s, and broiled fish!

Thus they spent their time for several days. One party went regularly
every morning to fish in the ice-holes; another party roamed the woods,
and returned with grouse, or rabbits, and sometimes with deer; while
some remained, part of the day at least, in the hut, mending snow-shoes
and moccasins, and making other preparations.

In the midst of all this busy labour, the shoosking was not forgotten.
One day Robin said to his little daughter, at breakfast, that as they
had got nearly enough of provisions for the journey they would take a
holiday and go and have a shoosk. The proposal was hailed with delight,
and the whole party went off with the new sledges, and spent the
forenoon in sliding and tumbling down the hills like very children.

At last everything was ready for a start. The provisions were tightly
fastened on the sledges, which were to be drawn by each of the men in
turn. Snow-shoes were put on, guns and bows looked to and shouldered,
and on a bright, frosty December morning the hunters left the hut,
struck into the woods, and set out for Fort Enterprise.

At the top of the slope, beside the fallen tree, they stopped with one
consent and gazed back; and there Nelly took her last sad look at Silver
Lake, and sorrowfully said her last farewell.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

THE HAPPIEST MEETING OF ALL.

The snow was driving through the forests and over the plains of the
North American wilderness; the wind was shrieking among the tree-tops,
and whirling the drift in great clouds high up into the frosty air; and
the sun was setting in a glow of fiery red, when, on the last day of the
year, Robin Gore and his followers came to an abrupt halt, and, with one
consent, admitted that "the thing was impossible."

"We can't do it, boys," said Robin, resting his rifle against a tree;
"so it's o' no use to try. The Fort is good ten miles off, an' the
children are dead beat--"

"No they ain't," interrupted Roy, whose tone and aspect, however, proved
that his father's statement was true; "at least _I'm_ not beat yet--I'm
game for two or three hours more."

"Well, lad, p'raps ye are, but Nelly ain't; so we'll camp here, an' take
'em by surprise in the morning early."

Nelly, who had been carried on the backs of those who had broadest
shoulders during the last dozen miles, smiled faintly when spoken to,
and said she was "ve-y s'eepy!"

So they set to work in the usual style, and were soon co