60 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



Having encouraged him to advance to the 

 fire, after repeated solicitations he made the 

 attempt, but fell down amongst the deep 

 snow at every step. Leaving him in this 

 situation, the Doctor went about half a mile 

 farther back, to the spot where Credit was 

 said to have halted, and the track being 

 nearly obliterated by the snow drift, it be- 

 came unsafe for him to go further. Re- 

 turning he passed Vaillant, who, having 

 moved only a few yards in his absence, had 

 fallen down, was unable to rise, and could 

 scarcely answer his questions. Being un- 

 able to afford him any effectual assistance, 

 he hastened on to inform us of his situa- 

 tion. When J. B. Belanger had heard the 

 melancholy account, he went immediately 

 to aid Vaillant, and bring up his burden. 

 Respecting Credit, we were informed by 

 Samandre that he had stopped a short dis- 

 tance behind Vaillant, but that his intention 

 was to return to the encampment of the 

 preceding evening. 



When Belanger came back with Vaillant's 

 load, he informed us that he had found him 



