The Calverts began their journey the following morning. It was slow going, especially at first, as they adapted to walking for hours each day with heavy loads. Everything they needed had to be carried on their backs, and even Tripper was given a load to carry, despite the animal’s initial objections.
Still, as the days passed, they adapted to the constant travel, and their sore muscles toughened as they became more adept at wilderness living.
They traveled for as long, or as short, a time as they thought necessary each day. They didn’t really have any particular place to go, so they went wherever impulse took them, mostly following the river north. Some days they walked long distances, while others they traveled little or not at all. Robert, who had done some prospecting years before, showed Rose how to pan for gold. It proved an interesting activity, if not a very profitable one. But they didn’t really need the gold; it was all part of the adventure.
The first night out, after they had made camp, Robert showed Rose how to handle a firearm. Rose had never used a gun before, and wasn’t terribly fond of the weapons—the sound of gunshots always reminded her of the night the Titanic sank, when Cal, infuriated by her jumping from the boat to be with Jack, had tried to shoot them. Still, she had to admit that it was a useful skill to have, especially in the wilderness, where guns were needed for procuring food and for defending oneself against predators, both animal and human.
Rose wasn’t very skilled with the gun, but she managed, after some practice, to hit what she aimed for, as long as it was large enough to see easily and wasn’t moving. Hitting small or moving targets was more a matter of luck for her. Still, it was enough that she could defend herself, since most threats were likely to be up close, and therefore within range.
Robert managed to hunt enough that they didn’t have to use much of their dried food supplies, although Rose was nearly hopeless at hunting. She didn’t like the idea of killing anything, and would shy away when an opportunity presented itself. Robert found this exasperating, but finally stopped trying to convince her to help with hunting. He did, however, teach her how to skin and prepare the animal once it was killed, and Rose, after getting over her initial squeamishness, was able to do this part of the preparation of wild game.
Rose contributed to the food supply, too. Before they had left, she had found a small book on the flora of the Arctic, and its uses. After some studying, and a few stupid but non-hazardous mistakes, she learned to forage for edible berries, roots, and greens along the river and in the forest. She learned more occasionally from other people that they met, and managed to provide well for herself and Robert even without hunting.
Another activity that they enjoyed after they had made camp for the night, or when they were staying in one place for a few days, was fishing. A variety of fish populated the rivers and streams, but Rose was most fond of salmon, a delicacy that she had enjoyed when she was a member of the upper class, but had rarely been able to afford after she had left home. They would sit on the river or stream bank, fishing, or would leave the weighted pole with the bait in the water while they did other things, and hope that a fish would bite before they came back, and not be eaten by some other creature.
Rose was able to tolerate fishing, despite the fact that it involved killing a living animal, because the fish didn’t seem to have the same effect on her as warm-blooded animals. She didn’t feel the same guilt over killing a fish and eating it as she did over killing land prey.
They gradually made their way north, sometimes camping with other people, sometimes camping alone. Tripper followed Rose everywhere, guarding her against any threats, and few people or animals would approach her with the dog standing guard. They met a few untrustworthy people, but most were either friendly or ignored them. Few predatory animals approached them, either, having learned that humans and their dogs were dangerous.
Despite the hardships that they encountered, the Calverts enjoyed their trip, and, as the summer progressed, made their way north onto the tundra.