Year: 1877

"You had better not cross the lake to-
night, stranger. Wait until morning,
when you can see your way. The ice is
getting weak, and there are holes in
many places, which make it dangerous
for those not used to the way"


"But / know every inch of this lake,
landlord. Many are the times when
there was not house along its shore
that l have trapped half the autumn
and winter in sight of it, and more times
than one built my campfire ON the ice,
and sought the fish beneath it. Thank
ye kindly for the warning, but if these
chaps don't back out, we'll go over the
lake tonight


"No danger of that, Ben, said /. eve
are in hurry to get home as soon as
possible, and we had rather walk to- night
than not. How far do you call it across,
landlerdP


"Some fifteen miles, think, to the
nearest point of land; but shouldn't
wonder if you had to go further than
that tonight. The river that comes in
at the head of the lake is open, and it is
very likely it has thawsd quite chan
mel down into the lake. However, you
can keep straight across, and if you find
that to be the case, you can follow it
down until you come to the firm ice.
1t may make little extra travel, that is
ALL"


"The moon will be up by that time,"
/ said. at rises at ten, and the river,
you say, is we'll over to the other side.
That will give us light to get across the
channel without danger"


"Moon or no moon, can cross the
lake." broke in Ben. "There is not a
spot 1 should not know with my eyes
shut. The current is pretty strong
there, but do not think it has been
warm enough yet to thaw open the lake
but If it has, it will only make matter
Of little more travel. We must run
the risk, and take the shortest cut
across"


"Take care and not go under the ice,
and look out for the wolves" shouted the
landlord, as a last caution.


Then varmints won't be apt to
trouble us tonight, unless there is big
pack hanging round the shore, and the
wind should be right for them to scent
us. A few of 'em never venture out in
an open space like this. The sneaking
varmints ain'tgot no courage unless there
is a crowd of 'em together"


A word now as to where we were and
whittier bound, and then we go on with
our story.


There were three of us-Frank Hardy
Ben Grant, and myself. Frank and
had been on business some hundred
miles from the Canadian town in which
we resided, and when just on the point
of returning by the same route we haG
come, we fell in with Old Ben," so hs
was known among the trappers and trad
ers, with whom we were well acquainted
and who, learning our intention of i'm
mediately setting out for home, pre-
vailed upon us to accompany him, tax
ing short cut across the country" BY
doing which we should save nearly ,
third of the distance.


We wanted to see that part of Canada
and we liked the society of Old Ben, s,
we provided ourselves with snow shoes
for it was the first of March, and the snow
still lay as deep as in midwinter.


Wewere armed, each of us with rife
and while Frank and had a large knap
sack, in which we carried supply O
food, which we should stand in need Of
as, according to his reckoning, we shoul,
touch at but one or two settlements Of
our route and although we had our rife
to depend upon for food, it was the sea
son when game is scarce.


The firstday of our tramp, along abou
the middle of the afternoon, we reacbe,
the little settlement on the shore of tb
lake, where we stopped and rested our
selves until the sun went down, when, a
we were preparing to set out, the cor
versation ensued that we have alread
ohronicled The sun had gone dowr
and one by one the stars were coming ou
and taking their places in the great blu
vault above us, when we turned ou
backs upon the landlord and his cabil