ks or Samoyedes. At each of the halts, however, Godfrey
piled the snow high over the low tent of reindeer-skin which he had got
the women to make for him according to his own plan. It resembled a tent
_d'abri_, or shelter tent, seven feet long and as much wide, was
permanently closed at one end, and had flaps crossing each other at the
entrance. Instead of depending entirely upon the two uprights and the
ridge-pole between them, Godfrey when erecting it put eight or ten poles
on each side, stretching from the ridge out to the side of the tent, so
as to support the skin under the snow they piled over it.

The bottom was covered with a thick mat of furs, the sides were lined
with them, and others were hung across the entrance, so that the cold
was effectually kept out. A large fire was kept burning in front of the
tent, and from this, from time to time, red embers were taken out and
placed in a cooking-pot inside. At night two or three lamps, fed by oil
melted down from the fat of the animals they killed, were kept alight,
and in this way lying snugly in their sleeping-bags they felt perfectly
warm and comfortable, although the temperature outside was from forty to
fifty degrees below zero. The dogs slept outside, with the exception of
the one of which Godfrey had made a special pet, it being allowed to
share the tent with them. A high bank of snow was erected on each side
of the entrance to the tent. This served further to break the force of
the wind and to retain and reflect back the heat of the fire. The dogs
therefore, being provided with a good supply of meat from the proceeds
of the chase, did very well.

One afternoon the sky was very thick and overcast, and Luka said he
thought that they were going to have snow.

"In that case, Luka," Godfrey said, "we will set to work to make things
comfortable. If there is a heavy fall we might be almost buried here.
Ordinarily it is sheltered, but if there is a wind, and I can see that
it is blowing now, it might drift very deep in this hollow, and we might
find ourselves completely snowed up. I think the tent is strong enough
to stand any pressure, but it does not contain much air. We will cut
down some strong poles and lay them side by side across the snow walls
in front of the tent. The smoke will find its way out through them, and
if a deep snow comes on it will save the dogs from being snowed up;
besides, it will give us a lot of additional air, which we may want. Two
or