374 Thirty Years 



place indeed that offered for fuel. " Well," replied 

 the poor man, " take your axe, Mr. Back, and I will 

 follow at my leisure, I shall join you by the time the 

 encampment is made." This is a usual practice of the 

 country, and St. Germain and myself went on towards 

 the spot ; it was five o'clock and not very cold, but 

 rather milder than we had experienced it for some 

 time, when, on leaving the ice, we saw a number of 

 crows perched upon the top of some high pines near 

 us. St. Germain immediately said that there must 

 be some dead animals thereabouts, and proceeded to 

 search, when we saw several heads of deer, half buried 

 in the snow and ice, without eyes or tongues ; the 

 previous severity of the weather only having obliged 

 the wolves and other animals to abandon them. An 

 expression of " Oh merciful God ! we are saved," 

 broke from us both ; and with feelings more easily im- 

 agined than described, we shook hands, not knowing 

 what to say for joy. It was twilight, and a io^ was 

 rapidly darkening the surface of the lake, when St. 

 Germain commenced making the encampment; the 

 task was too laborious lor me to render him any assist- 

 ance, and had we not thus providentially found pro- 

 vision, I feel convinced that the next twenty-four 

 hours would have terminated my existence. Bui tins 

 fortune, in some measure, renovated me lor the 

 moment, and putting out my whole strength, I contriv- 



