114 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



hidden rum cask, and established a weak conviviality 

 by the aid of hot punch. 



Milton and Bruneau went merrily along on their 

 way to the Fort. The road had just been well beaten 

 by the passage of trains to La Crosse ; a slight thaw 

 had followed, and the track was now frozen hard, so 

 that the dogs galloped away with the Kghtly-laden 

 sleigh at a tremendous pace over the ice. The two 

 followed at speed, occasionally jumping on to the 

 sleigh for a time, to gain breath again. But the cold 

 was too great to allow a very long ride, and running 

 was soon resumed. They travelled wdth such expedition 

 that although it was afternoon when they left the hut, 

 they travelled at least thirty miles before nightfall, 

 camping beyond the crossing of the Shell Biver. 

 Milton, eager beyond measure to arrive at the Fort 

 in time to share the Christmas festivities, arose in the 

 middle of the night, and succeeded in convincing 

 Bruneau that it was nearly daybreak. They therefore 

 harnessed the dogs and started again. To their 

 surprise, the moon rose instead of the sun, but they 

 kept on their way, and daybreak appeared after several 

 houi's. They arrived at Carlton just in time to sit down 

 to Mr. Lillie's Christmas dinner, having accomplished 

 the journey of eighty miles in the wonderfully short 

 time of twenty-six hours. Plum pudding and a bottle 

 of sherry graced the board, and were both done fall 

 justice to by the company. 



La Eonde came in on the 27th, and on the follow- 

 ing day set out with Bruneau on their distant journey. 

 They took with them two dog-sleighs, and the best 



