THE CREES AT FAULT. 69 



them to sleep in the lodge, and redoubled our vigilance 

 in keeping watch. But the night again passed without 

 alarm, and we concluded that we had succeeded in 

 throwing our pursuers off the trail. After hunting 

 several days more, with varied success, we made a rapid 

 journey back to the Fort, which we reached on the 8th 

 of October. On our way we overtook the Company's 

 train of carts returning, laden with meat. Mr. Sinclair, 

 who was in charge, informed us that when first the 

 hunters went out on the fall hunt, they found buffalo 

 in extraordinary numbers. Vast herds covered the 

 ground in every direction, so that the earth fairly 

 shook again beneath their trampling, and at night 

 sleep was almost impossible from the constant lowing, 

 and the tumult of their passage. By the time he got 

 there the large bands had been broken up, and the 

 cows, who are much wilder than the bulls, driven far 

 to the south. He also told us that he had met the 

 party of Crees who had guided Treemiss to the camp 

 on the occasion when he lost his way. They related the 

 whole story to him, with the further information that 

 they had been much disappointed with us, and vastly 

 smitten with our horses, which they had made up 

 their minds to carry off. Accordingly, a large party 

 cautiously followed our trail the next day, but when 

 they arrived at our old camp by the river — the point 

 where we had turned off at right angles — they were 

 unable to trace us any further, and concluded that we 

 had crossed the river. We were greatly pleased to find 

 our suspicions were not groundless, and that the strata- 

 gem we adopted had been so completely successful. 



