Blackfeet, and probably murdered. The country, though
often fertile and beautiful, was in some places sandy and barren, and
utterly destitute of water. The whole day, their flasks having been
emptied, they had not a drop to quench their burning thirst, and when
they did at length reach a pool, the liquid in it was so bitter and
stagnant that they dared scarcely to taste a drop, even after straining
it through a handkerchief. The food they had brought with them was also
running short, and they had been unable to shoot any game to supply its
place. Two or three buffalo had been seen in the distance, but had made
off before they could get within shot; and several deer had passed, but
being to leeward, scented them, and scampered away as they approached.

"Though we cannot find large game, we must look out for small," observed
Hector. "Perhaps we shall meet with some beavers, musk-rats, or
badgers; we must not be particular."

"Not if we are starving," answered Loraine; "but I should prefer a hare
or duck, or a prairie-hen."

At length a broad stream appeared before them. They hurried forward to
quench their thirst, and then sat down to consider how it was to be
crossed. They could both swim, but their packs and Loraine's gun, as
well as their clothes, had to be floated across.

There are, fortunately, neither alligators nor voracious fish in the
rivers of those latitudes, and so Hector proposed that they should build
a raft of rushes and dried branches on which to place their clothes,
their packs, and the gun, and tow it over.

It was soon formed, though Loraine feared it was a somewhat frail
structure, even for the duty it was intended to perform.

The passage was accomplished with difficulty, and with the loss of
Loraine's gun, which slipped off into the deepest water.

They lamented this serious loss, but Loraine having supplied himself
with a pointed stick, they set off, endeavouring to keep up each other's
spirits as they marched on. They had still their compass to steer by,
but their direct progress was on some days very slow, as they had to
turn aside to avoid extensive marshes and lakelets. Their food at
length came to an end, and, in spite of all Hector's efforts, he was
unable to trap any animals. They several times saw beavers, which got
away from them, and the ducks and other water-fowls only appeared to fly
off with derisive quacks at their impotent attempts to knock them down,
so Hector decla