C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

104 THE LADIES, THE GWICH'IN, AND THE RATJimmy would pull like a barge-horse on the rope and haul it forward at a slantedangle. We were not much use in these emergencies, though we tried, with ourown small axe, to help clear a pathway along the bank. Here, the river was muchwider and its current was divided by many islands. Now and then it was joined bya tributary across which we would have to wade.At 5 we came to deep, swift water and Lazarus said it was impossible to go on.We should have to camp and wait until the water level was lower. We began tomake a camp. This was sited on mud and mare's-tail, but it had a beautifuloutlook down the river and once again a little breeze had arisen, scattering theswarms of mosquitoes. I began to cut sweet-scented poplar tips for our bedding,according to Lazarus' instructions, while Gwen unpacked the tent andJimmybrought the food ashore. Lazarus himself stood on the bank, quiet as a hunterfrozen into immobility before he takes aim at his prey, but he was not looking atany animal, he was gazing down into the water. Then he turned to us, and bywords and gestures made us understand that the level of the river was rising fastand that our chosen camp, being only a foot above water level, was unsafe. Wemust move at once. So we packed up again and paddled up a quietly flowing sidestrea~until a waterfall, with snags of trees on either side, made further progressimpossible. It was a bad place to camp, situated as it was in stuffy air among thetrees, and being only two feet above the water level of the tributary and very closeto its edge. But there was no other possible place so there we stopped to camp forthe night.Things looked far from cheerful. The water was rising fast and Lazarus said itmight take days to subside. From this point, it was impossible to proceed up theriver by either bank. We might even be flooded out before the morning. Allthrough supper Lazarus was sticking twigs into the muddy bank, watching eachtwig patiently and silently and then sticking in another when the last one wassubmerged. The mosquitoes were very bad and we went to bed directly aftersupper, tired and dirty but trying, as we always did when we encountered trouble,to encourage each other not to be down-hearted over the events of the moment.Mter all, we were in the wild and solitary country of our hearts' desire, we hadseen fresh moose tracks in the mud and had supped well off potato and pork, riceand maple sugar. Also, even if in 12 hours we had not gained much in actualmileage, we had spent a glorious day, filled with personal endeavour, lit by intensityof purpose; we had gathered and pressed a certain number of flowers and hadgained much experience in a completely new mode of travel. So, having "flitted"