258 DE NOUE. [1646. 



wliich, far and near, glared dazzling white under 

 the clear winter sun. Before night they had 

 walked eighteen miles, and the soldiers, unused to 

 snow-shoes, were greatly fatigued. They made 

 their camp in the forest, on the shore of the great 

 expansion of the St. Lawrence called the Lake of 

 St. Peter, — dug away the snow, heaped it around 

 the spot as a barrier against the wind, made their 

 file on the frozen earth in the midst, and lay down 

 to sleep. At two o'clock in the morning De None 

 awoke. The moon shone like daylight over the 

 vast white desert of the frozen lake, with its bor- 

 dering fir-trees bowed to the ground with snow; 

 and the kindly thought struck the Father, that he 

 might ease his companions by going in advance to 

 Fort Richelieu, and sending back men to aid them 

 in dragging their sledges. He knew the way well. 

 He directed them to follow the tracks of his snow- 

 shoes in the morning; and, not doubting to reach 

 the fort before night, left behind his blanket and 

 his flint and steel. For provisions, he put a mor- 

 sel of bread and five or six prunes in his pocket, 

 told his rosary, and set forth. 



Before dawn the weather changed. The air 

 thickened, clouds hid the moon, and a snow-storm 

 set in. The traveller was in utter darkness. He 

 lost the points of the compass, wandered far out on 

 the lake, and when day appeared could see nothing 

 but the snow beneath his feet, and the myriads of 

 falling fiakes that encompassed him like a curtain, 

 impervious to the sight. Still he toiled on, winding 

 hither and thither, and at times unwittingly circling 



