up, performed that operation with the
nose which is styled sniffing.

"What do I smell?"

"My bird--burnt!" I shouted, snatching at the stick on which it was
impaled. In doing so I capsized our can of tea. Lumley looked at it
with a sigh, while I regarded with a groan the breast of my bird burnt
to a cinder.

"Max, you should remember that a fire strong enough to subdue forty
degrees below zero is intense--also, that our supply of tea is limited.
All this comes of your unwisely calling me a gross creature."

"No, it comes of the intense application of my unthawed intellect to
your absurd expositions."

"Whatever it comes of," returned Lumley, "we must remedy the evil.
Here, fall upon my ptarmigan. I'm not quite ready for it, being still
engaged with the pemmican. Meanwhile, I'll replenish the kettle."

So saying, he took up the kettle, went to the margin of our hole, and
filled it with fresh snow well pressed down. This being put on the
fire, soon melted; more snow was added, till water enough was procured,
and then fresh tea was put in to boil. We were not particular, you see,
as to the mode of infusion. While my friend was thus engaged, I had
plucked, split, cleansed and impaled another bird. In a marvellously
short time--for our fire was truly intense--the tea and ptarmigan were
ready, and we proceeded with supper as comfortably as before.

"Now I shall continue," said Lumley, with a satisfied clearing of the
throat, "the exposition of grossness,--"

"Oh, pray spare me that," said I, quickly, "but tell me, if you can, why
it is that such a tremendous fire as that does not melt our snow walls."

"Put your head nearer to it, Max, for some of the phrenological chambers
must still be frozen, else it would be clear to you that the intensity
of the cold is the reason. You see that only a small part of the snow
quite close to the fire is a little softened. If the fire were hotter
it would melt more of it--melt the whole hole and us too. But the cold
is so great that it keeps the walls cool and us also--too cool indeed,
for while my face and knees are roasting my back is freezing, so I shall
rise and give _it_ a turn. Now," he continued, rising and turning his
back to the blaze as he spoke, "I will resume my remarks on gross--"

"You've no objection to my making our bed while you lecture?" said I,
also rising.

Lumley had not the least objection, so, while he held forth, I spread a
large green blan