pool to end his weary life; but the next moment the nature
within him begins to struggle hard to preserve the life the trained
being has tried to throw away.

It was so here. Dallas made a quick movement at last, turned over, and
picked up a half-burned, still smouldering piece of pine, painfully
raked others together with it, and threw it on the top, glad to cower
over the warm embers, for the heat thrown out was pleasant.

As he sat there after raking the ashes more together, and getting
closer, it was to feel the warmth strike up into his chilled limbs, and
fill the rug he had drawn round his shoulders with a gentle glow.

Soon after, the collected embers began to burn, and a faint tongue of
flame flickered, danced, went out, and flickered up again, illuminating
the darkness sufficiently to let him make out that the banked up snow
had largely melted, and that Tregelly had crawled away from where he had
lain, and come over to his, Dallas's, side, apparently to place his
heavy bulk as a shelter to keep off the bitter wind from his young
companion.

There was something else, too, which he did not recognise as having seen
before he lay down--something dark where the bank of snow had been,
which had wonderfully melted away in the fierce glow of the fire; for
that sheltering bank had been so big before.

What did it matter to one who was suffering now the agonising pangs of
hunger to augment those of cold?

But the sight of the big motionless figure dimly seen by the bluish
flickering light appealed strongly to the sufferer, and something like a
sob rose to his throat as he thought of Tregelly's brave, patient ways,
and the honest truth of his nature.

These feelings were sufficient to urge him forward from where he
crouched, to go and lean over the recumbent figure and lay a hand upon
the big clenched fist drawn across the breast of the dead.

It was a hand of ice, and with a piteous sigh Dallas drew back and crept
to where Abel lay rolled in his rugs. Just then the dancing flame died
out, and it was in the pitchy darkness that Dallas felt for his cousin's
face.

The next moment he uttered a cry, and there was a quick rustling sound
as of something leaping to its feet. Then the dog's cold nose touched
his cheek, and there was a low whine of satisfaction, followed by a
panting and scuffling as the dog transferred his attentions to Abel.

"And we're both left alive," half groaned Dallas; but the dog uttered a