AN HEROIC ADVENTURE. 247 



Comeau's own brother-in-law, and the other a 

 half-breed. In spite of the supplications of his 

 wife and the persuasions of the other individ- 

 uals of the place, Comeau set about prepara- 

 tions to follow them out to sea. He asked no 

 one to accompany him. 



The wind all the afternoon had been steadily 

 off shore and was now moderately calm. He 

 took with him some restoratives, provisions, a 

 lantern, a couple of blankets, his rifle and am- 

 munition and what else useful he could think 

 of in his hurry. The ice pack was then about 

 ten miles off the land, and he reasoned the men 

 must be on the ice, if large and strong enough, 

 or in among it if in small cakes, the latter being 

 much more dangerous. 



From Trinity to Matane in a direct line the 

 distance is forty-five miles, and to push out in a 

 frail, wooden canoe alone and the darkness 

 coming on in the black gulf in mid-winter re- 

 quired a brave man with extraordinary nerve to 

 dare it, and this Comeau did. 



Three minutes after pushing out from the 

 beach, canoe and man were swallowed up in the 

 darkness. The next the people of Trinity heard 

 of him was a telegraphic message on the second 

 day after. It read: "Matane. All three alive. 

 Joseph, hands frozen; Simon, both feet frozen 

 badly." 



