LIE OR DIATE ? 205 
caused us much anxiety. His brother Louis was also 
in a wretched condition from the effects of severe 
dysentery caused by exposure and starvation, and was 
unable to walk. 
On the morning of the 17th, feeling somewhat revived 
after a long night’s rest, I undertook to go hunting 
ptarmigan, which we were glad to find were plentiful 
in the woods about us. Had it not been for the fact 
that our ammunition was almost exhausted, the occur- 
rence of these birds in abundance would have afforded 
us greater consolation, but being, as we were, reduced 
to a dozen or two charges, the opportunity for living 
on feathered game seemed limited to a short period. 
We were hoping that Jim and John might be successful 
in reaching Churchill. Before I had walked a hundred 
yards from camp, I was forced to realize how weak I 
had become, and after making a circuit of about half a 
mile and shooting only two or three birds, I was 
scarcely able to crawl back to the tent. On my return, 
Francois, taking the shot-gun, went out and returned in 
the evening with a fine bag of game.. 
On waking the next morning, my brother amused us 
by relating an extraordinary dream, in which he imagined 
he was luxuriating in good things, and particularly sweet 
currant cakes, for which he was exhibiting a wonderful 
capacity. But alas! with the visions of the night the 
cakes had vanished, and for breakfast he was forced to 
be content with unseasoned boiled ptarmigan. 
At about one oclock in the day, as we were seated 
within the tent partaking of our second meal, we were 
suddenly startled by hearing the exclamation, “ Hullo, 
999 
Jim!” The eagerness with which we scrambled over 
