midday
On Monday morning , as soon as it was light enough to see , Bob started out to look for the caribou , leaving the tent as Micmac John found it . He made the great mistake of not taking with him his axe , for an axe is often a life saver in the northern wilderness , and a hunter should never be without one . He crossed the marsh and then the ridge of low hills to the northward , finally coming out upon a large lake . It was now midday , the snow had commenced falling , and to continue the hunt further was useless . '' 'T is goin ' t ' be nasty weather an ' I 'll have t ' be gettin ' back t ' th ' tent , '' said he regretfully as he realized that a severe storm was upon him . Reluctantly he retraced his steps . In a little while his tracks were all covered , and not a landmark that he had noted on his inward journey was visible through the blinding snow .