84 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CAH AR: 
more scattered, and of more stunted growth. On this 
account it is impossible to lay down any definite line as 
the limit of the forest. Outlying patches of spruce and 
tamarack might still be found here and there in the 
most favored localities, but as a whole the country was 
now a vast, rolling, treeless wilderness. 
On the evening of the 28th of July we reached the 
north end of an expansion of the river, named Barlow 
Lake. Our supply of meat was already running low. 
Being quite unable to carry provisions with us for the 
whole trip, we had, in starting, taken only a limited 
quantity of this kind of food, trusting to our ability to 
replenish the supply from time to time by the way. Up 
to this time, however, we had seen nothing in the shape 
of game since leaving Lake Athabasca, excepting the 
one black bear, and he made good his escape. Plenty of 
old deer-tracks were to be seen, but not a single deer, 
and in consequence we were beginning to feel some 
anxiety. If game should not be found within a week 
or ten days, we would have to return, or proceed with 
the probability before us of starvation. 
We had only begun to think seriously on this question 
when on the evening above-mentioned, just as we had 
gone ashore to camp,a moving object was noticed on a 
little island out in the lake. By means of our field- 
glasses we could tell it was a deer, and I need hardly 
say that no time was lost in manning a canoe and pull- 
ing for the island. As we approached the deer watched 
us closely, and soon satisfied of danger, bounded into the 
air, galloped to the farther side of the island, plunged 
into the water, and struck out for the nearest shore. 
The rate at which the frightened animal tore its way 
