happened to have set in, and before we got back to the shore the
poor fellow's garments were frozen so stiff that he could not run.

"`This is a bad job, Maximus,' said I; `we must carry him. Do you lift
his head, and I'll take the feet.'

"`Oh be queek! I is frizzen up,' cried Oolibuck, casting a rueful look
through his tangled locks, which were a mere mass of icicles!

"Maximus gave a loud chuckle, and before I could assist him he seized
his comrade in his powerful arms, heaved him over his shoulder like a
sack, and ran towards the shore as lightly as if his burden were a child
instead of a big over-fed Esquimau!

"Arrived at the woods, we wrapped Oolibuck in our blankets; then we
kindled a fire, and in two hours after his clothes were dried and
himself ready to proceed. This might have turned out a more serious
accident, however, and we felt very thankful when we had our damp
companion steaming beside a good fire. The lesson was not thrown away,
for we coasted round Richmond Gulf instead of attempting to cross it.

"And now," continued Frank, stirring the fire and re-lighting his pipe,
which invariably went out at the interesting parts of his
narrative--"now I come to that part of my story which bears on the fate
of Maximus.

"As I have said, we had arrived at the coast, and began to look forward
to Moose Fort as the first resting-place on our journey. By far the
greater part of the journey lay before us, Eda; for, according to my
calculation, I have travelled since last spring a distance of three
thousand miles, nearly a thousand of which have been performed on foot,
upwards of a thousand in boats and canoes, and a thousand by sea; and in
the whole distance I did not see a civilised spot of ground or a single
road--not so much as a bridle-path. As Bryan's favourite song has it--

"`Over mountains and rivers I was pelted to shivers.'

"But I'm happy to say I have not, as the same song continues, `met on
this land with a wathery grave.' I was very near it once, however, as
you shall hear.

"Well, away we went along the coast of James's Bay, much relieved to
think that the mountains were now past, and that our road henceforth,
whatever else it might be, was level. One evening, as we were plodding
wearily along, after a hard day's march over soft snow alternated with
sandy beach--for the spring was fast advancing--we came suddenly on a
camp of Indians. At first I thought they must be some of the Moose