hree of us
became aware that we were on dangerous ice. Arthur cried, "The ice is
breaking; go back!" just as we began to feel it swaying under our feet.
I shouted to the doctor, "Go _on_ to the bank quick!" and pushed with
all my might, and we managed to make a few yards more towards shallow
water, over ice that bent and cracked at every step, before it gave way
and let down the sled and the men into two feet of water. Arthur had run
safely over the breaking ice and had gained the bank, and as I write, in
my mind's eye I can see the doctor, who had been duly instructed in the
elementary lessons of the trail, standing in the water and calling to
Arthur: "Make a fire quick; make a fire. I'm all wet!"

But it was not necessary to make a fire, for the thermometer was no
lower than 10 deg. or 15 deg. above zero, and the chief trouble was not the
wetting of our legs but the wetting of the contents of the sled. Along
the bank was stronger ice, and we managed, though not without much
difficulty, to get the sled upon it and to make our way to the Indian
cabin.

As soon as old "Atler" (I have never been quite sure of what white
man's name that is a corruption) knew who we were, his hospitality,
which had been ready enough at first sight, became most cordial and
expansive. While we pulled off our wet clothing his wife hung it up to
dry and had the kettle on and some tea making, and he and Arthur got out
our wet bedding and festooned it about the cabin. Most fortunately the
things that would have suffered most from water did not get wet. So
there we lay all the afternoon, having made no more than six miles, and
there we lay all the next day, which was Sunday.

There was a sort of awful interest that centred upon one member of this
family, a boy of seven or eight years. The previous spring he had killed
his uncle by the accidental discharge of a .22 rifle, shooting him
through the heart. The gun had been brought in loaded and cocked and had
been set in a corner of the cabin, and the child, playing with it, had
pulled the trigger. The carelessness of Indians with firearms is the
frequent cause of terrible accidents like this. The child was still too
young to realise what he had done, but one fancies that later it will
throw a gloom on his life.

To my great relief and satisfaction I was able to arrange here for a
young Indian man to accompany us with his one dog. He was a native of
those parts and knew every bend and turn of the