ON SNOWSHOES AND DOG-SLEDS 



The next day's tramp was a short one, not in actual miles 

 travelled by some of us, but in distance made upon the 

 oouTse. We had, however, a good day's sport, for at different 

 times during the day no less than eight deer were shot. My 

 brother and I were not able to take part in the chase, for by 

 this time, though I was beginning to recover, my brother was 

 as badly crippled as I had been, and for a time had to be 

 drawn on a sled. I should not, perhaps, say we took no part 

 in the chase, for my brother made one remarkable shot. 



At about the close of day, a small deer which Mr. Mathe- 

 sou had been following, and at which he had been practising 

 for some time with my brother's rifle, stood still and looked 

 at him with innocent amazement, at a distance of about 

 three hundred yards from our train. Probably the cause 

 of Mr. Matheson's bad shooting was the cross wind which 

 was blowing strongly at the time; however, he gave up 

 in disgust and returned the rifle to my brother, asking him 

 to try a shot. My brother said it was useless for him to try, 

 as the deer had now run still farther away, and he himself 

 had only one leg to stand on. But, dropping on his knee, 

 he fired once, and down came the deer. 



Several of the best haunches of venison secured were loaded 

 upon the sleds, but it was not thought wise to overload the 

 teams by trying to carry too much. The bulk of the meat 

 was " cached " where it was killed, to be picked up by the 

 Company's teams on their return trip and taken to Churchill 

 to replenish the larder. Our third camp was made in a strip 

 of wood upon the bank of Salmon Creek, and to our Indians 

 it will be memorable as being the place at which they had the 

 "big feed," for it took three suppers to satisfy them that 

 night. "With my brother and myself the hours of darlmess 

 had ceased to bring repose. Our knees were so painful we 

 did not sleep, but only turned restlessly from side to side 

 until the return of dawn. Happily for us all, the weather 

 had continued to be fair, with no extreme cold since the 



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