expect to find a house until he reached the station, for much of North
Ontario is a wilderness where the trees are too small for milling and
agriculture is impossible among the rocks. To make things worse, he
felt hungry. The train had stopped at about seven o'clock at a
desolate station where the passengers were given a few minutes to get
supper, but Foster's portion was too hot for him to eat. He tried to
encourage himself by remembering that he had once marched three hundred
miles across the snow with a badly frozen foot, but this did not make
his present exertion easier.

As he got hungry he got angry. He had gone away to enjoy himself, and
this was how his holiday had begun! The Government agent, if that was
what he was, ought not to have dragged a confiding stranger into his
difficulties. He was now safe in the express car and chuckling over
the troubles he had left his substitute to face. Then Foster tried to
remember if he had left any papers with his address in his overcoat and
decided that he had not done so. His wallet was now in his jacket
pocket. This was satisfactory, because he meant to have nothing more
to do with the matter. Tying the fur coat round his waist to take some
of the weight off his shoulders, he trudged on as briskly as he could
through the gloom.




V

FEATHERSTONE'S PEOPLE

After walking for some time, Foster heard a rumble in the distance