r warmth, and striving
not to lose heart entirely. Presently the wind quieted down all of a
sudden, as if it had expended its fury and wanted to rest; but the snow
continued to fall industriously, though noiselessly, and as far as the
eye could reach through the gathering darkness the surface of the earth
was white, as if it had been wrapped in a winding sheet.

"What in the world has become of Matamore?" cried Blazius suddenly; "has
the wind carried him off to the moon I wonder?"

"Yes; where can he be?" said the tyrant, in an anxious tone; "I can't
see him anywhere--I thought he was among us; perhaps he is lying asleep
among the stage properties at the back of the chariot; I have known him
curl himself down there for a nap before now. Holloa! Matamore! where
are you? wake up and answer us!" But no Matamore responded, and there
was no movement under the great heap of scenery, and decorations of all
sorts, stowed away there.

"Holloa! Matamore!" roared Herode again, in his loudest tones, which
might have waked the seven sleepers in their cavern, and roused their
dog too.

"We have not seen him here in the chariot at all today," said one of the
actresses; "we thought he was walking with the others."

"The deuce!" exclaimed Blazius, "this is very strange. I hope no
accident has happened to the poor fellow."

"Undoubtedly he has taken shelter in the worst of the storm on the lee
side of the trunk of a tree somewhere," said de Sigognac, "and will soon
come up with us."

After a short discussion, it was decided to wait where they were a few
minutes longer, and then if he did not make his appearance go in search
of him. They anxiously watched the way by which they had come, but no
human form appeared on the great expanse of white, and the darkness
was falling rapidly upon the earth, as it does after the short days of
December. The distant howling of a dog now came to their ears, to add
to the lugubrious effect of their surroundings, but they were all
so troubled at the strange absence of their comrade that their own
individual miseries were for the moment forgotten. The doleful howling,
so far away at first, gradually became louder, until at last a large,
black dog came in sight, and sitting down upon the snow, still a long
distance from them, raised his head so that his muzzle pointed upward to
the sky and howled, as if in the greatest distress.

"I'm afraid something terrible has happened to our poor Matamore," cri