[Illustration:  A Group of Cree Indians.]

By October the Indians had scattered to their hunting-grounds like leaves to the wind.  The ice thickened.  By November the islands were ice-locked and snow had drifted waist-high through the forests.  The voyageurs could still fish through ice holes for food; but where was young Jean who was to bring up provisions from Michilimackinac?  The commander did not voice his fears; and his men were too deep in the wilds for desertion.  One afternoon, a shout sounded from the silent woods, and out from the white-edged evergreens stepped a figure on snowshoes—­Jean de la Verendrye, leading his boatmen, with the provisions packed on their backs, from a point fifty miles away where the ice had caught the canoes.  If the supplies had not come, the explorer could neither have advanced nor retreated in spring.  It was a risk that De la Verendrye did not intend to have repeated.  Suspecting that his merchant partners were dissatisfied, he sent Jemmeraie down to Montreal in 1733 to report and urge the necessity for prompt forwarding of all supplies.  With Jemmeraie went the Jesuit Messaiger; but their combined explanations failed to satisfy the merchants of Montreal.  De la Verendrye had now been away three years.  True, he had constructed two fur posts and sent East two cargoes of furs.  His partners were looking for enormous wealth.  Disappointed and caring nothing for the Western Sea; perhaps, too, secretly accusing De la Verendrye of making profits privately, as many a gentleman of fortune did,—­the merchants decided to advance provisions only in proportion to earnings.  What would become of the fifty men in the Northern wilderness the partners neither asked nor cared.

Young Jean had meanwhile pushed on and built Fort Maurepas on Lake Winnipeg; but his father dared not leave Fort St. Charles without supplies.  De la Verendrye’s position was now desperate.  He was hopelessly in debt to his men for wages.  That did not help discipline.  His partners were not only withholding supplies, but charging up a high rate of interest on the first equipment.  To turn back meant ruin.  To go forward he was powerless.  Leaving Jemmeraie in command, and permitting his eager son to go ahead with a few picked men to Fort Maurepas on Lake Winnipeg, De la Verendrye took a small canoe and descended with all swiftness to Quebec.  The winter of 1634-1635 was spent with the governor; and the partners were convinced that they must either go on with the venture or lose all.  They consented to continue supplying goods, but also charging all outlay against the explorer.