ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA 



Shortly after we left camp, a hare jumped out from 

 among the rocks, and coming within range, was perforated 

 by a slug from my " Marlin." Not wishing to carry it all 

 day, we left it with Pierre and Louis to be taken to camp. 

 By three o'clock, after a long and laborious march, and secur- 

 ing nothing but a solitary ptarmigan, my brother and I 

 reached the foot of the bay, and there discovered the mouth 

 of a large river which flowed into it. We would gladly have 

 stayed some time in this vicinity, but as the day was already 

 far spent, and we were pretty well used up, we dare not. 

 Finding a little dry moss, we made a fire, roasted and ate 

 the ptarmigan, and then started back to camp. In some 

 places the fresh snow was deep and soft, and this added 

 greatly to the fatigue of the tramp. But before we had pro- 

 ceeded far we met with encouragement in the discovery of 

 deer-tracks. They were a day or so old, for they were 

 frozen, but they led away nearly in the direction of camp, so 

 we eagerly followed them, and from every hill-top keenly 

 scanned the country. 



The shades of evening were gathering, and we were tired 

 and hungry. Nothing could we see of the deer, and fearing to 

 lie out all night without blankets in the rough, cold weather, 

 we pushed on towards camp as fast as our weary limbs would 

 carry us. We were frequently obliged to sit down and rest, 

 and consequently, while still several miles from camp, we 

 found ourselves enveloped in darkness and groping our way 

 laboriously through a field of boulders. For a considerable 

 distance we had to feel the way with hands and feet between 

 and over the rocks. After about two hours of this sort of 

 experience, we gained the more level country, and shortly 

 afterwards, guided by the light of a candle in one of the 

 tents, we reached camp tjioroughly used up. We were not, 

 however, obliged to go to bed hungry, for Pierre and Louis, 

 having been more successful than ourselves, had secured 

 several ptarmigan and rabbits. From these a bouillon had 



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