206 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



dinner and dishes to the tent-door can better be imagined 

 than described, and on looking out, sure enough there 

 was Jim returning. Was he alone ? No, thank the 

 Lord ! Behind him, a moment later, emerged from the 

 woods a number of men, followed by teams of dogs and 

 sleds. One after the other there came scampering along 

 no less than four teams, hauling long empty sleds 

 capable of furnishing accommodation for our whole 

 outfit. 



After a hard two days' tramp, Jim and John had 

 reached the Fort, where they had found kind friends 

 ready to send us prompt assistance. Dog teams had 

 been placed at their disposal, provisions supplied, and 

 early on the morning of the same day on which they 

 had found us, the train had set out for our relief. With 

 light sleds they had travelled at a rapid pace over the 

 thirty miles of snowy plains which separated us from 

 Churchill. Another day of good travel in the canoes 

 would have taken us in, had this been afforded us. 



As the relief party drew up at our camp, Jim ad- 

 vanced and handed letters to my brother and myself 

 expressing kind wishes and sympathy from Mr. and Mrs. 

 Lofthouse, the Church of England missionary and his 

 wife at the Fort, whose friendship I had the privilege of 

 making on two former visits to Churchill. Along with 

 the letters was handed a box, which when opened was 

 found to contain the very good things of my brother's 

 dream, even to the sweet currant cakes. Staple pro- 

 visions were also produced, and it is scarcely necessary 

 to say that they were joyfully welcomed. It would be 

 impossible to describe our feelings upon this occasion, 

 the termination of so many hardships and sufferings. 



