224° ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANA 
the use of their snowshoes, to which they were not yet 
hardened, but were not seriously crippled.* 
During the second day from Churchill a band of 
twenty or thirty deer was seen. Some of us were in 
no mood or condition to hunt, but Jimmie, the guide, 
our own man, Jim, and Mr. Matheson, went off in 
pursuit of the band. Several times during the afternoon 
we crossed the tracks of both deer and hunters, but 
when we came upon the big tracks of our guide we saw 
the first signs of success. He had evidently wounded a 
deer and was giving him a hot chase, for the Indian’s 
strides were right upon those of a caribou, and to one 
side of the trail spatters of blood could be seen on the 
snow. Toward evening our train came up with Mr. 
Matheson and Jim, who had a long but fruitless run 
after the deer, but nothing could be seen of the guide. 
Some time after camp had been made for the night . 
Jimmie walked in with a haunch of venison on his 
shoulder. He had wounded his deer early in the after- 
noon, but had been obliged to run him many miles be- 
fore he could again come up with him. Lest the carcase, 
which was lying some distance from camp, should be 
devoured by wolves in the night, a team was harnessed 
and Jimmie himself, with another man, started off 
for the meat, which, a few hours later, they brought 
into camp. As we had had very little fresh meat for 
* For the benefit of anyone who may be not aware of the fact, I will 
explain that there are various kinds of lameness commonly produced 
by the prolonged use of snowshoes. In thus travelling, certain leg 
muscles which are only accustomed to perform light service are brought 
into vigorous use, and are very liable to become strained and cause 
much discomfort and suffering. 
