248 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



tliat, my lord ! very narrow escape, indeed, Doctor. 

 We can't expect to be so lucky every time, yon know." 

 And the moment he gained the shore, he scrambled off 

 and left his horse to its own devices. 



Many of the pack-horses were carried off far down 

 the stream, and we fully expected some of them would 

 be lost, but they eventually all struggled ashore. The 

 only damage we suffered was the wetting of the flour 

 and j)emmican, but by immediate care the injury was 

 in great measure repaired. 



The next day we followed the south bank of the 

 Myette, the narrow strip of bank between the moun- 

 tain sides of the valley and the river being very boggy, 

 and much of it under water. A few hours of this 

 disagreeable travelling brought us to the last crossing 

 of this aggravating river, where we expected to have 

 to construct a raft. On reaching the place, however, 

 we observed a small " cajot," or raft, moored by wil- 

 lows to the opposite bank, left there doubtless by the 

 three Americans who had passed a few weeks before. 



The boy volunteered to swim his horse over and 

 fetch it across, and, stripping to his shirt, mounted, 

 and rode into the water. The horse soon swam to the 

 other side, but the bank was steep, and he reared and 

 fell back in attempting to scramble up. The boy 

 slipped off, but regained his seat, and, becoming 

 frightened, tm-ned the horse's head and swam back 

 again to us, without accomplishing anything. The 

 Assiniboine now resolved himself to try and bring the 

 raft over, and by his direction we drove all the horses 

 across, with the exception of one. They all succeeded 



