Of course X-Ray Tyson was not the only one who had snow-shoes, because there were three other pairs in plain sight. Phil alone really had had previous practical experience on the clumsy “gunboats,” as Lub called them; though X-Ray claimed to have paddled around in his yard many times on an inch of snow, without any dire disaster.
The McNab was a red-faced Scotch-Canadian, warm of heart, though possibly a bit over fond of imbibing, and perhaps not as dependable as he might be when in one of these bibulous moods.
He was greatly interested in the four lively American lads, and listened to the many stories they told connected with their past experiences.
Thus the second morning of their tedious ride began to wear away. Surrounded by the rough country that characterizes all this section of northeast Canada, they began to feel that ere long they would be cut off from all communication with civilization.
All that morning they had not seen a single house of any description. The road over which the two sturdy Canadian shaggy ponies were dragging the sledge was only a logging or “tote” road along which teams sometimes went on the way to or from some logging camp situated nearer the river.
“We’ll soon be leaving even this road, and taking to the bush, you say, Mr. McNab?” Lub was asking, as he clutched the arm of Ethan in a sudden spasm of fear lest he be shaken from his seat when one of the runners of the sled struck an obstruction, tilting the whole load dangerously.
“Oh, aye, but I assure ye it couldno’ be any worse than this. Ye ken that the road is seldom used, and it gets in a peetiful state. But it will not be for lang. When we turn off the going will be better, ye understand.”
Mr. McNab had a very broad touch of the brogue. Lub loved to hear him roll the “R’s” off his thick tongue, and often asked questions just to be amused in that way.
“Look ahead there, will you?” cried out X-Ray just then; for when it came to using his eyes to advantage the Tyson boy had all of his chums “beaten to a frazzle,” as Ethan used to say; “here comes a man walking along the road. Why, we must be getting near a town of some kind.”
“Aweel, laddy, nae doot ye think so, but it taks more than one man to mak a toun. That party is a logger coming from the camp. I dinna ken why he should be giving up his job so airly in the season, but it may be he is seek, or has had some sorry news frae hame.”