64 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



they lumber along in their heavy gallop. Their 

 small hind-quarters, covered only with short hair, 

 seem absurdly disproportioned to the heavy front, 

 with its hump and shaggy mane ; and as they gallop, 

 their long beards and fringed dewlaps sway from side 

 to side, whilst their little eyes roll viciously, as they 

 peep out of the forest of hair at the enemy behind them. 



It was curious to see how the wolves seemed to 

 spring up, as it were, out of the ground, at the sound 

 of the first shot. Tw^o or three appeared on every 

 little eminence, where they sat watching the progress 

 of the hunt. When we left one of the dead animals, 

 after cutting ofi* the best meat from the carcase, they 

 began to steal towards it, and before we had got 

 many hundred yards, a dozen of them were tearing 

 at the body, and generally managed to pick the bones 

 clean before morning. 



In this run all were successful. La Eonde killed 

 two, and the rest of us one a-piece, even Cheadle 

 making his appearance in due coui'se on his diminu- 

 tive steed, with a tongue hanging to his saddle. 



Whilst the men were engaged in cutting up the 

 animals nearest at hand, Treemiss, still un^atiated, 

 started again in search of game, and Cheadle set out 

 with Zear to the animal he had killed, which lay 

 above a mile away. It presently began to rain 

 heavily, and Milton went on with the train, to camp in 

 a grove of trees by the river-side. The rain changed 

 to sleet, and it became bitterly cold. 



Evening began to close in, and still Treemiss and 

 Cheadle did not make their appearance. La Ronde 



