when the sky is blue, the air still, and the snow frozen
hard, is a very pleasant thing; and so is a hunting expedition, with
attendants carrying refreshments, and the certainty, even though game
may not be shot, of a good meal after it at a cheerful camp-fire, with
abundance of buffalo-robes for covering; but to go on, tramp, tramp,
tramp, day after day over the icy plains, often with a sharp wind
blowing, and but a scanty fire and imperfect shelter at the termination
of the journey, is a very different matter.

We found it to be so. Often the ground was uneven; sometimes we had
hills to ascend, and precipitous elopes to slide down, not knowing what
might be at the bottom; and then a wide plain to traverse, without a
tree or a shrub to break its monotony or to assist us in directing our
course. Soon after we set out in the morning our eyebrows became
covered with frost, our caps froze to our brows, surrounded by a rim of
icicles. The fronts of our coats were fringed with similar ornaments;
even our eyelashes were covered with our congealed breath.

On several occasions we had to camp that we might go in search of game;
but after many hours' toil we returned--on one occasion with a fox, on
another with a second ground-squirrel, and on two other days with a
single hare.

The fox, though the least palatable, from being larger, lasted us longer
than the other animals, and afforded poor Bouncer an ample meal.

We had reason to be thankful at obtaining these supplies, or we should
otherwise have sunk down on the snow and perished; for even had we
killed our poor dog, as he was nothing but skin and bones his body would
not have long sustained us. For two whole days we feasted on _tripe de
roche_, which, when boiled in our kettle, afforded us the only vegetable
diet we had for a long time tasted. A high ridge had to be crossed, and
it cost us much trouble to reach the summit. We had to take Bouncer out
of the traces and drag up the sleigh ourselves.

A dreary prospect met our view from thence. Before us was a wide extent
of country covered with its wintry clothing, its undulations reminding
us of the ocean when the troubled waves begin to subside after a storm.
Here and there a few leafless trees partially diversified the chilling
scene, resembling the shattered masts of vessels which had suffered in
the conflict of waters.

In vain did we strain our eyes to catch a glimpse of anything of human
or animal shape.