i66 CANADIAN NIGHTS 



sheep, and struck out in a straight line for our 

 destination. 



We had to travel through an ugly monotonous 

 country consisting of flat dried-up plains broken 

 by occasional lines of clay bluffs. Herbage was 

 scarce, fuel still scarcer, and as we had no time for 

 hunting even if the country had been favourable 

 for the chase, we thought it best to shorten the 

 journey as much as possible. Accordingly when 

 we got within two or three days' march of the 

 fort, four of us determined to make a push for it 

 and try to accomplish the distance, some seventy 

 miles or so, in one day. We travelled fast, 

 " loping " along most of the way, without seeing 

 sign of man or beast until late in the afternoon, 

 when we espied two men galloping towards us. 

 As soon as they caught sight of us they pulled up, 

 then came on a little further, stopped again, 

 turned round, and galloped oif a short distance, 

 then stopped again, and finally turned out of the 

 track, pushed their horses a little way up the 

 hill-side, and awaited us. Their manners puzzled 

 us somewhat, but as they were only two, while 

 we were four, we felt exceedingly courageous and 

 cantered merrily on. As soon as we got near 

 they moved down the hill towards us, and we 



