cross that
lake is a dismal recollection of utter fatigue, of mechanical lifting
and falling of encumbered feet with the recurring feeling that it would
be impossible to lift them any more. All across that lake I ate snow,
and that and the back-ache legacy of an old strain are my signs of
approaching exhaustion. Four hours passed ere we heard the noise of dogs
and saw the glimmer of a light through the darkness, and the hearts of
men and beasts alike leaped to the expectation of rest and shelter. We
had feared the village might be deserted and were rejoiced that the
Indians were still there.

Never was hospitality more grateful than that we had from the little
remote band of natives at the Minchumina village. They made a pot of tea
and fried some flap-jacks for us, and that was our supper, though I
think the boys ate some boiled moose meat from a pot on the stove. We
had plenty of grub, but were too weary to cook it; we spread our bedding
down on the floor amongst a dozen others and fell almost at once into a
deep sleep. Almost at once; for the arrival of our eight dogs had made a
commotion amongst the canine population of the place, that after
repeated outbreaks of noisy animosity and defiance seemed to turn by
common consent into a friendly and most protracted howling contest in
which my malamute "Muk" plainly outdid all competitors. How much longer
the noise would have kept up it is hard to say--dogs never seem too
tired to howl--but when the limit of Indian patience was reached, an
aged crone rolled out of the bed into which she had rolled "all
standing," seized a staff and went outdoors to lay it impartially upon
the backs of all the disturbers of the peace, domestic and foreign, with
a screech that was as formidable as the blows. The rest was silence.

The next morning a dozen alarm-clocks went off within a few minutes of
each other. Every adult in that cabin owned a separate alarm-clock, and
rose, one supposes, to the summons of no other timepiece. At any rate,
the clocks went off at intervals, and the natives arose one by one and
seemed hugely to enjoy the clatter. Let one purchase a new thing and
every individual in the community must have one also.

But what struck me instantly upon arising was the miraculous
transformation that had taken place outdoors. The sun was shining
brilliantly through a clear sky! I hastened to dress and, not waiting
for breakfast, seized my camera and started out. The chinook was o