FORT ELLICE. 53 



the top of a cart, busily engaged in unpacking one of 

 his boxes. He was still in a state of somnambulism, 

 and tremendously puzzled, when we awoke him, to find 

 himself where he was, shivering in his shirt in the 

 cold night air. We had a hearty laugh over the affair 

 next morning, and concluded that a mushroom supper, 

 and La Ronde's wild stories together, were the cause 

 of the horrible nightmare. While we were talking it 

 over, the men told us Vital was missing. We had 

 remonstrated with him about his laziness the day 

 before, and he had taken it in high dudgeon, and 

 decamped in the night. 



During the day we met a train of carts returning 

 to Eed Eiver, and engaged one of the drivers, a 

 loutish-looking youth, who rejoiced in the name of 

 Zear, in place of Vital . The man in charge was the 

 bearer of a note from Lord Dunmore, stating that he 

 was lying ill at Fort Ellice, and requesting Cheadle 

 to come to his relief as quickly as possible. The next 

 morning, therefore, we tied our blankets behind our 

 saddles, hung a tin cup to our belts, and taking 

 a couple of " gallettes," or unleavened cakes, a-piece, 

 set out on a forced march to the Fort, leaving the 

 men to follow more slowly with the carts. 



We rode hard, and reached our destination on the 

 evening of the third day, when we found that our 

 exertions had been useless, as Lord Dunmore had left 

 the day before. When the carts arrived two days 

 afterwards, several of them required repairs, which 

 delayed us two days longer. We were very kindly 

 entertained by Mr. Mackay, the officer in charge of 



