186 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



far spent, and we were pretty well used up, we dare 

 not. Finding a little dry moss we made a fire, roasted 

 and ate the ptarmigan, and then started back to 

 camp. In some localities the fresh snow was deep and 

 soft, and this added greatly to the fatigue of the trip. 

 But before we had proceeded far we met with encourage- 

 ment in the discovery of deer-tracks. They were a day 

 or so old, for they were frozen, but they led away nearly 

 in the direction of camp, so we eagerly followed them, 

 and from every hill-top keenly scanned the country. 



The shades of evening were gathering and we were 

 tired and hungry. Nothing could we see of the deer, 

 and fearing to lie out all night without blankets in 

 the rough, cold weather, we pushed on towards camp 

 as fast as our weary limbs would carry us. We were 

 frequently obliged to sit down to rest, and consequently 

 when still several miles from camp we found ourselves 

 enveloped in darkness and groping our way laboriously 

 through a field of boulders. For a considerable distance 

 we had to feel the way with hands and feet, between 

 and over the rocks. After about two hours of this 

 sort of experience we gained the more level country, 

 and shortly afterwards, guided by the light of a candle 

 in one of the tents, we reached camp thoroughly used 

 up. We were not, however, obliged to go to bed hungry, 

 for Pierre and Louis, having been more successful than 

 ourselves, had secured several ptarmigan and rabbits. 

 From these a bouillon had been prepared, and part of 

 it saved for our supper. It was a most thoroughly 

 appreciated meal, and after partaking of it we were 

 soon rolled up in our blankets, all unconscious of the 

 storm that howled without or of the fact that we had 

 not another meal in camp. On the morning of the 26th 



