. He has
surely gone through the mill to some effect. I think he likes Annette,
but he looks most at the small mother and he has the mate tone in his
voice.

The women ask me concerning my husband, and I say, "Oh yes! I have a
husband up here, somewhere--a big, fair man--I wonder if you have seen
him."

They are discreetly silent, but I can see they are hoping I'll catch
him. This is not a case of duplicity on my part but rather of
kindness. It is one's stoutest duty to convey colour and snippets of
gossip of women, who, for the long winter months to come, are to remain
in these wilds. You must understand that gossip is not wicked up
North. Besides, this word actually means a sponsor at baptism--an
office recognized by all the world as one of unimpeachable
respectability.

At Wabamun there is a great sweep of forest, but, a year ago, a great
fire raged here and large patches of burnt trees assault the eyes.
Hitherto, the homesteaders have had a two-handed harvest, one from
their lovely lake and the other from the land, but, nowadays, their
richest harvest comes from the summer tourists, who are building up a
popular resort at this point. Summer girls are trespassing on the
berry-patches, once the sole preserve of Indian maidens, and Ole
Larsen's fishing grounds are full open to sailing yachts and electric
launches. Such fish as Ole could catch, and such fish as his Frau
could cook! Always, I bowed my head over my plate and said the Indian
grace, "Spirit, partake." Ole can tell where the fish are to be found
in certain seasons by the movements of the birds. The fish feed on
flies and rise to the surface for them, whereupon a t gull or duck will
fall with plummet-like pounce. White-fish bite in the autumn.
"Yumping yiminy, dey yust do."

The remains of the railway construction camps have almost disappeared,
and only the bleached bones of horses mark out the long trail of the
grading ga