litter. When Cartier understood that his
touch was supposed to have some mysterious magic he rubbed the old man's
helpless limbs with his own hands, read from his service-book the first
chapter of the Gospel of Saint John and other passages, and prayed that
the people who listened might come to know the true faith. Then, after
beads, rings, brooches and other little gifts had been distributed, the
trumpets blew, and the white men took their leave. Before they returned
to their boats the Indians guided them to the top of the hill which rose
behind the town, from which the surrounding country could be seen.
Cartier named it Montreal--the Royal Mountain.

[Illustration: "CARTIER READ FROM HIS SERVICE-BOOK."--_Page_ 176]

It was now the first week in October, and the rapids in the river above
Hochelaga blocked further exploration with a sailing vessel. As for
going on foot, that was out of the question with winter so near. The
party returned to Stadacona and went into winter quarters. While they
had been gone their comrades had built a palisaded fort beside the
little river where the ships lay moored. They were hardly settled in
this rude shelter before snow began to fall, and seemed as if it would
go on forever, softly blanketing the earth with layer on layer of cold
whiteness. It was waist-deep on the level; the river was frozen solid;
the drifts were above the sides of the ships, and the ice was four
inches thick on the bulwarks. The glittering armor of the ice incased
masts, spars, ropes, and fringed every line of cordage with icicles of
dazzling brightness. Never was such cold known in France. Maclou
thought, whimsically, while his teeth chattered beside the fire, of a
tale he had once told Marguerite of the palace of the Frost King. That
fierce monarch, and not the guileless Indian chief, was the foe they
would have to fight for this kingdom.

Their provisions were those of any ship sent on a voyage into unknown
lands in those days--dried and salted meat and fish, flour and meal to
be made into cakes or porridge, dried pease, dried beans. For a time the
Indians visited them, in the bitterest weather, but in December even
this source of a game supply was cut off, for they came no more. The
dreaded scurvy broke out, and before long there were hardly a dozen of
the whole company able to care for the sick. Besides the general misery
they were tormented by the fear that if the savages knew how feeble they
were the camp m