Ross I must cross it somehow or other, but how to get over was the
throuble. I'd be dhrowned if I thried, and be no better off than poor
Sandy and the rest, so at last I thought to myself, `I'll just squat
where I am; maybe some canoes will be coming this way, or some friendly
Indians will be finding me out.' Well, that's the long and short of my
history."

We agreed that Pat, perhaps, had acted wisely, knowing the difficulties
he would have had to encounter, had he continued his journey overland.
He took us to his hut, which was a short distance from the bank of the
river. It was very well formed of birch-bark, and of good size. He had
made himself a bed from the tops of spruce firs. Alongside it was a
smaller hut in which he had hung up his venison. The top of this
smaller wigwam was covered with the deer's skin.

During the summer he might have done very well, but in the winter he
would, I suspect, have perished from cold and hunger, as he would have
had great difficulty in catching any animals. It was indeed fortunate
for him that we had put into that river.

We did not forget the object for which we had visited it, and we
immediately set to work, under the guidance of Robin, to search for
roots and berries.

Of the latter, Pat had already collected a great quantity for present
use, but remembering how nearly poisoned we had been, he was afraid to
cook any roots. Robin, however, knew well what were good to eat and
what were pernicious, and we had perfect confidence in his judgment.

Altogether we added a considerable amount of what I may call vegetables
to our stock. As we all had a peculiar longing for them, we at once
cooked as many as we could eat, scarcely touching the venison, of which
we had already begun to get tired.

Pat, who appeared to consider himself at home, begged that we would
occupy his hut for the night, remarking that it was already too late to
make much progress before nightfall. We accordingly agreed to stay
where we were till the following morning.

His stock of venison added to ours would enable us to perform the voyage
without having again to stop and hunt for game. Martin had been
employing himself, as he had undertaken to do, in manufacturing some
hooks and lines, aided by Robin, who had learned very ingenious arts
from the Indians. The rest of us employed the evening in cutting out
some moccasins, for not one of us had a pair of shoes to our feet, and
should we have to