242 WHAT IS A " RAVAGE " ? 



wonderful skill through the windings of the desert, buried 

 under a thick bed of ice. 



In this way we accomplished some eighteen miles 

 before w r e reached the bank of a small river, whose waters 

 were entirely frozen. From this moment our principal 

 guide manifested an ecstacy of joy, expressed by a few 

 shouts and two or three gambols ; and after we had 

 descended along the river for a distance of two or three 

 hundred yards he announced to us that we were to halt 

 there, for we were not more than two miles from the 

 ravage of the deer, in pursuit of whom we had undergone 

 so many labours. 



My readers have already guessed that a ravage, in the 

 Canadian language, signifies the lair or hiding-place of 

 the deer. These animals often inhabit the same "ravages " 

 for several weeks, browzing on the young shoots of the 

 trees, and peeling the bark of the branches down to the 

 very sap. They do not abandon the work of destruction 

 until their harvest, or rather their "ravage," is termi- 

 nated, and then they move a little further onward, but 

 without hurry, to continue their inactive life, which is 

 rarely disturbed by the visit of men. It is for this reason 

 these animals are so fat in the winter season. 



We hastened to raise a hut, to take our supper, and lie 

 down around the fire. This evening passed in a very 

 similar manner to the preceding one. Fortunately, the 

 cold was less intense, and we were able by sound sleep to 

 recruit our strength. 



When we awoke at daybreak the sky was very dull, 

 the snow fell in thick flakes, and, spite of the gust, we 

 set out for the "ravage," taking with us four of our 

 Indians and a complete pack of hounds. 



