ble
homes will be hewn out of what are the almost inaccessible
wildernesses of to-day.

By the end of the first week in July the issue of scrip certificates
began to fall off, though the declarations were still numerous.
But land was in sight; that is to say, our release and departure
for Peace River, which we were all very anxious, in fact burning,
to see.

By this time there was, of course, much money afloat amongst the
people, which was rapidly finding its way into the traders'
pockets. There was a "blind pig," too, doing business in the
locality, though we could not discover where, as everybody
professed entire ignorance of anything of the kind. The fragrant
breath and hilarity of so many, however, betrayed its existence,
and, as a crowning evidence, before sunrise on the 6th, we were
all awakened by an uproarious row amongst a tipsy crowd on the
common.

The disturbance, of course, awakened the dogs, if, indeed, those
wonderful creatures ever slept, and soon a prolonged howl,
issuing from a thousand throats, made the racket complete. It
seemed to our listening ears, for we stuck to our beds, to be
a promiscuous fight, larded with imprecations in broken English,
the phrase "goddam" being repeated in the most comical way. We
expected to see a lot of badly bruised men in the morning, but
nothing of the kind! Nobody was hurt. It proved to be a very
bloodless affair, like the scrimmages of the dogs themselves,
full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

Chapter VI

On The Trail To Peace River.

By the afternoon of the 12th we had finished our work at the lake,
and in the evening left the scene of so much amusement, and its
lively and intelligent people, not without regret. Having said
good-bye to Bishop Clut and his clergy, and to the Hudson's Bay
Company's people, and others, we passed on to Salt Creek, which
we crossed at dusk, and then to the South Heart River--Otaye
Sepe--where we camped for the night. This affluent of the lake has
a broad but sluggish current, its grassy banks sloping gently to
the water's edge, like some Ontario river--the beau ideal of a pike
stream. The Church of England mission was established here in charge
of the Reverend Mr. Holmes, who had shown us every kindness during
our long stay. As boats can ascend in high water to this point, the
Hudson's Bay Company had a couple of large warehouses close by,
standing alone, and filled with all kinds of goods. The trail led
for many