three hours will do it. The time won't be thrown away anyhow, for the
branches we cut off and the poles themselves will do for firewood."

The snow-flakes began to fall just as they finished the work--the result
being a sort of flat-roofed shelter with snow walls ten feet long and
six feet high, in front of the tent. A large quantity of firewood was
piled up at the entrance to the shelter.

"That is a capital idea, Luka," Godfrey said as they retired into the
tent. "We can sit with the entrance of the tent open now if we like and
get the benefit of the fire outside, for the air having to pass close by
it on its way to us gets comparatively warm."

When they went out to build up the fire for the last time before lying
down, snow was falling steadily, and was already deep in front of the
entrance to the shelter. The dogs had been well fed and lay thickly
clustered round the fire, evidently greatly contented with the unusual
luxury of a roof over them. Godfrey crawled into the tent again, closed
the flaps, hung up a skin before them, and getting into his
sleeping-bag lay there comfortably smoking his pipe and talking to Luka.

"We are as snug here as if we were in a palace, Luka; but I should not
like to be caught out in the woods to-night. Have you ever heard of any
of the Ostjaks or Samoyedes being frozen to death?"

"Couldn't be frozen if they had a hatchet and matches with them," he
replied. "Can always chop down branches and make a hut and a fire in the
middle to keep it warm. Then snow comes and covers it up and keeps out
the wind. Out on the plains a man might get frozen if stupid, but he
ought never to be if he knew what to do. He should look for a hollow
where the snow had drifted deep, then make a hole in the side of the
drift and crawl in. He ought to be quite warm there if furs are good.
But they do not often get lost; they never go very far from huts when
snow in the sky. Directly it comes on they would make for home. Can
always get along in snow-shoes."

"The Isvostchiks are often frozen in St. Petersburg in their sledges at
night," Godfrey said.

"They can't build huts in a town," Luka remarked; "they can't find snow
deep enough to get into; town not good in winter."

"Are there many wolves here, Luka? Do they often attack people?"

"No, there is plenty of game in the woods. In Russia the game now, so I
hear, is scarce, so the wolves must take to eating men; but here there
is plenty of game, and so