LOST ON THE PRAIRIE AT NIGHT. 95 



Before the animal was cut up, and the meat packed 

 on the horses, which they had this time brought with 

 them, night had already come on. 



The chase had led them six or seven miles from, 

 camp, and the young moon had nearly gone down. La 

 Eonde, however, pressed confidently forward, although 

 it seemed impossible to find the way in the dark 

 through a country of such uniform character. After 

 travelling several hours, he stopped all at once, and 

 began striking sparks with flint and steel, to enable 

 him to see the old track near the camp. It could not 

 be found, however, although La Eonde very positively 

 asserted that it must be close at hand, and the camp 

 itself within a few hundred yards of the place where 

 they stood. La Eonde had steered his course entirely 

 by the stars, and judged by the direction, and time, 

 and rate of travelling, that they must be close to their 

 destination. All were impressed with the idea that 

 the camp lay to the right, and a divergence was made 

 for a few hundred yards in that direction ; but no 

 landmarks could be made out, and it was resolved to 

 camp for the night in a copse of small poplars. A 

 pack of wolves kept up a continual howling, snapping, 

 and growling at a little distance to the left, and 

 Cheadle was very anxious to move there, thinking it 

 probable that they were quarrelling over the meat that 

 had been left packed on the sledges in the camp. 

 But La Eonde dissuaded him, saying he was sure the 

 camp lay to the right, and the wolves would not dare 

 to enter so soon a place strewed with blankets and 

 other property of men. 



