We found the creeks full, and this caused no end of work in ferrying and bridging. Up to this time our cart road had terminated about fifteen miles from the Mission, but now I determined to chop a road right through; and when those who had no carts left us at Battle River to take the straight pack-trail to the lake, I told them to begin at that end and make the road to meet us. This they did, and after some days' hard work chopping out the forest, and corduroying swamps, and bridging streams, I had the pleasure of mounting the lead cart and drawing this right up to our Mission house door. In this humble instance the "star of empire" was trending westward. Soon the Indians who had been with us cached their provisions, and scattered into the woods to hunt moose and other wood game. But we were seldom without some of these restless nomads of the plains. CHAPTER XXVI. Another visit to Victoria--Fall in with a war party of Kootenays and Flatheads--Samson and I go moose-hunting--A Sabbath afternoon experience--A band of moose enjoy Sabbath immunity--I start out to meet father returning from the East--The glorious Saskatchewan Valley--Call at Fort Pitt--Equinoctial storms--Entertained by a French half-breed family--Meet Mr. Hardisty and one of my sisters--Camp-fire chat--Meeting with father--Rev. Peter Campbell and others with his party--Father relates his experience in the East--Rev. Geo. Young sent to Red River Settlement and Rev. E. R. Young to Norway House. When we were nicely settled at home I made a hurried trip on horseback to Victoria, for I knew mother and the rest of our people would be extremely anxious about us; and it was with joy they met me as I rode into the older Mission. Father was expected home in September, and mother said he hoped I would meet him somewhere down the Saskatchewan with some fresh horses. Here I learned that there had been considerable fighting on the plains east and south of where we had been. A number of scalps had been taken on both sides, and the reports of these encounters had made our people very anxious about our party.