226 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



frightened and unmanageable, some of them burst 

 through the thick timber around, in spite of the flames, 

 and one, severely burnt about the legs, threw himself 

 down, and rolled in his agony in the very hottest of the 

 fire. We dropped axe and bucket, hauled at him by 

 the head and tail in vain, and at last, in desperation, 

 beat him savagely about the head, when he sprang up,, 

 and bolted away. But the delay caused by this inci- 

 dent had nearly been fatal. The fire had rapidly 

 gained head, the air became hot, and the smoke almost 

 stifling, the flames raged fiercely, with terrific roar, 

 and for a moment we hesitated whether we should not 

 abandon all, and make for the river. But we took 

 courage, snatched up hatchet and pail once more, 

 and as each tree fell, and patches of moss w^ere ex- 

 tinguished, we began to hope. While we were thus 

 busily engaged in our frantic exertions, it occurred to 

 us that our friend Mr. O'B. had hitherto given us no 

 assistance, and, looking round, descried him still 

 seated where we had left him, feebly tugging at a 

 boot which he appeared to have great difliculty in 

 pulling on. We shouted to him, for God's sake, to 

 come and help us, or we should all be bui-nt to death. 

 He replied, in a doubtful, uncertain manner, that he 

 was coming directly, when he had got his boots on. 

 Boused at length by our fierce objm'gations, and 

 struck by the suggestion that he would burn as easily 

 with his boots ofi" as when properly shod, he ran up, 

 trembling and bewildered, bringing a tardy and in- 

 efiectual assistance in the shape of half-pints of water 

 in his little tin mug ! Gradually, however, we sue- 



