222 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



his eye on the trail, but also to look out constantly for 

 the animal he is following, which he may come upon 

 at any moment, and carefully avoid breaking a dry 

 twig, or making a rustling in the underwood through 

 which he passes. Amongst the few qualities of the 

 Eed Indian, good or evil, which have not been 

 exaggerated are his power of sight, sagacity in follow- 

 ing a track, and interpreting the signs he meets with. 

 He Avill often follow a moose for days, and in winter, 

 when the sound of the breaking through of the crust 

 on the snow beneath his feet would betray his 

 approach, will carefully cut out each footstep with his 

 knife. The moose in this case had changed his 

 quarters, and the pursuit was given up. 



Our dish of fish in the evening w^as an immense 

 treat, and but for the ominous taciturnity of Baptiste, 

 we should have been jolly enough. In the morning 

 affairs looked brighter, Baptiste cheerfully helped to 

 pack the horses, talked away as usual, and seemed 

 quite contented. Cheadle started in advance of the 

 party, and after an hour or two pulled up to await 

 the arrival of the train. When it came up, Baptiste 

 was missing, and Milton was the first to perceive 

 his absence. The Assiniboine declared he knew 

 nothing more than that he stayed behind after the 

 train started to light his pipe, as he said, and he 

 expected him to make his appearance very shortly. 

 We travelled on till noon, and then, as Baptiste did 

 not come, we felt convinced that he really had de- 

 serted, and stopped to hold a solemn council on the 

 course to be taken under this change of circumstances. 



