CHAPTEE XV. 



We commence to Cut our Way — The Pathless Primeval Forest — The 

 Order of March — Trouble with our Horses ; their Perversity — 

 Continual Disasters — Our Daily Fare — Mount Cheadle — Country 

 Improves only in Appearance — Futile Attempt to Escape out of 

 the Yalley— A Glimpse of Daylight— Wild Fruits— Mr, O'B. 

 triumphantly Crosses the Eiver — The Assiniboine Disabled — 

 New Arrangements — Hopes of Finding Prairie-Land — Disappoint- 

 ment — Forest and Mountain Everywhere — False Hopes again — 

 Provisions at an End — Council of War — Assiniboine Hunts with- 

 out Success — The Headless Indian — " Le Petit ISToir" Condemned 

 and Executed — Feast on Horseflesh — Leave Black Horse Camp — 

 Forest again — The Assiniboine becomes Disheartened— The 

 Grand Eapid — A Dead Lock — Famishing Horses — The Barrier — 

 Shall we get Past? — Mr. O'B. and Bucephalus — Extraordinary 

 Escape of the Latter — More Accidents — La Porte d'Enfer — Step 

 by Step — The Assiniboine Downcast and Disabled — Mrs. Assini- 

 boine takes his Place — The Provisions give out again — A Dreary 

 Beaver Swamp — The Assiniboine gives up in Despair — Mr. O'B. 

 begins to Doubt, discards Paley, and prepares to become Insane 

 — We kill another Horse — A Bird of Good Omen — The Crow 

 speaks Truth — Fresher Sign — A Trail — The Koad rapidlj^ Im- 

 proves — Out of the Forest at last ! 



On the 31st of July we left Slaughter Camp in a 

 pouring rain, and plunged into the pathless forest 

 before us. We were at once brought up by the steep flice 

 of a hill which came down close to the water's edge. 

 But the steepness of the path was not the greatest 

 difficulty. No one who has not seen a primeval forest, 

 where trees of gigantic size have grown and fallen 

 undisturbed for ages, can form any idea of the collec- 



