“Shure! the fort’s a mighty dale furder off than I thought for,” observed Pat, as we were forming our camp on the evening of the fifth day.
I then told him my own apprehensions. He looked somewhat uncomfortable.
“But we have still got some venison in our packs, and must try back, I suppose,” he said. “I can think of no other course to take.”
After we had fixed up our hut, we had a serious talk as to what was best to be done. I proposed going northward, and endeavouring to reach a branch of the Upper Saskatchewan, on the bank of which our fort was situated, as by following the stream up or down we must eventually come upon it.
This was, indeed, our only safe plan, and we determined next morning to pursue it. Darkness had come on. We were engaged in cooking our supper—roasting a portion and boiling some of the dried venison to serve as a beverage. We had had no time to dig for roots during our journey, but as soon as we halted, while I was preparing the fire, Pat went into the wood to search for some. He brought in a large handkerchief full, but, as we were very hungry, we agreed that we would wait until the next morning to cook them for breakfast, as they would require a good deal of boiling. We therefore piled them up on one side, that we might peel and prepare them after supper.
I was stirring the pot, when, looking beyond the flames, I caught sight of the figure of a man slowly approaching. The light falling on him showed me that he was an Indian. He held a bow in his hand, and a quiver of arrows was at his back.
“Hillo! some one is coming,” I exclaimed to Pat, who was lying down, and did not therefore see the Indian, and was probably not seen himself.
Pat started up, and mechanically placed his hand on his gun, which was lying near him, forgetting that it was unloaded.
The Indian must have observed the action, but without taking notice of it, he quickly came up and stood opposite to us on the other side of the fire.
“Whaugh!” exclaimed the stranger, in a tone of surprise, looking at Pat and me. “I did not expect to find white men here, at this time of the year.”