The country was literally alive with the beautiful creatures, and they did not seem to be much frightened.  The apparently wanted only to keep what seemed to them a safe distance between us, and would stop to watch us curiously within easy rifle shot.  Yet I am glad I can record that not a shot was fired at them.  Gilbert was wild, for he had in him the hunter’s instinct in fullest measure.  The trigger of Job’s rifle clicked longingly, but they never forgot that starvation broods over Labrador, and that the animal they longed to shoot might some time save the life of one in just such extremity as that reached by Mr. Hubbard and his party two years before.

The enjoyment of the men showed itself in the kindling eyes and faces luminous with pleasure.  All his long wilderness experience had never afforded Job anything to compare with that which this day had brought him.  He was like a boy in his abandon of delight, and I am sure that if the caribou had worn tails we should have seen Job running over the hills holding fast to one of them.

Before proceeding farther we re-ascended the hill which we first climbed to take a look at the lake.  It could be seen almost from end to end.  The lower part which we had passed was clear, but above us the lake was a network of islands and water.  The hills on either side seemed to taper off to nothing in the north, and I could see where the land appeared to drop away beyond this northern horizon which looked too near to be natural.  North of Michikamats were more smaller lakes, and George showed me our probable route to look for “my river”.  Squalls and showers had been passing all the afternoon, and as it drew towards evening fragments of rainbow could be seen out on the lake or far away on the hills beyond it.  Labrador is a land of rainbows and rainbow colours, and nowhere have I ever seen them so brilliant, so frequent and so variedly manifested.  Now the most brilliant one of all appeared close to us, its end resting directly on a rock near the foot of the hill.  George never knew before that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  I suspect he does not believe it yet for I could not persuade him to run to get it.  Gilbert, more credulous, made a determined attempt to secure the treasure, but before he reached the rock the rainbow had moved off and carried the gold to the middle of the lake.

Camp was made a little farther up.  When it was ready for the night Job and Joe were again off to watch the caribou.  They were feeding on the hills and swimming back and forth from islands to mainland, now in companies, now a single caribou.  Job was so near one as he came out of the water that he could have caught him by the horns.  Now and then a distant shout told that Job and the caribou had come to close quarters.

While George and Gilbert prepared supper, I sat writing in my diary with feet stretched to the fire, for I was wet and it was cold that night.  Suddenly I was startled to hear George exclaim in tragic tones:  “Oh! look there!  Isn’t that too bad!”