186 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANAD 
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 localities the fresh snow was deep and 
soft, and this added greatly to the fatigue of the trip. 
But before we had proceeded far we met with encourage- 
ment 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 he 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 to rest, and consequently 
when 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 thoroughly 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 been prepared, and part of 
it saved for our supper. It was a most thoroughly 
appreciated meal, and after partaking of it we were 
soon rolled up in our blankets, all unconscious of the 
storm that howled without or of the fact that we had 
not another meal in camp. On the morning of the 26th 
