The night advancing we were separated by a snowstorm
and, not being skilful enough to follow tracks which were so speedily
filled up, I was bewildered for several hours in the woods, when I met
with an Indian who led me back at such a pace that I was always in the
rear, to his infinite diversion. The Indians are vain of their local
knowledge which is certainly very wonderful. Our companions had taken out
the entrails and young of the moose, which they buried in the snow.
The Indians then returned to the tents and one of my men accompanied
them; he was the person charged with the management of the trade at the
hunting tent; and he observed that the opportunity of making a bargain
with the Indians while they were drinking was too advantageous to be
lost.
It remained for us to prevent the wolves from mangling the moose; for
which purpose we wrapped ourselves in blankets between its feet and
placed the hatchets within our reach. The night was stormy and
apprehension kept me long awake but, finding my companion in so deep a
sleep that nothing could have roused him except the actual gripe of a
wolf, I thought it advisable to imitate his example as much as was in my
power rather than bear the burden of anxiety alone. At daylight we shook
off the snow which was heaped upon us and endeavoured to kindle a fire,
but the violence of the storm defeated all our attempts. At length two
Indians arrived with whose assistance we succeeded, and they took
possession of it to show their sense of our obligations to them. We were
ashamed of the scene before us; the entrails of the moose and its young,
which had been buried at our feet, bore testimony to the nocturnal revel
of the wolves during the time we had slept. This was a fresh subject of
derision for the Indians whose appetites however would not suffer them to
waste long upon us a time so precious. They soon finished what the wolves
had begun and with as little aid from the art of cookery, eating both the
young moose and the contents of the paunch raw.
I had scarcely secured myself by a lodge of branches from the snow and
placed the moose in a position for my sketch when we were stormed by a
troop of women and children with their sledges and dogs. We obtained
another short respite from the Indians but our blows could not drive, nor
their caresses entice, the hungry dogs from the tempting feast before
them.
I had not finished my sketch before the impatient crowd tore the moose to
pieces and loaded their sledges with meat.
