Our second contact came when a 12 year old girl came out of the bush into our clearing, and watched us. We called to her and she said her brother would be there soon. Her older brother arrived about 5 minutes later, He told us his mother would soon arrive, and she did about ten minutes later. She identified herself as the children's mother and told us her husband was on his way. In another ten minutes her husband came into the clearing, and we showed them what we were doing.  The Lady said they were curious about how we were getting along in the bush on our own, and decided to meet us. She also thought we might like a nice home baked Blueberry pie, and presented us with just that.  They had taken an hour to cross the lake by motor boat, and walked four miles inland to bring us total strangers greetings and a treat. Thus we met part of the Herman family. They also invited us to come and visit them when we came back to town to replenish our supplies.

We did so, and learned much about the economy of the North.  On one of my supply trips into town I had quite a talk with the free trader Mr. Bruce Ruling. During our conversation, a native came into the store to purchase supplies. When this man left, Bruce explained to me that the man was a suspected murderer and that the people were punishing him by ignoring his very existence. Bruce was exempt as the people realized the man had to purchase supplies and they didn't want him to die without feeling the full extent of their wrath towards him.