138 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



pounded meat, which they had reserved. 

 Their departure at first gave rise to a sus- 

 picion of their having deserted us, not 

 meaning to return, especially as the expla- 

 nations of Adam, who appeared to be in 

 their secret, were very unsatisfactory. At 

 length, by interrogations, we got from him 

 the information, that they designed to march 

 night and day until they should reach 

 Akaitcho's encampment, whence, they would 

 send us aid. As we had combated their 

 fears about Boudel-kell, they perhaps ap- 

 prehended that we should oppose their de- 

 termination, and therefore concealed it. 

 We were now left a second time without 

 food, and with appetites recovered, and 

 strongly excited by recent indulgence. 



On the following day the Doctor and 

 Hepburn resumed their former occupation 

 of collecting wood, and I was able to assist 

 a little in bringing it into the house. 

 Adam, whose expectation of the arrival of 

 the Indians had been raised by the fineness 

 of the weather, became towards night very 

 desponding, and refused to eat the singed 



