374 Thirty Years . 
place indeed that offered for fuel. ‘‘ Well,” replied 
the poor man, “ take your axe, Mr. Back, and I will 
follow at my leisure, I shall join you by the time the 
encampment is made.” This is a usual practice of the 
country, and St. Germain and myself went on towards 
the spot ; it was five o’clock and not very cold, but 
‘rather milder than we had experienced it for some 
time, when, on leaving the ice, we saw a number of 
crows perched upon the top of some high pines near 
us, St. Germain immediately said that there must 
be some dead animals thereabouts, and proceeded to 
search, when we saw several heads of deer, half buried 
in the snow ard-ice, without eyes or tongues; the 
previous severity of the weather only having obliged 
the wolves and other animals to abandon them. An 
expression of “Oh merciful God! we are saved,” 
broke from us both ; and with feelings more easily im- 
agined than described, we shook hands, not knowing 
what to say for joy. It was twilight, and a fog was 
rapidly darkening the surface of the lake, when St. 
Germain commenced making the ‘encampment ; the 
task was too laborious for me to render him any assist- 
ance, and had we not thus providentially found pro- 
vision, I feel convinced that the next twenty-four 
hours would have terminated my existence, But this 
good fortune, in some measure, renovated me for the 
moment, and putting out my wholestrength, I contriv- 
A 
