es away before they found out that we had escaped; for
even when the chief awoke he would very likely turn to again and drink a
further quantity of the fire-water.

We went on till we had passed the Cree encampment we had before visited.
We might have ventured into it, for the women who were alone there
would not have known that we were escaping, and would have consequently
allowed us to continue on our way. We thought it wiser, however, to
avoid paying our friends a visit, as we had enough food to last us till
we could reach the river. After the abundant meal we had taken on the
previous evening, we could have gone on all day with very little food or
rest.

In crossing a small valley we found a number of the mesaskatomina
bushes, from which we obtained a supply of fruit which greatly refreshed
us. I am afraid that it will be scarcely believed that we accomplished,
according to our calculation, upwards of fifty miles before we stopped
to camp at night. Though nothing on a highroad, it was good going over
the prairie grass, with occasionally to have to make our way through
woods and across streams.

We had the satisfaction of believing that the Crees would not take the
trouble of coming after us, and we were thankful that we had not been
tempted to make off with their horses, though we might have been
justified in so doing. We supped off pemmican, refraining from lighting
a fire lest it might betray our position.

We kept, however, a pile of sticks ready to kindle, should it become
necessary by the approach of wolves or of bears. As usual, of course,
one of us kept watch, that we might have timely warning of danger. The
night passed away without any event of importance, and the next morning,
the moment the first streaks of dawn appeared in the eastern sky, we
pushed forward at as rapid a rate as before. We at last got into the
country we knew pretty well, and in the afternoon of the third day came
in sight of the spot where Fort Black had stood.

"It looks black enough now," observed Martin, as he surveyed the charred
ruins. "I wish I knew where my poor father and mother are! Should the
Sioux have paid them a visit, I fear that they will have had great
difficulty in escaping."

"I don't think the Sioux would have gone so far north," observed Alick.
"They are probably better off than they would have been had they come to
the fort, when they to a certainty would have been murdered with the
rest of our poor