way through
it, and thus is able to quickly dissolve it."

Thus in pleasant chat the hour passed away in spite of the bitter cold.
They were all securely wrapped up, only portions of their faces being
visible. They regretted that they could not handle their knives and
forks with their heavy mittens on their hands, but were obliged to
exchange them for well-lined gloves while they ate. After all had eaten
their hearty supper, and were now gathered near the fire, one of the
Indians, who, like the rest of his country men in this party, was an
earnest, devout Christian, struck up in a strong, melodious voice the
Evening Hymn, translated into his own language.

Quickly the others joined in, while Mr Ross and the boys sang in unison
the English words. After the hymn was sung, and ended up with Ken's
beautiful doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," another
Indian devoutly prayed in his own language, after which the service
ended by all repeating together the Lord's Prayer in English.

The boys were very much pleased and delighted with this evening service
of praise and prayer. Their weird surroundings added to its
impressiveness. Then the fact that they were out in the cold forest,
with no roof above them but the starry heavens and no walls around them
but snowbanks, and the temperature so many degrees below zero, made the
petition in the beautiful hymn sung very appropriate:

Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath thine own almighty wings!

After prayers the men made a thorough examination of the sleds and
harness, to see that everything was in good condition, as they intended,
if all was well, to start on the journey long hours before daylight.

Then the beds were made. This operation very much interested the boys.
The first thing the Indians did was to put everybody out of the camp;
then they scattered fresh green balsam boughs, finely broken up, over
the whole spot, from which the snow had nearly all been cleared. Then,
on the side where Mr Ross and the boys were to sleep, the Indian
bedmakers first spread out a deerskin wrapper, which during the day was
used to hold all the various articles constituting a sleigh load, the
whole then being securely lashed on by deerskin straps. It was made by
sewing several large, well-dressed deerskins together. This large
wrapper being made smooth and even, there was next spread out on it a
couple of splendid buffalo skins. Then on the top of these