Shortly after midnight of the 7th, Frederick had the dogs and little sledge ready, and, with nothing upon it but the shot-gun, hatchet, and telescope, they all started. The dogs were irrepressible, and took the little sledge over the rocks in a way calculated to cripple all hands, for they had to run alongside and hold on to the upstanders to keep up. Occasionally a runner of the sledge would catch under a bowlder and bring the sledge to a sudden stand-still, the immense strain of the strong dogs threatening to break it. On reaching the lake, all three of the men managed to crowd upon the sledge, and the dogs went at a rapid trot over its smooth, level surface. Beyond Lake Carolyn was a ravine leading toward the river, and there the dogs took to a gallop, and in an hour they reached a rocky height overlooking a long, wide valley walled in on the north side by high, precipitous cliffs, and on the south by heights of even greater elevation, but not so steep. There seemed no way, however, to get down. The water-course from the lake here became a narrow gorge blocked with large bowlders, the spaces between which were full of soft snow. It was not inviting, but they tried it, and in an hour reached the river-bed, the descent being most laborious. Here they found themselves only four hundred feet above the sea-level, and, turning to the right, went down-stream in a northeastern direction, the barometer constantly showing that they were going _down_-stream. _En route_ they passed over several small lakes formed by expansions of the stream. In many places the ice was very thick and beautifully transparent. Seven miles from Rocky Gorge, where they entered the river, they suddenly saw four musk-oxen. Frederick being very anxious for slaughter was allowed to go after them, while Brainard remained to watch the sledge and dogs, and Lockwood went off to the right to take some compass-bearings. After a while he heard a shot from Frederick, and saw one of the animals fall. The others did not seem at all frightened, but stood by their dead comrade until Frederick _drove_ them away by throwing stones at them. The dogs became greatly excited, and, going to where the dead game lay—a second ox having been killed—they gorged themselves with the entrails until there was danger of ruining their own.