310 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



tlie extreme end of an old trapping path from tlie 

 Fort. The valley began rapidly to expand, the hills 

 became lower, the trail continued to become more and 

 more beaten, and at noon on the 22nd we fairly 

 shouted for joy as we emerged from the gloom in 

 which we had so long been imprisoned, on to a 

 beautiful little prairie, and saw before us a free, open 

 country, diversified with rounded hills and stretches 

 of woodland. We stopped with one accord, and lay 

 down on the green turf, basking in the sun, whilst we 

 allowed our horses to feed on the rich prairie grass, 

 such as they had not tasted since leaving Edmonton. 



The day was gloriously bright and fine, and the 

 delight with which we gazed upon the beautiful 

 landscape before us will be appreciated, if the reader 

 will reflect that we had travelled for more than eleven 

 weeks without cessation, and for the last month had 

 been lost in the forest, starving, over-worked, almost 

 hopeless of escape. Even Mr. O'B., who had resumed 

 the study of Paley with renewed zest, looked up 

 from his book from time to time, and ventured to 

 express a hope that we might escape, after all, and 

 offered his advice upon the course to be pursued in 

 the happier time at hand. 



