322 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



to gain information, and meet us in the early morn- 

 ing, as it was intended to march upon the Fort at 

 daybreak. The "shave" that night was, that we 

 should have a fight ; and it was well that we had 

 something to cheer us, for a more dreary attempt at 

 repose it is impossible to imagine. It began to pour 

 with rain soon after nightfall, and continued without 

 cessation until morning. To march upon Fort Garry 

 was out of the question, or at least it would have 

 been folly to have attempted it, when we had the 

 means of going there by water, as the face of the 

 country was changed into a sea of mud. Roads there 

 are none on these prairies, in the ordinary acceptation 

 of the term. Places between which there is any 

 traffic are joined by cart-tracks, for which a width 

 of about eighty yards is allowed when they pass 

 through a farm ; so that when one spot becomes cut 

 up, the traveller can have a wide margin to select his 

 way from upon each side of the old path. 



This necessary change of plan was annoying, as 

 we had looked fonvard to advancing upon the Fort 

 in all the pride, pomp, and circumstance of war. 



As we bent over our fires at daybreak, trying to 

 get some warmth for our bodies, and sufficient heat 

 to boil the kettles, a more miserable-looking lot of 

 objects it would be impossible to imagine. Every 

 one was wet through ; we were cold and hungry ; 

 our very enemies would have pitied our plight. A 

 hurried breakfast of tea and biscuit was soon over, 



