pered dogs. I don’t know how it started, but I do know it was quite accidental. FaraL Figur Tony and I always owned adjoining kennels; during one warm Spring night, we were both gazing at the moon and moving about, and then it happened. A careless move, a tangled chain,:a warning growl and then we were at each other's throats. Blood and hair flew high, while the rest of the dogs joined in the ferocious clamour. In a few minutes poor, dear, misunderstood Tony lay dying in the mud and snow. I still carry several scars from that terrible night, and they're not all on my hide. Queenie hurt her foot badly that sum- mer and was given away to a man named McLeod, a Hudson’s Bay Co. trader at Lower Post. So the old team was reduced to Brownie, Rum, Rye, and myself—in the shafts as usual. So summer slipped quietly away. In the winter of 1940-41 we set out on a routine patrol to the Liard River country. The trip was going fine, a young man named Frank Moon travelled with us for the patrol. Setting off on the return trip from Lower Post under good conditions we had mushed some 10 miles when fine dry snow started whirling about us and cutting down: visibility to 100 yards. Normally that wouldn't have bothered us, but when the temperature started drop- ping with an increasing wind, it wasn't so pleasant. Conditions worsened; deep snow, an unbroken trail, biting headwinds and terribly slow, heavy going. At last we were forced to hole up at French Creek, about half way home. Still it snowed ! and snowed some more! Grub ran short; crouched on a bed of spruce boughs, we could do nothing but wait. A whole week passed before we were able to set forth into a cold strange world. The snow had drifted into strange fantastic shapes all along the river. Not a track nor a sign of life anywhere except an occasional snowshoe rabbit—creatures upon which we were forced to live. In the meantime the few residents of McDames Creek were getting very con- cerned over our continued absence—es- pecially during the bitter storm. Just as the third week of our patrol passed, we laboriously crept into the detachment, lean and hungry. Then, in its own glorious way, summer came once more to the Cassiar. ARCHIE STEWART President & Managing Director DAVID STEWART Assistant Manager Stewart Sheet Metal Works Ltd. Anything in Sheet Metal SHIPWORK A SPECIALTY PAcific 6033—North 70 North Vancouver, B.C. Telephones: 132 W. Esplanade Tuesday, September 9th, 1941. We watched the little river boat chugging lazily down the Dease to a landing, we watched two cheechakos land and come towards the Detachment. We learned they were the new master and his wife—the first white woman ever to feed or pet us. We dogs didn’t know what to think of her at first, and hid in our kennels whenever she approached. But every morning after breakfast she had a habit of feeding us leftover pancakes—and it didn’t take long before she was immensely popular with all of us. Two novelties awaited us that winter— first we made a patrol up-river with the new man on November 18th, earliest in my experience; secondly we started pul- ling a 10 foot toboggan instead of the conventional Yukon sleigh. In fresh snow and through heavy brush it was certainly easier pulling, but not so good on icy trails. One time we were jogging up the Dease on a lone patrol when we saw as strange a scene as I’ve ever experienced. Climbing the 5,500 ft. summit between French Lake and Lattle Blue River. Patrol of 1942-3 to Alaskan Highway. The river hadn't frozen very well in the swifter places, and we had to take to the bush on some pretty long portages. As all sleigh dogs know, Dease River widens in several places to a sheet of water con- stituting a fair-sized lake. We emerged from a portage on a particular occasion and burst upon one of these lakes. I was amazed to find the entire surface covered with a great herd of caribou, even way up on the hillsides we could see the mi- grating animals; their mossy smell flowed over the lake like a warm cloying breath. They hurried on, not stopping even when we approached to within 20 or 30 feet of them. In fact some of the larger bulls became quite threatening, lowering their magnificent taurine heads, snorting and pawing. Personally I’m more afraid of their front hoofs which can strike with the speed of summer lightning. A gun fired over their heads a couple of times opened a lane for the team through which we dodged. As we pulled into the river _ North Vancouver Motors | | | Phone North 286 | | | | 125 West First Street NORTH VANCOUVER, B. C. BARCLAY RADIO ELECTRIC North 898 NORTH VANCOUVER 219 LONSDALE RADIO AND ELECTRICAL SERVICE RADIOS, RANGES, WASHERS, APPLIANCES Christine's Dress Shop Phone North 928 144 Lonsdale Avenue NORTH VANCOUVER, B. C. THIRD STREET GARAGE Complete GAS, OILS, ACCESSORIES ATLAS TIRES — BATTERIES PHONE NORTH 1220 | 119 West 3rd St., North Vancouver, B.C. | | Lubrication BARNES Drugs A. H. BARNES, Ph.C., Proprietor Where Service and Experience Count 3rd & Lonsdale Avenue North Vancouver, B. C. TAYLOR'S SERVICE STATION B. A. PRODUCTS Oiling, Greasing, Spring Spraying and Tire Repairs WASHING and POLISHING Phone North 1713 St. George and Esplanade NORTH VANCOUVER. B. C. MARINE WELDING SHOP MILL, MARINE AND ROAD MACHINERY REPAIRS Phone North 2166 308 West Esplanade NORTH VANCOUVER Page Sixty-five