that he thought it possible to get through, although our advance would necessarily be very slow and laborious. From the summit of the hill at the foot of which we were encamped, he had seen, far to the south, mountains crowded behind mountains, the everlasting pine-forest extending in every direction, without a sign of open country; the only favourable circumstance which he observed being that the hills appeared to become lower, and fewer of them were capped with snow. We all set eagerly to work to skin and cut up the bear, and had a great feast that night. This was the first fresh meat we had tasted since the mountain sheep at Jasper House, and we found it a great treat, although we had neither bread nor salt to eat with it, tea to drink with it, nor tobacco to smoke after it. We invented a substitute for the latter on this occasion by mixing the oil out of our pipes with the kinnikinnick we smoked, but this was soon finished, and we were reduced to the small comfort to be derived from the simple willow-bark. We all felt happier after the meal, and The Assiniboine exhorted us to be of good courage, for we had now a week’s provisions by using economy; “Nous arriverons bientôt.” CHAPTER XV. We commence to Cut our Way--The Pathless Primeval Forest--The Order of March--Trouble with our Horses; their Perversity-- Continual Disasters--Our Daily Fare--Mount Cheadle--Country Improves only in Appearance--Futile Attempt to Escape out of the Valley--A Glimpse of Daylight--Wild Fruits--Mr. O’B. triumphantly Crosses the River--The Assiniboine Disabled--New Arrangements--Hopes of Finding Prairie-Land--Disappointment-- Forest and Mountain Everywhere--False Hopes again--Provisions at an End--Council of War--Assiniboine Hunts without Success-- The Headless Indian--“Le Petit Noir” Condemned and Executed-- Feast on Horse-flesh--Leave Black Horse Camp--Forest again-- The Assiniboine becomes Disheartened--The Grand Rapid--A Dead Lock--Famishing Horses--The Barrier--Shall we get Past?--Mr. O’B. and Bucephalus--Extraordinary Escape of the Latter--More Accidents--La Porte d’Enfer--Step by Step--The Assiniboine Downcast and Disabled--Mrs. Assiniboine takes his Place-- The Provisions give out again--A Dreary Beaver Swamp--The Assiniboine gives up in Despair--Mr. O’B. begins to Doubt, discards Paley, and prepares to become Insane--We kill another Horse--A Bird of Good Omen--The Crow speaks Truth--Fresher Sign--A Trail--The Road rapidly Improves--Out of the Forest at last!