night with them, and as Oo-koo-hoo and his wife wanted to remain a few
days to visit some Indian friends, and as the Factor had told me that
the north-bound packet with the winter's mail from the railroad was
soon due; and as, moreover, the Fur Brigade would be starting south in
a few days, and it would travel for part of the way along our homeward
trail, I accepted Mr. Mackenzie's invitation to return to Fort
Consolation and depart with the Fur Brigade.

It was a cold trip across the lake as the thermometer had dropped many
degrees and a northwest wind was blowing in our faces. As I had
frequently had my nose frozen, it now turned white very quickly, and a
half-breed, who was crossing with us, turned round every once in a
while and exclaimed to me:

"Oh my gud! your nose all froze!"

The snow seemed harder than ever, and for long stretches we took off
our snowshoes and ran over the drifts, but so wind-packed were they
that they received little impression from our feet. Of course, when we
arrived at Spearhead, the house was cold and everything in it above the
cellar--except the cats and geese--was frozen solid; but it is
surprising how quickly those good old-fashioned box stoves will heat a
dwelling; for in twenty or thirty minutes those wood-burning stoves
were red-hot and the whole house comfortably warm.

It's strange, but nevertheless true, that "Son-in-law" was never once
mentioned at dinner, but later on, when Athabasca and I were sitting
one on either side of the room, Mrs. Spear got up and, getting a
picture book, asked: