LIFE OR DEATH? 207 



During the afternoon preparations were made for the 

 journey to the Fort on the following day. The canoes 

 were hauled up from the shore, where we had been 

 obliged to leave them, and loaded upon two of the dog- 

 sleds. Camp outfit and provisions were loaded upon the 

 others, and as far as possible everything was put in 

 readiness for an early start in the morning. 



A change in the weather was already forecast, the 

 wind shifting around to the south, and towards evening 

 it became decidedly milder. During the night a rain 

 set in, and between it and the warm wind a wonderful 

 change was wrought before dawn. It began to look 

 ery much as if the fates were against us, and that now 

 with the sleds and dog- teams we should have no snow 

 to travel on. But before daylight camp was astir, and 

 finding that enough yet remained, breakfast was par- 

 taken of by the light of the camp-fire and at the first 

 streaks of dawn the journey on sleds to Churchill was 

 begun. 



Out of the woods there was comparatively little of 

 the snow left. Under cover of the trees it was still 

 deep, but too soft and heavy for the teams, so we kept 

 along on the open plains between the woods and the 

 shore, and made fair progress. 



The arrangement of our party was as follows: As 

 guide an Indian named James Westasecot led the way 

 some distance ahead of the train. Next after him came 

 a team of six big Eskimo dogs hitched two and two 

 abreast to a long sled carrying the big canoe, in which 

 Michel was given a passage. Following this team was 

 another hauling the smaller canoe, in which I was rolled 



