t.

"Vraiment--it all very easy to say go up dere and camp for de noit,--
mais I will go not farder!" growled Ducette, as he threw a heavy bag of
provisions on his back and trudged sulkily up the hill.

The two young Indians evidently approved of this sentiment, and one or
two of the other men seemed inclined to echo it; but Reuben and Lawrence
laughed as they each shouldered a burden,--and the former said it was
his firm conviction that nothing would, could, or should stop Monsieur
Mackenzie but the Pacific Ocean.

The precipitous bank of the river, or "hill," up which they were desired
to carry the tents, provisions, etcetera, necessary for their
encampment, was so steep and encumbered with wood and scrub, that it
might of itself have formed a sufficiently disheartening obstacle to men
less accustomed to hardships; nevertheless, they braced themselves to it
with wonted vigour, pushed through the scrub, felled trees to facilitate
their ascent, and climbed like monkeys by the stems, until they gained
the summit, where very soon a roaring fire was covered with bubbling
kettles and broiling steaks and marrow-bones.

Meanwhile Mackenzie, accompanied by Swiftarrow, went off on foot to
survey the river ahead. He walked as long as daylight permitted, but
found that there seemed to be no end to the rapids and cascades, and
returned to camp with worn-out moccasins and wounded feet. During the
excursion he came on several old encampments of the Knisteneaux Indians,
which must have been formed during war expeditions, a decided proof, he
thought, of the savage and bloodthirsty nature of that people, seeing
that their natural hunting-grounds were very far removed from those
almost inaccessible regions.

It now became too apparent to the leader of the expedition that the
mountain at this place must be crossed on foot, with the canoe and its
heavy lading on the shoulders of himself and his men; but before
deciding on this course, he resolved to despatch Reuben and three men
with the two Indian interpreters to proceed along the line of the river
until they should reach a navigable part of it. Accordingly, next day
this party set out. Mackenzie remained in camp to superintend the
repairing of the canoe and take observations. He was successful in
obtaining correct time, and found the latitude to be 56 degrees 8
minutes.

At sunset the exploring party returned. They had penetrated the thick
woods, ascended hills, descended v