as it was, it would have proved his death in the
long run. This explained why the wolves had assailed an animal, that
otherwise, from his great size and strength, would have defied them.
The wolverene, moreover, rarely attacks game so large as the wapiti; but
the latter had, no doubt, chanced upon the lair of his fierce enemy, who
could not resist such a tempting opportunity of getting a meal. The
wolves had seen the wolverene as they approached the thicket, and that
accounted for their strange behaviour in the pursuit. These creatures
are as great cowards as they are tyrants, and their dread of a wolverene
is equal to that with which they themselves often inspire the wounded
deer.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

A PAIR OF DEEP DIVERS.

The wapiti was carefully skinned, and the skin spread out to dry. Since
their mishap our voyageurs had been very short of clothing. The three
skins of the woodland caribou had made only a pair of jackets, instead
of full hunting-shirts, and even these were pinched fits. For beds and
bed-clothes they had nothing but the hides of buffaloes, and these,
although good as far as they went, were only enough for two. Lucien,
the most delicate of the party, appropriated one, as the others insisted
upon his so doing. Francois had the other. As for Basil and Norman,
they were forced each night to lie upon the naked earth, and but for the
large fires which they kept blazing all the night, they would have
suffered severely from cold. Indeed, they did suffer quite enough; for
some of the nights were so cold, that it was impossible to sleep by the
largest fire without one-half of their bodies feeling chilled. The
usual practice with travellers in the Far West is to lie with their feet
to the fire, while the head is at the greatest distance from it. This
is considered the best mode, for so long as the feet are warm, the rest
of the body will not suffer badly; but, on the contrary, if the feet are
allowed to get cold, no matter what state the other parts be in, it is
impossible to sleep with comfort. Of course our young voyageurs
followed the well-known practice of the country, and lay with their feet
to the fire in such a manner that, when all were placed, their bodies
formed four radii of a circle, of which the fire was the centre.
Marengo usually lay beside Basil, whom he looked upon as his proper
master.

Notwithstanding a bed of grass and leaves which they each night spread
for themselves,