They were very old, and looked as if it
might have been many years since they had been used. George said
it was a winter camp. In the winter time the Indians, in making
their camps, dig down into the snow to a rock to build their fire.
At a number of places on our journey we found poles lying round a
boulder in this way.
When camp was nearly made, Job came in triumphantly waving an axe
over his head. He and Joe had taken some of the outfit forward as
far as Duncan M'Lean's tilt, and there had found an axe. There was
great rejoicing over it. Job said he should carry the axe with the
sugar after this.
I had been shooting at an owl that afternoon--from a distance that
made it quite safe for the owl; and while the men prepared supper I
cleaned my revolver. I was greasing it and putting some of the
grease into the barrel when George said: "Don't put too much grease
in it. If you put too much in the bullet will just slip and--"
"Might kill something," I finished for him.
Then came George's rare laugh. It is like a baby's in that it
expresses such complete abandon of amusement.
Presently he asked: "When you were shooting at that bear the other
day, where did you aim?"
"Oh, any place," I replied; "just at the bear.
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