ay, we gave
him up for lost.

On the 11th, after waiting until late in the morning for Michel, who did
not come, Hepburn and I loaded ourselves with the bedding, and,
accompanied by Mr. Hood, set out for the pines. Mr. Hood was much
affected with dimness of sight, giddiness, and other symptoms of extreme
debility, which caused us to move very slowly, and to make frequent
halts.

On arriving at the pines, we were much alarmed to find that Michel was
absent. We feared that he had lost his way in coming to us in the
morning, although it was not easy to conjecture how that could have
happened, as our footsteps of yesterday were very distinct. Hepburn went
back for the tent, and returned with it after dusk, completely worn out
with the fatigue of the day. Michel too arrived at the same time, and
relieved our anxiety on his account. He reported that he had been in
chase of some deer which passed near his sleeping-place in the morning,
and although he did not come up with them, yet that he found a wolf
which had been killed by the stroke of a deer's horn, and had brought a
part of it. We implicitly believed this story then, but afterwards
became convinced from circumstances, the detail of which may be spared,
that it must have been a portion of the body of Belanger or Perrault. A
question of moment here presents itself; namely, whether he actually
murdered these men, or either of them, or whether he found the bodies in
the snow. Captain Franklin, who is the best able to judge of this
matter, from knowing their situation when he parted from them, suggested
the former idea, and that both Belanger and Perrault had been
sacrificed. When Perrault turned back, Captain Franklin watched him
until he reached a small group of willows, which was immediately
adjoining to the fire, and concealed it from view, and at this time the
smoke of fresh fuel was distinctly visible. Captain Franklin
conjectures, that Michel having already destroyed Belanger, completed
his crime by Perrault's death, in order to screen himself from
detection. Although this opinion is founded only on circumstances, and
is unsupported by direct evidence, it has been judged proper to mention
it, especially as the subsequent conduct of the man shewed that he was
capable of committing such a deed. The circumstances are very strong. It
is not easy to assign any other adequate motive for his concealing from
us that Perrault had turned back; while his request overnight that