90 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



water poured on it, the hole soon became filled with a 

 solid mass ; the operation was continued until a mound 

 one foot above the frozen surface of the river was accu- 

 mulated over the cache. As I was returning with Cline to 

 the place where we had left the carioles and dogs, we 

 observed two of these sagacious animals who had been 

 unharnessed by mistake, the driver supposing we were 

 going to camp, quietly watching our proceedings from 

 the bank of the river. Cline, with an exclamation of 

 anger and surprise, remarked, " Now, if we don't take 

 care those sacres chiens will try to get at the pemmican to- 

 night, and the rascals will tell the others ; I know them of 

 old, they served me that trick before ; we'll tie them to 

 night." The conscious dogs, with tails depressed, started 

 at a gallop back to the carioles, when they saw Cline's 

 threatening mien. 



In order to avoid the breaking open of the cache by 

 the dogs, which might be the source of great incon- 

 venience, and perhaps suffering to the men on their re- 

 turn, we pushed on for several miles before we camped. 

 Cline counted the dogs after supper, but neglected to tie 

 the spies, having found that none had strayed, he thought 

 they might be trusted, and, wrapping himself in his 

 blanket, he soon went to sleep. Eising long before day- 

 light, according to our custom, several dogs were soon 

 ascertained to be missing, and not being found after 

 a rapid search in the neighbourhood, Cline instructed 

 two of the men to make a circle round the camp, 

 and examine all tracks by torch-light. In a very short 

 time one of them came back, stating that fresh dog 

 tracks pointed in the direction of Pine Eiver, where 

 we had cached the pemmican. Three or four men in- 

 stantly started back and found the missing dogs busily 

 engaged in scratching at the cache. It was so thoroughly 



