"Me, I think no! Railroad outfit.

_Voyageur_ not muss up camp lak' dat." Thirlwell agreed.

A half-breed _voyageur_ does not waste food, and with inherited caution seldom disturbs the bush.

It looked as if the city man had engaged a gang of track-layers, who are used to pioneering and sometimes carry surveyors' stores through the wilds.
"Well," he said, "we'll follow their trail." The party had obviously left the water for a time, because their track led away from the creek in the valley and the bush was too thick to permit the portaging of canoes.

Thirlwell followed the trail until he satisfied himself that they were going east, and then went back to his camp.