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74 T H R O U G H T H E M A C K E N Z I E B A S IN
of " advanced c i v i l i z a t i o n " had been anticipated there, it
was s i m p l y another proof that extremes meet.
Whatever else was hidden, however, there was one thing
omnipresent, namely, the mongrel dog. It was hopeless to
explore the o r i g i n of an animal which seemed to draw f r om
a l l sources, i n c l u d i n g the wolf and fox, and whose appetite
stopped at nothing, but attacked old shirts, trousers, dunnage-bags,
fry- pans, and even the outfit of a geologist, to appease
the sacred rage of hunger.
I t was believed that over a thousand of these dogs, m a i n ly
used i n winter to haul fish, surrounded our tent, and when
i t is said that an o r d i n a r y half- breed f a m i l y harboured from
fifteen to twenty of the tribe, there is no exaggeration i n the
estimate. They were of all shapes, sizes and colours, and,
though very c i v i l to man, frofn whom they got nothing but
kicks and stones, they kept up a constant row amongst themselves.
To see a scrimmage of fifty or s i x t y of them on l a n d or in
the water, where they went d a i l y to fish, was a scene to be
remembered. They did not bark, but loped through the
woods, w h i c h were the camp's latriues, as scavengers by day,
and howled i n unison at regular intervals by n i g h t ; for there
was a sort of horrible harmony i n the performance, and
when the tom- toms of the gamblers accompanied it on a ll
sides, and the pounding of dancers' feet— for in this
enchanted land nobody ever seemed to go to bed— the
s a t u r n a l i a was complete.
I t was indeed a gala time for the happy- go- lucky Lakers,
and the effects of the issue and sale of s c r ip certificates were
soon manifest i n our neighbourhood. The traders' booths
were thronged w i t h purchasers, also the refreshment tents
where cigars and ginger ale were s o l d ; and, i n tepees improvised
f r om aspen saplings, the sporting element passed the
night at some interesting but easy way of losing money,
i l l u m i n a t i n g their game with guttering candles, minus
candlesticks, and presenting a picture worthy of an. impressionist's
pencil.
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| Title | Page 85 |
| OCR | 74 T H R O U G H T H E M A C K E N Z I E B A S IN of " advanced c i v i l i z a t i o n " had been anticipated there, it was s i m p l y another proof that extremes meet. Whatever else was hidden, however, there was one thing omnipresent, namely, the mongrel dog. It was hopeless to explore the o r i g i n of an animal which seemed to draw f r om a l l sources, i n c l u d i n g the wolf and fox, and whose appetite stopped at nothing, but attacked old shirts, trousers, dunnage-bags, fry- pans, and even the outfit of a geologist, to appease the sacred rage of hunger. I t was believed that over a thousand of these dogs, m a i n ly used i n winter to haul fish, surrounded our tent, and when i t is said that an o r d i n a r y half- breed f a m i l y harboured from fifteen to twenty of the tribe, there is no exaggeration i n the estimate. They were of all shapes, sizes and colours, and, though very c i v i l to man, frofn whom they got nothing but kicks and stones, they kept up a constant row amongst themselves. To see a scrimmage of fifty or s i x t y of them on l a n d or in the water, where they went d a i l y to fish, was a scene to be remembered. They did not bark, but loped through the woods, w h i c h were the camp's latriues, as scavengers by day, and howled i n unison at regular intervals by n i g h t ; for there was a sort of horrible harmony i n the performance, and when the tom- toms of the gamblers accompanied it on a ll sides, and the pounding of dancers' feet— for in this enchanted land nobody ever seemed to go to bed— the s a t u r n a l i a was complete. I t was indeed a gala time for the happy- go- lucky Lakers, and the effects of the issue and sale of s c r ip certificates were soon manifest i n our neighbourhood. The traders' booths were thronged w i t h purchasers, also the refreshment tents where cigars and ginger ale were s o l d ; and, i n tepees improvised f r om aspen saplings, the sporting element passed the night at some interesting but easy way of losing money, i l l u m i n a t i n g their game with guttering candles, minus candlesticks, and presenting a picture worthy of an. impressionist's pencil. |
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