280 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



trimks, piled togetlier so irregiilarly, was slippery and 

 uncertain, and the flood poured fiercely through the 

 weir, making our heads giddy with the rush of waters 

 and their deafening roar. When we had crossed this, 

 which was at least forty yards in width, we were obliged 

 to scramble with our loads as we could up a perpen- 

 dicular hill-side, through piles of fallen timber, in order 

 to reach the track. Mr. O'B. stole across quietly, with- 

 out troubling himself Avith even his own baggage, and 

 then sat down and took out his Paley — his pipe, alas ! 

 w^as useless now — declaring he was sorry he had 

 omitted to bring his property, but that he would not 

 cross such a dangerous place again for the world : his 

 head would not stand it. He was afraid he should 

 become giddy and fall over, and therefore begged that 

 we would let him rest in peace. We left him there, 

 ourselves re-crossing for other loads; but as we. re- 

 turned with them we were astonished to meet Mr. 

 O'B. scrambling over the logs with the most astound- 

 ing agility. The Assiniboine having discovered him 

 sitting idle, advanced towards him with so menacing 

 an air that he fled across the bridge with great celerity, 

 and took his share of work without complaint. Mr. 

 O'B. firmly believed that The Assiniboine intended to 

 murder him on the first convenient opportunity, and 

 viewed any ofiensive demonstration on his part with 

 unqualified terror. When we had taken the baggage 

 across, we proceeded to drive the horses into the 

 stream below the dam. They swam to a shallow in 

 the middle, and there remained. The day was ex- 

 ceedingly sultry, and they enjoyed the coolness of the 



