276 ON SNOW-SHOES TO THE BARREN GROUNDS 



it for the "last wood," for, on viewing it, they broke into 

 shouting and dancing that showed me not the only one 

 to be relieved by the sight of this vanguard of timber 

 land. Even the dogs joined in the celebration by jumping 

 in their harness and setting up their wolfish chorus. 



True to Indian custom, we stopped on top of the ridge 

 and viewed the oasis which was to furnish us with a warm 

 fire that night while we smoked a pipe. As we sat there 

 the sun burst forth just setting surrounded by a huge 

 ring, and shining through the most splendid exhibition of a 

 " mackerel sky " that I have ever seen. It was only a mo- 

 mentary sight, but while it lasted it was a glorious one. 

 And then we went, as may be imagined, at a good, stiff 

 run until we had entered the " last wood." 



No one that has not had a similar experience knows 

 what it means to come again to wood after twenty-two 

 days of wandering over a desolate waste and in bitterest 

 cold ; so cold that the head feels as though in a never- 

 warming compress, and the blood seems to stand still. 

 Only those that have been so situated can appreciate what 

 twenty-two days of that condition means to a man who 

 is never more than half fed and most of the time hardly 

 that. The sight of that wood was like a view of water to 

 a man perishing of thirst ! And what a fire we had that 

 night ! How good it was to sleep on pine brush instead 

 of on rocks and snow, and to sit by a fire and be warmed ! 



We were counting on having a good meal of caribou 

 when we reached the " last wood," and I had determined 

 on making a feast and a soup of the pemmican and the 

 flour. But when we went to the cache we found to our 

 dismay that it had already been opened, and other than 

 hair and bones there was little left of the caribou, while 

 only one ball of pemmican and scarcely a handful of flour 

 remained to show the work of that despicable and foul 



