134 CANADIAN NIGHTS 



time till they got behind an island of trees, and then, 

 running as fast as the soft nature of the ground 

 would permit, we contrived to get close up to them 

 just as they entered the thick woods, and, after an 

 exciting stalk of about half an hour, I managed to 

 kill both. 



Having performed the obsequies of the chase 

 upon the two caribou, we returned to our calling- 

 place. By this time it was about noon : the sun 

 was blazing down with almost tropical heat. We 

 had been awake the greater part of the night, and 

 had done a hard morning's work, and felt a decided 

 need for refreshment. In a few minutes we had 

 lighted a little fire, put the kettle on to boil, and set 

 the moose kidneys, impaled on sharp sticks, to 

 roast by the fire ; and with fresh kidneys, good 

 strong tea, plenty of sugar and salt, and some hard 

 biscuit, I made one of the most sumptuous break- 

 fasts it has been my lot to assist at. 



Breakfast over, I told the Indian to go down to 

 camp and bring up the other men to assist in cutting 

 up and smoking the meat. As soon as he had de- 

 parted I laid myself out for a rest. I shifted my 

 bed — that is to say, my heap of dried bracken and 

 pine tops — under the shadow of a pine, spread my 

 blanket out, and lay down to smoke a pipe of peace 



