Volume 1

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230 TROUBLE ON THIS TRIP.
our horses by the bridle, and clearing the road for them,
we came to a small river with very high banks, covered
with strong wood and huge stones ; its course made me
suspect it to be the principal branch of Tongue river. We
therefore determined to follow it down to the plains ; and,
since we had failed to find Indians, to return to Panbian
river as best we could. We had much trouble in working
our way down stream, being obliged to cross it often,
ascending and descending its steep banks, at the risk of
breaking our legs. When we found ourselves in the open
plain, the violence of the storm prevented us from seeing
many yards ahead. We kept along the foot of the hills as
nearly as we could ;
and, happening to get a glimpse of the
sun, found we were on the right course, about N. E. We
saw several herds of buffalo, but our anxiety made us forget
our hunger. In the afternoon the storm ceased. We
saw on our left the mountain, and on our right the plain
but neither of us had ever passed here before. We came
to a small creek, and attempted to cross our horses on the
ice, but they fell in, and we had much trouble to pull them
out ; one got his leg cut by the ice. Night coming on, we
stopped on a small island of dry poplars, and made a fire.
The north wind was piercingly cold, and we could make no
shelter ; we had neither ax nor blanket, nothing to eat, and
not a drop of water.
We passed a miserable night, turning
about every moment to warm ourselves, and quenching our
thirst with snow. Daylight was welcome, as the storm had
recommenced and we were covered with snow. We saddled
and set out, wind N. E., directly ahead. At ten o'clock
the weather cleared up for a few moments, when I perceived
Big island of Tongue river, a place where I had
already been to chase buffalo. This revived our spirits ;
and we hurried to reach it as fast as possible ; but the storm
came on with greater violence, and we were a long time in
reaching Tongue river, at the Elbow, where it begins to run
E. [vicinity of Bathgate, Pembina Co., N. Dak.]. We now
had a side wind, and carac on more at our ease, keeping