332 Thirty Years 
wet his foot in a small stream of water thinly covered 
with ice, and being consequently obliged to come to 
the fire. The day was rather mild, and Hepburn and 
I gathered a large kettleful of tripe de roche ; Michel 
sept in the tent this night. 
Sunday, October 20.—In the morning we again 
urged Michel to go a hunting, that he might if possi- 
ble leave us some provision, to-morrow being the day 
appointed for his quitting us; but he shewed great 
unwillingness to go out, and lingered about the fire, 
under the pretense of cleaning his gun, After we had 
read the morning service, I went about noon to gather 
some tripe de roche, leaving Mr. Hood sitting before 
the tent at the fire-side, arguing with Michel; Hep- 
burn was employed cutting down a tree at a short dis- 
tance from the tent, being desirous of accumulating a 
quantity of fire-wood before he left us. A short time 
after 1 went out I heard the report of a gun, and 
about ten minutes afterwards Hepburn called to me in 
a voice of great alarm, to come directly. When I ar- 
rived, I found poor Hood lying lifeless at the fire-side, 
a ball having apparently entered his forehead. I was 
at first horror-struck with the idea, that in a fit of © 
-despondency he had hurried himself into the presence , 
of his almighty Judge, by an act of his own hand ; but 
the conduct of Michel soon gave rise to other thoughts, 
and excited suspicions which were confirmed, when 
