Part 14 (1/2)

Quickly the others joined in, while Mr Ross and the boys sang in unison the English words After the hyy, ”Praise God fros flow,” another Indian devoutly prayed in his own language, after which the service ended by all repeating together the Lord's Prayer in English

The boys were veryservice of praise and prayer Their weird surroundings added to its impressiveness Then the fact that they were out in the cold forest, with no roof above them but the starry heavens and no walls around therees below zero,very appropriate:

Keep s!

After prayers the h exa was in good condition, as they intended, if all ell, to start on the journey long hours before daylight

Then the beds were made This operation verythe Indians did was to put everybody out of the cahs, finely broken up, over the whole spot, from which the snow had nearly all been cleared Then, on the side where Mr Ross and the boys were to sleep, the Indian bed the day was used to hold all the various articles constituting a sleigh load, the whole then being securely lashed on by deerskin straps It was ether This large wrapper being made smooth and even, there was next spread out on it a couple of splendid buffalo skins Then on the top of these the warm, thick blankets known as four-point Hudson Bay Co thus prepared Mr Ross and the three boys were busily e themselves to occupy it It can be readily understood that there was no such thing as ”undressing” for bed in such a cold bedroom

”Unloose your collars and shi+rt bands,” was all the directions given, as far as disrobing was concerned

The heavy travellingfur boots that caer and softer enerally added to the cohtest buttons on soarments were unloosed Then the heavy blanket coats, which had been well dried of all the perspiration absorbed during the day, and ar fur ears, ell drahile, over all, the warm capotes, as hoods, were pulled up on the head and down in front to the nose Great fur mittens made of beaver and otter fur were then drawn on the hands, and the night suit was complete

Mr Ross took the outside place Then Sam, Alec, and Frank cuddled down in the order named There they lay with their feet as near to the fire as it was safe, so as not to burn the blankets or robes Then the Indians quickly threw soan at their feet to tuck them in Indians are very clever and handy at all such work, their entle and skillful They would make the best nurses in the world No woht thing in the right way than an Indian attendant with a little training It seems to come to them more natural than to any other people So here they so daintily, and yet so thoroughly, tucked in the ”uests

The boys enjoyed the operation hugely until they reached their heads

Then, as the Indians began to tuck in both blankets and fur robes under their heads, co them up, it was a new experience, and one not very pleasant to contemplate Mr Ross, as an old traveller in this land, and one who had slept out hundreds of nights in this as not at all disco in But it was tooas they could, and then almost simultaneously they threw up their ars from their faces

”O dear!” said Sam ”Let me freeze to death, but for dear old Ireland's sake don't smother me If ye must send word to my mother that I have been frozen to death or eaten by bears she will believe you, and survive, but let it never be told that the Irish lad perished in this country under fur robes and blankets”

This pathetic lahter from all who could understand it

”What have you to say, Alec?” said Mr Ross

”Well, the fact is,” he replied, ”I was feeling about as Sahts were: 'It is queer that I should have escaped from the wolves to be suffocated in this land for the want of fresh air!'”

”What say you, Frank We may as well hear from all”

His ansas: ”Well, as I lay there on that contracted place, and the half-san to make life ht at school about requiring so an to wonder if such laere obsolete out here”

With a little ain tucked in, and it was not long before they were sound asleep

Meuide, rolled himself up in a woven rabbit skin robe, which wasthe warp and sixty the woof His place was next to Frank Then the other Indians, in their blankets, when they had finished their s, laid doherever there was roo by day that white people do, neither do they require such warht was caused by Sa up in a hurry to see as the , when Saht, he said he was drea down one of the Rocky Mountains with an elephant after him, and just as he reached the botto for help, until at length some one came and drove the elephant away

This was too much for even the sedate, clever Me so unusual, he said: