wept down
and danced over the foaming waters. Then a shock was heard--the raft
heeled round--and poised upon a sharp rock, stood for a moment in mid
stream, and then once more washed free it glided on into the still water
below.

We rushed down the banks, after an effort secured the raft, and drew it
ashore; but to our consternation most of the provisions, with the guns
and ammunition, were gone!

They had been tossed off in the very middle of the rapids, and of course
were lost for ever. Only three packs of the meat, with a number of
robes, remained upon the raft.

We were now in a more serious condition than ever. The provision saved
from the wreck would not last us a week, and when that was consumed how
were we to procure more? Our means of killing game was taken from us.
We had no arms but pistols and knives. What chance of killing a deer,
or any other creature, with these?

The prospect was gloomy enough. Some even advised that we should go
back to where we had left the buffalo carcasses. But by this time the
wolves had cleaned them of their flesh. It would have been madness to
go back. There was no other course but to head once more towards the
settlements, and travel as fast as we could.

On half rations we continued on, making our daily journeys as long as
possible. It was fortunate we had saved some of the robes, for it was
now winter, and the cold had set in with extreme bitterness. Some
nights we were obliged to encamp without wood to make a fire with, but
we were in hopes of soon reaching the forest region, where we should not
want for that, and where, moreover, we would be more likely to meet with
some game that we could capture.

On the third day after leaving the stream that had been so fatal to us,
it began snowing, and continued to snow all night. Next morning the
whole country was covered with a white mantle, and we journeyed on, at
each step sinking in the snow. This rendered our travelling very
difficult, but as the snow was only a foot or so in depth we were able
to make way through it. We saw many tracks of deer, but heeded them
not, as we knew there was no chance of capturing the animals. Our
guides said if it would only thaw a little, and then freeze again, they
could kill the deer without their rifles. It did thaw during the day,
and at night froze so hard, that in the morning there was a thick crust
of ice upon the surface of the snow.

This gave us some hope, and next