TO THE PLAINS AGAIN. 143 



dark indeed — and were too exhausted to return at 

 once. Keenamontiayoo was exceedingly penitent, 

 shook hands with us fervently, exclaiming that he 

 had been " namooya quiusk, namooya quiusk" (not 

 straight, not straight) ; i.e., had not acted rightly, 

 but assured us that it was the only time he had ever 

 done so in all his life, and he would never do the like 

 again. We readily made peace, and all was serene 

 once more. 



It was now the beginning of February, and we 

 might look for the return of La Ronde and 

 Bruneau in the course of another month. Our 

 scanty stock of provisions, however, necessitated 

 another excursion to the plains in search of buffalo, 

 and we accordingly arranged to set out in a day's 

 time to fetch the meat we had been obliged to leave 

 behind in cache. Cheadle positively refused to 

 agree to Milton's again facing the .exposure and 

 hardship which had so severely affected him before, 

 and he was reluctantly persuaded to remain at home, 

 or rather take up his quarters for the time with our 

 Indian neighbours. 



On the 10th of February Cheadle started with 

 the Indian and his boy, taking with them two 

 dog-sleighs. The old path had drifted up, and 

 was undistinguishable in the open, so that the 

 road again required to be trodden out with snow- 

 shoes ; and the snow was now so deep — nearly 

 three feet — that it was necessary for both men 

 to walk in advance, before the track was beaten 

 firm enough to bear the weight of the dogs. In 



