It is not easy to assign any other adequate motive for his concealing from us that Perrault had turned back, while his request overnight that we should leave him the hatchet and his cumbering himself with it when he went out in the morning, unlike a hunter who makes use only of his knife when he kills a deer, seem to indicate that he took it for the purpose of cutting up something that he knew to be frozen.

These opinions however are the result of subsequent consideration.

We passed this night in the open air.
On the following morning the tent was pitched; Michel went out early, refused my offer to accompany him, and remained out the whole day.

He would not sleep in the tent at night but chose to lie at the fireside.
On the 13th there was a heavy gale of wind and we passed the day by the fire.

Next day about two P.M., the gale abating, Michel set out as he said to hunt but returned unexpectedly in a very short time.