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OUR DAILY FARE. 289 



tions again be necessary. The work was vexatious 

 and wearisome in the extreme, and we found our 

 stock of philosophy quite unequal to the occasion. 



With a view of economising our provisions and 

 making more rapid progress, we reduced our meals to 

 breakfast and supper, resting only a short time at 

 mid- day to allow the horses to feed, but not un- 

 packing them. Our fare was what the half-breeds call 

 "rubaboo," which we made by boiling a piece of pem- 

 mican the size of one's fist in a large quantity of water 

 thickened with a single handful of flour. The latter 

 commodity had now become very valuable, and was 

 used in this way only, three or four pounds being all we 

 had left. Occasionally we were lucky enough to kill a 

 partridge or skunk, and this formed a welcome addi- 

 tion to the " rubaboo." The mess was equally divided, 

 and two ordinary platesful formed the portion of 

 each individual. Under these trying circumstances 

 we had the advantage of Mr. O'B.'s advice, which he 

 did not fail to offer at every opportunity. When we 

 stopped for the night, and the work of unloading the 

 horses and preparing camp was over, he would emerge 

 from some quiet retreat, fresh from the solace of 

 Paley, and deliver his opinions on the prospects of the 

 journey and his views on the course to be pursued. 

 ' Now, my lord ; now, Doctor," he would say, " I don't 

 think that we have gone on nearly so well to-day as we 

 might have done. I don't think our route was well 

 chosen. We may have done fifteen or twenty miles 

 (we had probably accomplished three or four), but 

 that's not at all satisfactory. ' Festina lente was 



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