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

120 THE LADIES, THE GWICH'IN, AND THE RATslithered on stones at the bottom of the channel, but they kept the frail craftfaithfully on her slanted course, with bows turned slightly upstream and we allreached the farther shore. The only casualty was the loss of one of Jimmy'sgoloshes and henceforward he had to wear moccasins.The four and a half hours spell of that afternoon had been exhausting, we felt,when we stopped for tea and pork and pemmican after landing easily in shallowwater on a beach full of stones and little pools. We had had almost enough, butLazarus elected to go on for three hours more. He always gave the orders aboutstopping for a meal or for a night's camp and although he would get up mostreluctantly each morning, it was by his own wish that we always called him early.In one matter we had a deep difference of opinion but. of course. we alwaysdeferred to him. Indians, he told us, always travel best if they do a short morningspell, then after a good dinner, they can face a long and strenuous afternoon. Itis natural to a man, he said, to have a big meal in the middle of the day and it isnatural to travel best with plenty of good pork and pemmican inside. We wouldhave preferred to go "all out" in a longer morning and to lunch with a feelingthat the worst part of the day was behind us, for we could never overcome a senseof slackness after lunch.Now, on this occasion. after tea on such a gruelling day when Lazarus said: "Iguess we go on three hours more." there was no question of our objecting. Wehad realised that to follow him without a murmur of dissent was our best chanceof reaching the head of the Rat.So we went wearily and doggedly ahead for three more hours, cheered a littleby the view of a beautiful mountain range far ahead. plunging into soft muskeg,through woods with dead branches that threatened our veils, and dense alderthickets where the boughs continually tripped us up; and all the time themosquitoes were quite devilish. At times, the whole world seemed to be a buzzingblackness, and we had a struggle to prevent panic seizing hold of our minds. Atlast we came to the point where Barrier River joins the Rat, and we camped on anisland just above their junction. It had been a long day and an eventful one."Pretty tough going." I said to Gwen. as we Flitted ourselves and the tent. "Ohwell," she said, "we are a tough couple. Got to be," she added and turned over tosleep.