, "and tell them not to be
alarmed if I don't return till to-morrow. Perhaps I shall camp out."

With his usual quiet grunt of acquiescence my red-skinned companion
shouldered the full bag, and left me. I then struck into the thick
woods, with the general bearings of which I was well acquainted, and
soon after came across the fresh tracks of a deer, which I followed up
hotly.

I am naturally a keen sportsman, and apt to forget both time and
distance when pursuing game. As to distance, however, a backwoods
hunter who intends to encamp on the spot where night finds him, does not
need to concern himself much about that. I therefore plodded on, hour
after hour, until the waning light told of the approach of darkness, and
convinced me that further pursuit would be useless.

Looking round me then, for a suitable spot on which to make my
encampment, I experienced almost a shock of surprise, not unmingled with
alarm, on making the discovery that I had forgotten to bring my
fire-bag!

To some people the serious nature of this may not at first be apparent.
But they may appreciate the situation in some degree when I tell them
that on that occasion I suddenly found myself about twenty miles from
home, fatigued, hungry, with the night descending over the wilderness,
the thermometer about thirty-five below zero, of Fahrenheit's scale,
with the snow for my bed, and without that all important flint, steel
and tinder, wherewith to procure fire for the cooking of my food and the
warming of my frame!

It is true I had my gun, which was a flint one, so that by rubbing some
slightly moistened gunpowder on a piece of rag, which I tore from my
shirt for the purpose, and snapping the lock over it there was a
possibility of a spark catching, but unfortunately the flint was a much
worn one which I had chipped away to such an extent during the day, to
improve its fire-producing powers, that only the merest glimmer of a
spark was evolved after many snappings, and it was so feeble as to be
quite unable to catch hold of my extemporised tinder. After prolonged
and fruitless efforts the intense cold began to chill me, and being well
aware of the great danger of getting benumbed, or of falling into that
torpid state of indifference to life, coupled with intense desire for
rest which precedes death from cold, I made up my mind at once, tired
and hungry though I was, to turn round and walk straight back to the
fort.

I knew myself to be quit