he
first thing done was to unharness our faithful dogs. Our snow-shoes
were improvised as shovels, and from the spot selected as our resting
place, the snow was quickly piled up in a great bank at our rear; and,
sometimes, if the night threatened to be unusually severe, on each side
of us.

Then the great roaring fire of dry wood, at which we cooked our suppers,
thawed out the fish for our dogs, and warmed our half frozen bodies, was
very welcome. When supper was eaten, and prayers, so sweet and
profitable to us all, were over, how delightful to sit down on our robes
and spend some hours in pleasant chat ere my bed was made and I was
cosily and thoroughly tucked in by my faithful comrades. It was hard at
first to sleep with the head completely covered; there was such a sense
of smothering, that I often ran the risk of the freezing rather than the
smothering. One night, perhaps because of this suffocating sensation, I
unconsciously uncovered my head. After a time I awoke suddenly to
consciousness, to find that I was trying to pull off my now frozen nose
which I thought was the end of an axe handle.

We fed our dogs on fish, giving them only one meal a day, and that one,
when the day's work was done. To feed them in the morning, caused them
to be sluggish and stupid for some time thereafter; and the same
happened if they were fed at noon. Long experience has shown, that the
dogs thrive the best, and are able to do the most work, on one good meal
given to them before their long night's rest. The dog-shoes, which are
so essential to their comfort and recovery when a foot is frozen or
badly injured, are much prized by them. These shoes are made out of a
warm English cloth called duffle, and are in shape like a large mit
without a thumb. An old dog that has once become accustomed to dog
shoes, is ever hankering after them when on a long cold trip.
Sometimes, they will come and most comically hold up their feet to be
shod. At other times, they have been known to come into camp and there
lie down on their backs, and, holding up their four feet, plead most
ludicrously and importunately for these warm woollen shoes. Some of
them get very cunning at their work, and shirk from doing their share of
the pulling; and yet, to avoid discovery, will appear to be doing more
work than any other dog in the train.

But this dog travelling was hard work at best; and dogs, as well as
their master, were always glad when the long