CHAPTER XIX 



WHITE MAN AND RED. MEAT, BUT 

 NOTHING MORE 



THERE was plenty of hollow hilarity but no word of 

 turning back. But hold! yes, there was. There was 

 one visage that darkened more each day, and finally 

 the gloomy thoughts broke forth in words from the 

 lips of our Indian guide. His recent sullen silence 

 was now changed to open and rebellious upbraiding. 

 "He didn't come here to starve. He could do that 

 at home. He was induced to come by a promise of 

 plenty of flour." All of which was perfectly true. 

 But, he went on, "We were still 1J days from the 

 Buffalo, and we were near the head of navigation; it 

 was a case of tramp through the swamp with our beds 

 and guns, living on the country as we went, and if we 

 didn't have luck the Coyotes and Ravens would." 



Before we had time to discuss this prospect, a decid- 

 ing step was announced by Jarvis. He was under 

 positive orders to catch the steamer Wrigley at Fort 

 Resolution on the evening of July 10. It was now 

 mid-day of July 9, and only by leaving at once and 

 travelling all night could he cover the intervening 

 60 miles. 



So then and there we divided the remnants of food 

 evenly, for "Bezkya was a moose-hunter." 



130 



