216 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



track. They were almost inconsolable, and after tak- 

 ing a big circuit in order to see if the old fellow had 

 been moving that morning, they were compelled to 

 return and reluctantly take up the trail for the ranch- 

 eree. They reached the river about five miles above 

 the home camp, and as it was too wide for a foot-log 

 they searched for a place for a ford. Beaching a point 

 where the river widened to about two hundred yards, 

 McLaughlin said it was shallow enough to wade 

 and they entered the water. 



As the Pathfinder plunged into the stream he gave 

 an involuntary " whoop !" for it was like ice. The 

 cold almost paralysed the muscles of their legs. 

 McLaughlin went ahead and Dyche followed close 

 behind, pounding and pushing the ice out of the 

 way, while their teeth chattered. Just as he 

 reached the middle of the stream McLaughlin sud- 

 denly stopped and began making such strange signs 

 that Dyche 's heart almost stood still with fear, 

 for he thought that the Pathfinder had been at- 

 tacked with another case of cramps. If this was the 

 case then it meant death, for there was no possible 

 way of relieving him there. These fears, happily, 

 were groundless. Mac's queer actions were caused 

 by an effort to straighten his pack, which had slipped. 



The shore was finally reached, and then it took 

 them half an hour to rub vitality back into their half- 

 frozen legs. When this was done they hastened down 

 the stream to the home camp five miles away. As 

 they hurried along they saw a buck standing in the 

 edge of the woods and both fired at him, bringing him 

 to the ground. He was almost as large as the big 



