166 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



sure, I shall join you by the time the en- 

 campment is made." This is a usual prac- 

 tice of the country, and St. Germain and 

 myself went on towards the spot; it was 

 five o'clock and not very cold, hut rather 

 milder than we had experienced it for some 

 time, when on leaving the ice, we saw a 

 number of crows perched on the top of 

 some high pines near us. St. Germain im- 

 mediately said there must be some dead 

 animal thereabouts, and proceeded to search, 

 when we saw several heads of deer half 

 buried in the snow and ice, without eyes or 

 tongues ; the previous severity of the wea- 

 ther having obliged the wolves and other 

 animals to abandon them. An expression 

 of " Oh merciful God ! we are saved," 

 broke from us both ; and with feelings 

 more easily imagined than described, we 

 shook hands, not knowing what to say for 

 joy. It was twilight, and a fog was rapidly 

 darkening the surface of the lake, when St. 

 Germain commenced making the encamp- 

 ment; the task was too laborious for me 

 to render him any assistance, and had we 



