Spear's invitation to be their guest for a few days when everyone would
be gathering at Fort Consolation to attend the New Year's dance; and
again I wondered if "Son-in-law" would be there.




V

MEETING OF THE WILD MEN

WHO IS SON-IN-LAW?

Christmas week had arrived and now we were off for the New Year's dance
to be held at Fort Consolation. Instead of travelling round three
sides of an oblong as we had done to reach Oo-koo-hoo's hunting ground
by canoe, we now, travelling on snowshoes, cut across country, over
hill and valley, lake and river, in a southeasterly direction, until we
struck Caribou River and then turned toward White River and finally
arrived at God's Lake. Our little party included Oo-koo-hoo, his wife
Ojistoh, their granddaughter Neykia, and myself. Our domestic outfit
was loaded upon two hunting sleds in the hauling of which we all took
turns, as well as in relieving each other in the work of track beating.
At night we camped in the woods without any shelter save brush
windbreaks over the heads of our beds, our couches being made of
balsam-twigs laid shingle fashion in the snow. For the sake of warmth
Ojistoh and Neykia slept together, while Oo-koo-hoo and I cuddled up
close to one another and fitted together like spoons in a cutlery case,
for the cold sometimes dipped to forty below.