e also observed that the fresh tracks which
he had been following circled round the body of the seaman and then led
straight on.

Following these, Bellew soon came to an open circular space at the head
of the gorge, where the appearance of smoke, rising from among the
trees, arrested his attention. In a few minutes he had reached the spot
whence it issued, and there to his surprise found Mr Bob Smart with
five of his men and several Indians standing in solemn silence round
something on the ground that appeared to rivet their attention. Some of
the men looked up as Bellew approached and nodded to him, for the
trapper was well-known in the district; they also moved aside and let
him pass.

"What's wrong, Mr Smart?" he asked, on coming up.

The fur-trader pointed to the ground, on which lay a group of men, who,
at a first glance, appeared to be dying. One in particular, a youth,
seemed to be in the very last stage of exhaustion. Smart had just risen
from his side after administering a cup of hot tea, when the trapper
appeared.

"I fear he won't last long," said Smart, turning to Bellew, with a shake
of his head.

"What have you been givin' him?" asked Bellew, stooping and feeling his
pulse.

"Just a cup of tea," replied Smart; "I have unfortunately nothing
better. We only heard of the wreck yesterday, and came down in our boat
in such haste that we forgot spirits. Besides, I counted on bringing
whoever I should find up to the fort without delay, but although we may
move most of these poor fellows, I doubt much that we daren't move
_him_."

This was said in a whisper, for the poor fellows referred to, although
unable to rise, lay listening eagerly to every word that was spoken.
There were six of them--one a negro--all terribly emaciated, and more or
less badly frost-bitten. They formed the remnant of a crew of
twenty-five, many of whom, after suffering dreadfully from hunger and
frost-bites, had wandered away into the woods, and in a half delirious
state, had perished.

"You have hot water, I see," said the trapper, hastily unfastening his
pack, "fetch some."

Bob Smart promptly and gladly obeyed, for he saw that Bellew was a man
of action, and appeared to know what to do.

"You're right, Mr Smart," said Bellew, as he poured a little of the
contents of a bottle into the tin pannikin that had served him for a
tea-cup the night before, "this poor lad couldn't stand moving just now.
Fortunately I've broug