lf strong
enough to commence the journey homewards.

That winter, with all its vicissitudes, hopes, fears, adventures, and
pleasures, we must pass over in absolute silence, and re-introduce our
three friends on the evening of a fine spring day, while riding over a
sweep of prairie land in the direction of a thick belt of forest.

"The river must be somewhere hereabouts," said Ian, reining up on an
eminence, and gazing earnestly round him.

"Vas you ever here before?" asked Rollin.

"Ay, once, but not at this precise spot. I don't quite recognise it. I
hope my long illness has not damaged my memory."

"If we don't reach the river soon," said Victor, with something of
weariness in his tone, "this poor brute will give in."

Victor referred to his horse, which had been reduced by some unknown
disease to skin and bone.

"However, I'm well able to walk," he continued, more cheerfully; "and it
can't be long before we shall fall in with the river, and some Indians,
who will sell or lend us a canoe."

"Ah! my cheval is not much more better dan your von," said Rollin; and
he spoke the truth, for his horse was afflicted with the same disease
that had attacked that of Victor. Ian's steed, however, was in
excellent condition.

That night the invalid horses were freed from all their troubles by a
pack of wolves while their owners were asleep. They had been "hobbled"
so carelessly that they had broken loose and strayed far from the
encampment. Being weak they fell an easy prey to their sneaking
enemies.

Next day, however, the three friends reached the river of which they
were in search, found a family of Indians there who bartered with them a
canoe and some provisions for the remaining horse, and continued their
homeward journey by water.

For a time all went well. The river was in high flood, for the
snow-fall there, as elsewhere, had been unusually heavy, but all three
were expert voyageurs, and succeeded in steering past difficulties of
all kinds, until one afternoon, when good fortune seemed to forsake them
utterly. They began by running the canoe against a sunk tree, or snag,
and were obliged to put ashore to avoid sinking. The damage was,
however, easily remedied; and while Ian was busy with the repairs his
comrades prepared a hot dinner, which meal they usually ate cold in the
canoe. Next they broke a paddle. This was also easily replaced. After
that they ventured to run a rapid which almost proved too