NOTHING TO EAT. 33 



dace. Having unfortunately broken our last hook, we 

 caught them by the contrivance of two needles fastened 

 together by passing the line through the eyes, and 

 threading them head first through the bait. One 

 night found us with nothing but a couple of gold-eyes 

 for supper, and we were roused very early next morn- 

 ing by the gnawing of our stomachs. We paddled 

 nearly the whole day in the hot sun, languid and 

 weary, and most fearfully hungry. Neither ducks 

 nor geese were to be seen, and the gold-eyes resisted 

 all our allurements. We knew that we must be 

 at least 150 miles from our journey's end, and 

 our only hope of escaping semi- starvation seemed to 

 be the speedy arrival of the steamer. For be it re- 

 membered, that for the whole distance of 450 miles 

 between Greorgetown and Pembina, sixty miles above 

 Fort Garry, there are no inhabitants except chance 

 parties of Indians. We were sorely tempted to stop 

 and rest during the heat of the day, but were urged 

 on by the hope of finding something edible before 

 nightfall. 



Our perseverance was duly rewarded, for shortly 

 before sundown we came upon a flock of geese, and a 

 most exciting chase ensued. Faintness and languor 

 were forgotten, and we paddled furiously after them, 

 encouraged by the prospect of a substantial supper. 

 We killed three geese, and soon after met with a 

 number of ducks, out of which we shot seven. Before 

 we could find a place at which to camp, we killed two 

 more geese, and were well supplied for a couple of days. 

 We speedily lit a fire, plucked and spitted our game, 



D 



