a distance. They hastened to meet him, in hopes of
tidings of good cheer. He had none to give them; but news of that
strange wanderer, M'Lellan. The smoke had risen from his encampment
which took fire while he was at a little distance from it fishing. Le
Clerc found him in forlorn condition. His fishing had been unsuccessful.
During twelve days that he had been wandering alone through these
savage mountains, he had found scarce anything to eat. He had been ill,
wayworn, sick at heart, still he had kept forward; but now his strength
and his stubbornness were exhausted. He expressed his satisfaction at
hearing that Mr. Stuart and his party were near, and said he would wait
at his camp for their arrival, in hopes they would give him something to
eat, for without food he declared he should not be able to proceed much
further.

When the party reached the place, they found the poor fellow lying on
a parcel of withered grass, wasted to a perfect skeleton, and so feeble
that he could scarce raise his head or speak. The presence of his old
comrades seemed to revive him, but they had no food to give him,
for they themselves were almost starving. They urged him to rise and
accompany them, but he shook his head. It was all in vain, he said;
there was no prospect of their getting speedy relief, and without it
he should perish by the way; he might as well, therefore, stay and die
where he was. At length, after much persuasion, they got him upon his
legs; his rifle and other effects were shared among them, and he was
cheered and aided forward. In this way they proceeded for seventeen
miles, over a level plain of sand, until seeing a few antelopes in the
distance, they encamped on the margin of a small stream. All now that
were capable of the exertion, turned out to hunt for a meal. Their
efforts were fruitless, and after dark they returned to their camp,
famished almost to desperation.

As they were preparing for the third time to lay down to sleep without
a mouthful to eat, Le Clerc, one of the Canadians, gaunt and wild with
hunger, approached Mr. Stuart with his gun in his hand. "It was all in
vain," he said, "to attempt to proceed any further without food. They
had a barren plain before them, three or four days' journey in extent,
on which nothing was to be procured. They must all perish before they
could get to the end of it. It was better, therefore, that one should
die to save the rest." He proposed, therefore, that they shoul