The woods were very fine, the
spruces towering far above us straight as arrows. They were, many
of them, splendid specimens of their kind, and one I measured was
nine feet in circumference. Here and there some balsam was found
among the spruces. These were true virgin forests, but their
extent was limited to the narrow river valleys. Out beyond, the
hill-tops rose treeless and barren.
On the portages the outfit was taken forward by short stages, and I
had a good deal of waiting to do. The men did not like to leave me
alone lest I might possibly encounter a bear, and I had many
warnings to keep my rifle ready, and not to leave my waiting-place.
Secretly I rather hoped a bear would come along for I thought I
could manage him if he did not take me unawares.
Besides the interest of watching for the bear I hoped to meet, I
had, while we travelled in the more open parts, the hills both up
and down the river to look at, and they were very beautiful with
their ever-changing colour. Mount Sawyer and Mount Elizabeth were
behind us now, and away ahead were the blue ridges of hills with
one high and barren, standing out above the rest, which I named
Bald Mountain. I wondered much what we should find there. What we
did find was a very riotous rapid and a very beautiful Sunday camp.
Waiting in the lower wooded parts was not as pleasant. Once I
announced my intention of setting up my fishing-rod and going down
to the river to fish, while the rest of the outfit was being
brought up. Sudden consternation overspread the faces of the men.
In a tone of mingled alarm, disapproval, suspicion, George
exclaimed: "Yes; that is just what I was afraid you would be doing.
I think you had better sit right down there by the rifles. There
are fresh bear tracks about here, and Job says they run down there
by the river."
I could not help laughing at the alarm I had created, but
obediently sat down on the pile of outfit by the rifles, strongly
suspecting, however, that the bear tracks were invented, and that
the real fear was on account of the river. It began to be somewhat
irksome to be so well taken care of.
The mosquitoes and flies were now coming thick and fast. I thought
them very bad, but George insisted that you could not even call
this a beginning. I wore a veil of black silk net, but the mesh
was hardly fine enough, and the flies managed to crawl through.
They would get their heads in and then kick and struggle and twist
till they were all through, when they immediately proceeded to
work.
