104 The Home of the Wolverene ami Beaver. 



his appetite was at length appeased, and after a 

 pipe, the fire was finally replenished, and the whole 

 party rolling themselves in their buffalo robes sank 

 into a profound slumber. 



Before dawn the camp was astir, jorums of 

 smoking tea hastily swallowed, dried venison steaks 

 disposed of, the caps on their guns replaced — almost 

 a needless precaution in that dry atmosphere, and 

 slipping their feet into snow-shoes the three men 

 started ofif into the wilderness. 



I have mentioned snow-shoes several times, and 

 now seems the proper time to describe these useful 

 articles and the manner of wearing them. The 

 object of the snow shoe is to present a broad surface 

 to the snow, and prevent the hunter sinking up to his 

 middle at each stcp>, which would totally exhaust 

 his strength in a few hundred yards. It varies in 

 dimensions according to the condition of the snow 

 and the taste of the wearer, but a little under four 

 feet in length by one foot in breadth is a fair aver- 

 age. It consists of a light framework formed of 

 two pieces of hard, tough wood, which are securely 

 fastened together at either end, and spread out 

 near the middle by wooden bars, which give sup- 

 port to the frame and cause it to assume an oval 

 form. The whole of the interior is then filled up 

 with a network of hide thongs, very much like a 



