Father, when home, held an English service at the fort once a week, and the largest room available was always full. Then we organized a literary society, which met weekly at the fort. Thus many a night we drove to and fro with our quick-moving dogs. At times we were surrounded by the "Aurora." Sometimes they seemed to touch us. One could hear the swish of the quick movement through the crisp, frosty atmosphere. What halos of many-colored light they would envelop us in! Forest and rock, ice and snow, would become radiant as with heavenly glory. One would for the time almost forget the intense cold. No wonder the Indian calls these wonderful phenomena "The Dancers," and says they are "the spirits of the departed." After all, who knows? I do not. CHAPTER IX. First real winter trip--Start--Extreme fatigue--Conceit all gone--Cramps--Change--Will-power--Find myself--Am as capable as others--Oxford House--Jackson's Bay. During our first winter I accompanied father on a trip to Jackson's Bay and Oxford House. This is about 180 miles almost due north of Norway House, making a trip of 360 miles. Our manner of starting out on the trip was as follows: William Bundle, father's hired man, went ahead on snow-shoes, for there was no track; then came John Sinclair, the interpreter, with his dogs hitched to a cariole, which is a toboggan with parchment sides and partly covered in, in which father rode, and on the tail of which some of the necessary outfit was tightly lashed; then came my train of dogs and sleigh, on which was lashed the load, consisting of fish for dogs and pemmican and food for men; kettles, axe, bedding--in short, everything for the trip; then myself on snow-shoes, bringing up the rear. [Illustration: MY FIRST WINTER TRIP] Now, the driver of a dog-sleigh must do all the holding back going down hill; must right the sleigh when it upsets; keep it from upsetting along sidehills, and often push up hills; and, besides all this, urge and drive the dogs, and do all he can to make good time. This was my first real winter trip with dogs, and I very soon found it to be no sinecure, but, on the contrary, desperately hard work. Many a time that first day I wished myself back at the Mission. The hauling of wood, the racing across to the fort--all that had been as child's play; this was earnest work, and tough at that. The big load would cause my sleigh to upset; my snow-shoes would likewise cause me to upset. The dogs began to think--indeed, soon knew--I was a "tenderfoot," and they played on me. Yonder was William, making a bee-line for the north, and stepping as if he were going to reach the pole, and that very soon, and Mr. Sinclair was close behind him; and I, oh! where was I, but far behind? Both spirit and flesh began to weaken. Then we stopped on an island and made a fire; that is, father and the men had the fire about made when I came up. Father looked mischievous. I had bothered him to let me go on this trip.