250 CANADIAN WILDS. 



ing about. Once while attending to the half- 

 breed, his brother-in-law dropped down and 

 was fast asleep in an instant. Comeau boxed 

 him, kicked him, without having the desired ef- 

 fect of rousing him from his stupor. At last he 

 bethought him of what an old Indian had done 

 to him under somewhat similar circumstances. 

 He caught the man's nose between the thumb 

 and finger and tweaked it severely. This 

 brought him to his feet and mad to fight. 



Day was now breaking, and they could see 

 the south shore at a computed distance of ten 

 miles. Comeau also saw that the ice pack was 

 drifting steadily east, and this, if they remained 

 on the ice, would carry them past Cap Chat, 

 the most northern point of the south coast, and 

 this meant death to a certainty. 



A rapid train of thought went through Co- 

 meau's brain. He decided that if saved they 

 were to be, it must be by passing over that ten 

 miles of moving, grinding ice. He forced some 

 food on the others and gave each a small dram 

 of spirits ; how much rather would he have given 

 them tea or coffee. But even if he had had it, 

 water was wanting to make it. They aban- 

 doned the roll of blankets, which had been of no 

 use to them, and started, using the canoes see- 

 saw fashion as they had done the night before. 

 They left the cake of ice upon which they had 



