, over which, on
his moccasined feet, he so lightly and yet so rapidly glided. His
constant alertness was absolutely necessary; for while the ice was
apparently strong enough to be safe, yet when ice freezes up thus
rapidly air holes frequently abound, which may be so thinly coated over
that none but an experienced eye can detect them. They are very
treacherous, as the ice, which to any ordinary observer may appear safe,
may not be a quarter of an inch in thickness, and so the unfortunate
person stepping on one may suddenly drop out of sight.

The rate at which Kinesasis led the party was about five miles an hour.
To do this he kept up a swinging jog trot, and was ever on the alert for
danger. Mr Ross, whose cariole immediately followed the guide, well
knowing that there was a certain spice of danger associated with a trip
like this so soon after the ice had formed, also kept constantly on the
alert, as his long years in such kind of travelling made him almost
equal to an Indian in this respect. After travelling for ten miles they
reached a spot where one of the great currents of the mighty Nelson
River, from Lake Winnipeg, had kept the ice from forming as solidly as
where the water was not so rapid in motion. By its ominous bending and
cracking under him Kinesasis saw the danger and suddenly brought the
whole party to a halt. As the weakness in the ice apparently extended a
long way in each direction, it was evident that the party must get
across in some way or else return home. The latter idea was not for a
moment to be entertained, and so arrangements were at once made for
crossing the dangerous place. This novel plan was witnessed by the boys
with a great deal of interest. At first they wished to jump from the
warm fur robes in their carioles, but this Mr Ross would not hear of.
They could be of no service and would only get thoroughly chilled.

The crossing over the dangerous place was accomplished in the following
manner: Kinesasis first untied the other heavy pole from the dog-sled,
and then, advancing to the place where the weak ice began, he carefully
laid one of the poles on the poor ice, and using the other as a
ropewalker would his balancing pole, he carefully walked out on the one
on the ice. Then carefully placing the one in his hand down on the ice,
in a straight line before him, he stepped on it, and cautiously lifted
up the one over which he had just walked. Using this as he had handled
the