desperate and wanting to turn back or breaking down under the
strain of going on. Some one would have to go back for the tube,
and time was precious now. It would be trying to lose a day.
While I sat rather disconsolate considering the situation, George
conceived the brilliant idea of having Gilbert turn himself into an
air-pump, which he did quite cheerfully, and very soon my bed was
as tight and firm as need be, and peace reigned again.

When at last we assembled for supper it was nearly 10 P.M., and the
stars were coming out over Mount Sawyer. The meal was a quiet one,
for all were tired, and well content to listen in silence to the
music of the river, as softly the night-gloom gathered unto itself
the wilderness.




CHAPTER IV

DISASTER WHICH THREATENED DEFEAT

Friday morning was warm and bright. It seemed wonderful to be
having so much fine weather in Labrador, and not a fly or mosquito
as yet. The one nuisance we had met was mice or lemmings. They
had been busy with my hat in the night, and when I came to put it
on that morning I found there was a hole eaten in the crown and a
meal or two taken out of the brim. There seemed to be thousands of
them, and they ran squealing about everywhere, great fat fellows,
some of them as big as grey squirrels. The ground was so
perforated with their holes that it reminded one of a porous