BACK TO GREAT SLAVE LAKE 285 



from that of another. They were completely incased in 

 ice, and every little while I was obliged to stop and dig 

 the sleet out of Foro's eyes so that he could see to follow 

 me. And thus we went on, stopping only at intervals to 

 rest the dogs, and travelling by compass the entire time. 



The dogs were moving slower and slower, and seemed 

 to be freezing in the harness, as we stopped at a point of 

 rocks about four o'clock. When we counted up our num- 

 ber Beniah and one of the Indians with their sledges and 

 dogs were missing. They had been the last of the pro- 

 cession. We fired a few signals, and then as the rocks 

 afforded shelter to the dogs, and there were a few little 

 sticks near by for the tea, we determined to camp for the 

 night. It was with utmost difficulty we set up our lodge, 

 spread out so as to be scarcely waist high in the centre, 

 but it broke the wind sufficiently to enable us to make a 

 cup of tea. We were literally covered with ice from head 

 to foot, and thus, as it was impossible to thaw out by the 

 puny fire we had, we rolled up in our robes for the most 

 miserable night I experienced on the Barren Grounds 

 trip. 



There was not much rest for any of us that night, but 

 we started on in the morning determined to force our way 

 through the storm and reach the haven of timber. The 

 storm had abated somewhat, though it still beat upon 

 us with demoniacal rage, and we could hardly keep 

 headway. But for the storm of the day before we should 

 have reached the timber's edge this night, but our travel 

 was slow, and although we kept at it until long after dark 

 there was no sign of timber when we rolled into our robes, 

 supperless, almost hopeless. 



Nearly all day we had kept scouts out on either side 

 looking, without success, for Beniah's tracks, and half a 

 dozen times we had fired signals that brought us no re- 



