262 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



been ridino: the animal wliich was lost. Then the loss 

 of his kettle was, after all, of little consequence, for the 

 tea to use in it was gone too. " No," said he, " what 

 grieves me is the loss of your tobacco ; it's a very 

 serious thing to me, as well as you ; for, do you know^ 

 my own was just finished, and I was on the very point 

 of asking you to lend me some till we get through." 

 Milton being the only man who had any tobacco left, 

 some four small plugs, smilingly took the hint, and 

 shared it with the rest of the party. 



On the following day we moved on towards The 

 Cache with the Iroquois and Shushwaps, whilst The 

 Assiniboine and his son searched the river closely for 

 traces of the lost horse or baggage. As we were fol- 

 lowino- alono: the track with the train of horses, in 

 single file, Cheadle, who was driving some of the rear- 

 most pack-horses, heard loud cries behind — " Doctor, 

 Doctor ! Stop, stop !" and was presently overtaken by 

 Mr. O'B., who came up out of breath, gasping out, 

 " Doctor, Doctor ! you had better go back directly, some- 

 thing's happened ; don't you hear some one shouting 

 for assistance ? I expect it is Mrs. Assiniboine with 

 one of the horses fast in a bog." Anathematising 

 Mr. O'B. for not having himself gone back to help her, 

 and receiving in reply a tribute to the greater value of 

 his own aid, Cheadle ran hastily back a few hundred 

 yards, and there came upon the w^oman, endeavouring 

 perseveringly, but vainly, to extricate a horse, which 

 was almost buried in a morass, by first beating him 

 vigorously, and then hauling at his tail. By cutting 

 off the packs, and one hauling at the head and the 



