ll do likewise, and now see if you can catch me."

In much less time than I have taken to describe it, we were rigged up
for rapid snow-shoe running, and were off. Away I rushed through the
woods as rapidly as I could on my snow-shoes. The lad followed me, and
thus we ran chasing and catching each other alternately as though we
were a couple of boisterous schoolboys instead of a Missionary and his
Indian companion striving to save themselves from freezing to death.

After about half an hour of this most vigorous exercise, we felt the
warmth coming back to our bodies, and then the hot blood began working
its way out to our benumbed hands, and by-and-by we could bend our
fingers again. When we felt the comfortable glow of warmth over our
whole bodies, we rushed back again to the camp, and, gathering a
quantity of birch bark which we found loosely hanging from the trees,
and which is very inflammable, we soon had a good fire and then our hot
breakfast. At our morning devotions which followed there was a good
deal of thanksgiving, and the grateful spirit continued in our hearts as
we packed up our loads, harnessed up our dogs, and sped on our way. It
was a very narrow escape. The King of Terrors looked us both in the
face that cold morning, and very nearly chilled us into death by the icy
fingers of the Frost King.

As the hours of daylight in the winter months in these high latitudes
are so few, we generally roused ourselves up several hours before
daylight. Often my kind-hearted men endeavoured to get up first, and
have a rousing fire made and breakfast cooked, before I would awake.
This, however, did not occur very often, as such a bed was not conducive
to sleep; so, generally, after about four or five hours in such a state
of suffocation, I was thankful to get up the instant I heard any one
stirring. I would rather freeze to death than be suffocated.

There were times not a few when I was the first to get up, and kindle
the fire and cook the breakfast before I called my faithful wearied
companions, who, long accustomed to such hardships, could sleep on
soundly, where for me it was an absolute impossibility. Sometimes my
men, when thus aroused, would look up at the stars and say "Assam
weputch," _i.e._, "Very early." All I had to do was to look gravely at
my watch, and this satisfied them that it was all right. The breakfast
was quickly eaten, our prayers were said, our sleds loaded, dogs
captured and harne