130 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



empty stomachs, or pity for the unfortunate dogs 

 who had now not tasted a morsel of food for two 

 days. It was otherwise, however, with Cheadle. 

 Toihng away on snow-shoes until noon, he ex- 

 perienced a wonderfully disagreeable sensation of 

 emptiness, and a tendency to bend double ; and his 

 walking in this stooping attitude elicited frequent 

 ridicule from the boy, who was vastly delighted, and 

 kept crying, " Keeipah, keeipah" (Quickly, quickly). 

 There was no help for it but to keep *' pegging 

 away," and at dusk they gained the well-beaten 

 trail about five miles from the Fort. Snow-shoes 

 were doffed and tied on the sleighs ; the dogs, 

 knowing the end of the journey was near, set off 

 at a gallop ; and the " Muskeeky Okey Mow," now 

 quite recovered, astonished his companions by run- 

 ning ahead, and arriving first at the Fort. 



The next day, when the provisions were ready 

 for the Indians to set out with at once to the relief 

 of Milton, Keenamontiayoo was discovered to be in 

 a state of intoxication. By noon he was sufficiently 

 sobered to start on the journey, and promised to 

 make all possible haste. He was very much 

 ashamed of himself, and penitent withal, more par- 

 ticularly because he had parted with a valuable 

 hunting-knife, which he prized very highly, for a 

 teacupful of rum. It was one which the " Soniow 

 Okey Mow " had given him on our return from the 

 plains, as a reward for his good behaviour to us, 

 and he had vowed never to part with it. A little rum 

 offered to him by one of the half-breeds, who 



