In a few seconds the other sleigh, close
-pehind us, tore around the bend and piled
on top of the first wreck. We were halt

an hour getting untangled. I was pretty
badly shaken up though Brownie and
Tony were unscathed. Phe constable suf-
fered from a deep gash in his hand and
blood sprinkled i snow about the acci-
dent. Minor repairs to one of the sleighs
and to parts of harness were necessary.

PRIDE OF PLACE

We painfully started out again and I
can assure you it was grim travelling from
then on. We arrived at the little village
of Telegraph Creek just as the last of the
daylight faded. It was our first sight of a
town and seeing so many other dogs
watching us we determinedly put on our
best behaviour and held our tails high.
After all, we were the Police Team!

After a week’s rest during which we
saw hundreds of different kinds of can-
ines including a rare little fellow known
as a Tahltan Bear Dog, we felt quite re-
freshed. So our homeward trip was
started with us chaps in excellent spirits.
One unfortunate incident marred the trip
however.

We were heading North right down the
centre of Dease Lake, it was a bright

cloudless morning, the glaring spring sun

Patrol of 1942-3 on the Ranchiera Flats in the
midst of desolation and wilderness.

With Compliments to B.C. Police

FRANCIS MILLERD

AND CO. LTD.

GREAT NORTHERN BRAND
SALMON, SARDINES AND HERRING

VANCOUVER, B. C.

in a cloudless sky reflected blindingly
from acres and acres of ice and snow. We
had bestirred ourselves early to get in a
good day's travel and set off at a real
smart clip. Brownie for some peculiar
reason kept leading us off the trail, which
was stupid, because the well beaten path
was obvious. After the seventh or eighth
time the boss went up and looked deep in
3rownie’s eyes. He was blind!

To be snowblind is a terribly painful
Experience. I escaped such misfortune ;

3rownie said it felt like sand beneath
your eyelids, while the whole world went
into a blind misty white. Young dogs
during Spring are particularly susceptible
to snowblindness. Rest in a dark kennel
is needed and the eyes will gradually
regain their sight, but Brownie ever after-
wards had a slight film over his eyes.
Human beings often put brewed tea leaves
on snowblinded eyes.

I was taken from my position and put
in the lead, Tony pulled in the centre
position, and Brownie was put in the
shafts where he didn’t even need to open
his eyes. The rest of the winter | re-
mained leader.

After two days rest (for Brownie’s
benefit) we set off down North along the
Dease River for the detachment. We
made fast time as the men were becoming
very skilful at making and breaking
camp. They didn’t use a tent in order to
save weight, but simply erected a canvas
windbreak which served. as the coverall
for the sleigh. On both sleighs the men
carried their axe and rifle ready to grab
in an instant. A good axe seems to be the
most important “instrument a bushman
owns. Some men seem to use it exclus-
ively and can make camp and have the
meal cooking by its help in less than half
an hour. The boss always carried several
small moccasins for our feet too, and if
the snow and ice became too rough for
our much travelled paws, out would come
the footgear. We didn’t like them at
first; tried to chew them off and all that,
but found out how splendid they are for
protecting the paws.

ScarepD By TIMBER WOLVES

After a few days’ rest at home we were
off on another patrol—two teams of three

Returning from Dease Lake after 21 days of
snow and stormy weather.

dogs each, two men. This time we headed
hose the great North Country. The South
Central akon has few trails and some-
times I thought we just travelled which-
ever route seemed easiest. One afternoon
we came over the brow of a hill, beneath
us lay a beautiful little lake surrounded
by stately spruce and tamarack, while
across the lake ran a well defined trail—
the first one we’d seen since leaving the
Post. Ina moment we swept enthusiastic-

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Manufacturers of

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SHINGLES

Phone HAstings 4541

Foot Renfrew Street Vancouver, B. C.

Compliments of

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| VANCOUVER, B. C. |

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SEVENTEENTH EDITION

Page Sixty-one