Lost: A True Story About My Grandfather

Told By: Matthew Kelly

Joshua Roberts

Samuel Kelly

Retold By: Christopher Kelly (Grade Five)

On Sunday, one week before Christmas in 1948 my Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Uncle Sam Kelly and Bob King went into the country to hunt and set snares.

The area they went to is known as Gull Lake. It was a great distance to travel by foot and dog sled. They arrived at their campsite, Burnt Pond, at 12:00 pm Sunday night. They were too tired to fully set up camp so they picthed their tents.

The next morning,(Monday) my Great-Ggrandfather, Joshua Roberts, stayed back to finial setting up the camp. The other three men went off to hunt for moose and caribou, taking a sled and four of the eight dogs.

About early evening(around three o'clock) snow started to fall. Because they were trailing some animals the men did not start back right away. The snow soon turned into a blizzard. It soon became dark and the three men made a shelter of boughs. Inside they lit a fire, trying to stay warm. They had no food, having only carried he lunch, which they had eaten earlier that day. They only stayed there for a few hours and when they could see by moonlight they tried to find their way back.

Back at the campsite, great Grandfather Roberts was getting worried. The others had been gone for a very long time. he stayed up waiting all that night, hoping they would soon return.

By Tuesday they were still not back. Great Grandfather Roberts still remained at the camp in hopes that they'd turn up, keeping the fire going and the kettle hot.

My Grandfather,(Matt Kelly) and his companions on Tuesday thought they knew where they were. However, Uncle Sam took a wrong turn and they were lost. They had no food, nothing to make a shelter out off, only the clothes they wore to keep them warm. They were in the area of Gull Lake known as the Middle Ridge. On Tuesday night they stayed in the woods at Big Gull Pond and followed it. Wednesday night they again stayed in the woods, this time at Conne Pond. They did not have any fire to help them warm in the bitterly cold night. They had lost their matches. By this time they were very weak and Uncle Sam was getting ill.

By Wednesday morning my Great Grandfather Joshua Roberts decided to go for help. He harnessed the four remaining dogs and set out. He left supplies behind in case the men should make it back to camp. He carried with him blankets and enough food for three meals. he went as far as Twillick where he camped that night. Thrusday morning he set off again, leaving supplies behind at the site where he'd camped incase the men should come out at Twillick. He made his way to the Bowaters Wood Camp #4.

My Grandfather's party followed the Conne River down towards Camp Three. My Grandfather fell into the icy water numerous times getting his feet soaked. They kept going on. Time was against them. They had been in the below freezing temperatures without food or heat for three days. Meanwhile, Great Grandfather Roberts having reached camp Four notified the men working there of the situation. From this he travelled to Milltown.

At about the same time my grandfather, Uncle Sam and Bob King arrived at Camp Three. This was also a logging Camp belonging to Bowaters and there were men there. Here they got food and dry clothing.

By this time Uncle Sam was to ill to walk and had to travel back to Milltown in the sled.

It was an unsuccessful hunt, but everyone was just happy to be safe and warm again. They had been lost for a total of four days and three nights.