"'Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining.'"

I looked at him with admiration.

"Hubbard," I exclaimed, "you're a wonder! You've a way of making our
worst troubles seem light. I've been sitting here imagining all sorts
things."

"There's no call to worry, by," he smilingly said; "we'll soon have
grub now, and then we can rest and sleep--and get strong."

He arose from his blanket, and walked out of the tent to look at the
sky. Slowly he returned, and sank wearily down.

"I'm feeling stronger and better than I did last night," he said; "but
I'm too weak to walk or stand up long."

When our breakfast of bones and hide boiled with a yeast cake was
ready, he sat up in the tent to receive his share. While drinking the
water and chewing the hide, we again carefully considered how long it
should take George to reach Grand Lake, and how long it would be before
help could arrive, if he were able to obtain any, and how long it would
require me to reach the flour and return. It was, roughly speaking,
forty miles to Grand Lake, and fifteen miles to the flour.

That there was room for doubt as to whether my strength would carry me
to the flour and back again, we all recognised; and we fully realised,
that if George failed to reach Grand Lake, or, reaching there, failed
to find Blake or Blake's cache, our doom would be sealed; but so long
had death been staring us in the face that it had ceased to have for us
any terror. It was agreed, however, that each man should do his best
to live as long as possible. I told Hubbard I should do my utmost to
be back in three days, even if I did not find the flour.

Hubbard remained seated in the front of the tent while George and I
went about gathering a supply of wood that we thought should last him
until someone returned. George also brought a kettle of water from the
river, and thoughtfully placed it near the fire for Hubbard's use in
boiling the bones and hide, all of which we left with him together with
the yeast and some tea. I also turned over to him the pair of blankets
he had delivered to me at Halifax--the birthday gift from my sisters.

These preparations for Hubbard's comfort completed, George and I
returned to the tent to arrange the kits we were to take with us.
Hubbard sat in the middle of the tent towards the rear; George and I on
either side of him in the front. Hubbard gave George his pistol and
compass, a