THE CARIBOU. 195 



snow from the door of this forest residence, swept 

 up the interior, and lighted on the hearth, which 

 was made of a rough piece of stone which the 

 chisel of the mason had never touched, a fire, which 

 soon burnt up famously, and restored animation 

 to our limbs, now quite stiffened with the cold. 

 AVhilst the Indian was thus occupied, Mr. Howard 

 and I cut wood for the fire, and branches of fir to 

 lay on the ground for our rough couches. Upon 

 these improvised litters we spread our woollen 

 blankets, and I can assure the reader that the beds 

 were anything but uncomfortable. 



The dawn gave way to darkness. Moniii lighted 

 a pine torch, and placed it in one of the corners of 

 the hut. Our supper was soon devoured ; and 

 shortly afterwards, with our feet to the fire, and 

 heads wrapped up in our blankets, we all three slept 

 our very best. 



Two hours before dawn, I was awakened by Moniii, 

 who was busy making preparations for the hunt. 

 The door of the log-cabin was open, and from my 

 rough couch I could see a sky without a cloud, and 

 the Star of Morning shining above the horizon. 

 The air was lively, but there was no wind, and the 

 cold Avas easilj' endurable. I rose with a bound, 

 and by the help of a spring of water wliich bubbled 

 at the base of a gigantic pine-tree some yards dis- 

 tant from the hut, I soon got rid of that heaviness 

 which you are apt to feel after sleeping in your 



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