Year: 1874

a SkeuCh.


Far in the depth of the northern for
est of British America there lived an old
hunter, with his wife and two children.
He usually visited the settlement three
or four times during the year, when he
exchanged his furs for such things as he
might need till his next visit.


1t was during one of those long, cold
Winters, jail kinds of games be-
come very scarce, that the hunter dis
covered he had not sufficient food to
last his family through the dreary Win
ter. Morning after morning he strap
ped on his snow shoes and went out in
the dark swamps and woodlands in
search of game; only to return at night
empty handed, discouraged, and heart
sick. At length, about the last particle
of food in the cabinet lad been eaten,
and the hunter determined to visit
brother hunter, who lived number of
miles distant, to eDdeavor to get some
food to last them until hecould kill some
game. But all he could procure was
few trrnips, which he placed in his
knapsack, and commenced his journey
back to his cabin. The snow was fall
ing at a fearful rate, and the wind sigh
ed and moaned through the forest, as il
warning every.o one away from their soli-
tary wilds. Still the hunter kept on his
lonely way until the dark shades of
night began to settle around him.
Weary and hungry he rested for short
time, and taking one of the turnips,
which had been frozen as hard as ice
since he commenced his journey, he cut
1t in small pieces and ate it. He rested
but short time however, when he re-
sumed his journey, and thought it was
so dark, he could no longer see the
marks upon the trees which guided his
course he constructed torch, by the
light of which he was able TO continue
on his way. 1t was some time after
midnight when he arrived at his cabin.
His wife, though nearly starved, soon
prepared meal from the frozen tur-
nips. The hunter, being entirely ex-
hausted, lay down upon couch of deer
skins, but soon complained OF being
sick. He grew rapidly worse and died
before morning. The wife knew not
what to do, but succeeded in gathering
enough fuel to keep the FIRE burning a
short time. A day and night of their
fearful suffering passed. The last
mouthful of food had been deyoured. A
few rats crept from the holes in the
cabin and began to feed upon the body
of the hunter, which had not been re-
moved from the place in which he died.
some of these the family were able to
kill, which they eagerly devoured. Even
the deer-skins, which were used for
bedding, were cut in pieces and partly
eaten up. The wife being no longer
able 10 procure 1uel TOT the nre, lay
down upon the floor by her children to
await death to relieve them of their suf.
fering.


The hunter Of whom they had receiv-
ed some assistance, thinking Of the des,
titute circumstancesin which they might
be, visited them, When he found them
in this suffering condition. The mother
and one child were yet alive, but the
younger child was dead and frozen. The
hunter, after providing them with suf-
fcient food and fuel for number of
days, started to the settlement, and af-
ter few days absence he returned
with party of a dozen men, who plac-
ed the woman and child upon litter,
and after weary journey through the
wilderness, reached the settlement,