meat, and began to devour it.
"You'd better follow his example, lads."

The men were not slow to take this advice. In a short time all were
more or less busily engaged with venison steaks, marrow-bones, goose
drum-sticks, and fish; and comparative silence prevailed while the
cravings of nature were being appeased. After supper, pipes were
lighted, and conversation became animated for some time; but they were
all too much fatigued to prolong this period, interesting though it was.
One after another they spread their blankets under a convenient bush or
tree, and, ere long, the whole party was in the land of Nod.

CHAPTER FIVE.

DESCRIBES A LITERAL WILD-GOOSE CHASE AND OTHER MATTERS.

Time sped on its proverbially rapid wing; the summer advanced, and still
Mackenzie and his men continued to descend the mighty river of the far
north, encountering dangers and vicissitudes enough undoubtedly, but
happily escaping those terrified monsters of the forest and the flood,
which had been described by the Copper Indians of Great Slave Lake, and
the thought of which caused poor Coppernose himself to grow terrified
and desperate by turns. Fain would that unhappy son of the forest have
bid the party farewell, and returned to his own wigwam alone; but this
might not be, for his services were of some importance, and the leader
of the expedition kept on him constantly an eye, which excelled in
intense watchfulness the glare of the fiercest of those creatures which
filled his imagination. He submitted, therefore, with the best grace he
could assume; but, what between being watched by Mackenzie, haunted by
ghosts, and bullied by English Chief, poor Coppernose had a sad time of
it. He possessed, however, a naturally elastic and jovial spirit, which
tended greatly to ameliorate his condition; and as time passed by
without any serious mishap, or the appearance of any unusually dreadful
creature, he became gradually reconciled to his position.

One day--perhaps we should rather say one night, for it was approaching
midnight, although the sun was still above the horizon, owing to the
high northern latitude to which they had attained, rendering the whole
twenty-four hours round a continuous day--one day (or night) as the
canoes were sweeping down a reach of the broad river, they saw a few
wreaths of smoke rising above the tree-tops. The spot was very
beautiful, being thickly wooded and backed by high land, on the slopes
of which th