The Coolidge examiner., 1938-10-20
CHAPTER VIII-COntinued


lowed in turn by Powder, Rogu,
and Shot as wheel or sled dog, the
big puppies were started in tht
school of collar, trace and trail. Or
the young snow of those keen DC
tober days, when the wind had thu
edge of a knife, it was a joy Il
Alan and Noel to train dogs will
such spirit and power.
Rapidly the winter shut in anc
the frost strengthened. Farther anc
farther out the ice sheet reached il
the lake and, near the shore, be
came so thick that they raised theil
nets. But the big cache was nov
piled high with frozen fish.
Twice. when the river closed, they
drove the dogs down to the cabin or
the Talking to find all well witt
John and Heather and no news from
Mcqueen.
And then, at last, came the Mon
tagnais Moon When the Snow
Hangs in the Trees" and, in the
middle of December, Alan anc
Noel started with the dogs to search
for the headWater lakes of the Kok.
soak.
Over the barrens f1anking the val
ley of the Sinking Lakes, they trav.
eled into the northeast. But it was
long-faced Noel who trotted be.
hind the eager dogs over the spar.
king tundra.
mo one evair go into dis coun.
tree and come back" he reminded
Alan as they stood on a high bar,
rem and gazed over the undulating
white waste to the north and east,
seemingly afame as the sun slant
ed across its limitless expanse.
We'll" said Alan. dropping his
mitten slung to his neck by thong
and wiping the rime from his face
with bare hand, someone always
has to be first, eh, Rough?"
For days they travelled north OF
the valley of the Sinking Lakes but,
in that direction, beyond the dim
blue hills they had often seen from
the valley, they found no water
courses flowing north; no headwater
lakes.
One morning they headed into the
southeast. In the sparsely wooded
valleys, snow-white arctic hares.
their long ears tipped with black,
jumped from willow thickets to race
away at the coming of the dog
team. Once, at a distance, threI
curious white foxes danced gro
tesquely on the snow, inspecting the
approach of the team, until the ex-
cited dogs, getting their scent, set
up frenzied yelping which drove
them away over the tundra, like
wisps of white smoke.
Because of the wood, the boys
had stopped in a small valley, where
stream headed, to boil their ket-
tie. After eating, they continued
south and came out of the fold in
the hills to higher country. AS Alan,
who was leading the team, reached
the lip Of the valley and looked far
into the east, he raised his hands
with a shout.
'Noel!" he cried. Look at that
lake over there! We've found it,"
Noel joined him and the two gazed
in amazement across the tundra.
There. miles away to the east, be-
yond the low hills of the foreground,
reached the level, white shell of an
enormous lake, until it was lost in
the haze of the distance.
WHY. it's as big as Lake Bien-
vile Gil the Great Whale, Noel!"
exclaimed Alan excitedly. This
must be one of the lakes in the
old mems tales"
The Indian stood in awe gazing
at the white reaches of the distant
lake. Far to the north and south
stretched the Shimmering floor of
snow and wind-scoured ice, and into
the east, until it merged with the
no, iZon.
"Eet ees ver' beeg lak'," he said.
Big riviere flow out of dis"
And that river must be a head
water of the Koksoak!" cried Alan.
We're over the ght-of-Land The
rivers all run north, here! We've
found it, Noel We've found it,"
That night the boys camped on the
shore of the great lake in the wind
break of a stand of black spruce.
While the dogs lay curled in the
sleep-holes, Alan and Noel talked
beside a roaring fire.
We'll travel right around this
lake until we find the outlet, Noel
Then We'll hunt to find way to get
into it with the canoes from the
Sinking Lakes"
"Mebbe dis lax not flow into de
beeg riviere."
Noel, this lake is surely the
headwaters of the big river, or of
one of its branches. It's got to be,
flowing north as the river does. And
we'll soon find out.
Snug in their caribou sleeping
bags, the tired boys slept beside
their fire. In the morning, they
started along shore over the wind
brushed ice in search of the outlet.
All day they travelled rapidly north
until, shortly after noon, when the