hythmic creak,
creak of the snow-shoes as they came in contact with the hard packed
snow.

The very atmosphere seemed frozen, so intense was the cold. The moon
like a disk of burnished silver set in a steel blue sky cast a weird,
metallic light over the congealed wilderness. The hoar frost that lay
upon the bushes along the river bank sparkled like filmy draperies of
spun silver, and transformed the bushes into an unearthly multitude of
shining spirits that had gathered there from the dark, mysterious
forest which lay behind them, to watch the passing strangers.
Presently the light of dawn began to diffuse itself upon the world,
and the spirit creations were replaced by substantial banks of
frost-encrusted willows. In a little while the sun peeped timorously
over the eastern hills, but, half obscured by a haze of frost flakes
which hung suspended in the air, gave out no warmth to the frozen
earth.

No halt was made until noon. Then a fire was built and a kettle of ice
was melted and tea brewed. Bob was hungry, and the jerked venison,
with its delicate nutty flavour, and the hot tea, were delicious. The
latter, poured boiling from the kettle, left a sediment of ice in the
bottom of the tin cup before it was drained, so great was the cold.

After an hour's rest they hit the trail again and never relaxed their
speed for a moment until sunset. Then they sought the shelter of the
spruce woods behind the river bank, and in a convenient spot for a
fire cleared a circular space, several feet in circumference, by
shovelling the snow back with their snow-shoes, forming a high bank
around their bivouac as a protection from the wind, should it rise. At
one side a fire was built, and in front of the fire a thick bed of
boughs spread. While the others were engaged in these preparations Bob
and Sishetakushin cut a supply of wood for the night.

It was quite dark before they all settled themselves around the fire
for supper. Two frying pans were now produced, and from a haunch of
venison, frozen as hard as a block of wood, thin chips were cut with
an axe, and with ample pieces of fat were soon sizzling in the pans
and filling the air with an appetizing odour, and in spite of the
bleak surroundings the place assumed a degree of comfort and
hospitality.

After supper the Indians squatted around the fire on deerskins spread
upon the boughs, smoking their pipes and telling stories, while Bob
reclined upon the soft robes that Manikaw