ng our way
to daylight again?"

"Our position," said Abel, in his faint whisper. "Where are we to put
the snow we dig out?"

Dallas was silent for a few moments.

"Yes," he said at last; "that will be a difficulty, for we must not fill
up this place. But never mind that for the present. We must eat and
drink now, for we shall want all our strength. Pressed snow is almost
like ice. Ah, here is the sledge--mine or yours. My head is too thick
to tell which. Bel, lad, we are going to dig our way out, if it takes
us a month."

"Yes," came rather more strongly; and the next minute Dallas Adams was
feeling about the sledge for the tin which held the traveller's food.

It was hard work fumbling there in the dark, for parts of the sledge
were pressed and wedged down by snow that was nearly as hard as ice; but
others were looser, and by degrees he managed to get part of the tin
free, when he started, for something touched his arm.

"Can I help you, Dal?"

"How you made me jump, lad! I don't know. Feel strong enough?"

"I think so; but I want to work. It's horrible lying there fancying the
top of this hole is going to crumble down every time you move some of
the snow."

"Lay hold here, then, and let's try and drag this tin out."

They took hold of it as well as their cramped position would allow, and
tugged and tugged, feeling the tin case bend and grow more and more out
of shape; but it would not come.

"No good," said Dallas. "I'll cut through the tin with my knife."

"But it's looser now. Let's have one more try."

"Very well.--Got hold?--Now then, both together."

They gave a sudden jerk, and fell backward with the once square tin case
upon them, lying still and horrified, for there was a dull creaking and
crushing noise as if the snow was being pressed down to fill up the
vacancy they had made, and then _crick, crack_, sharply; there was the
sound of breaking, as portions of the sledge gave way from the weight
above.

Abel caught his cousin's hand to squeeze it hard, fully expecting that
their last moments had come; but after a minute's agony the sounds
ceased, and the prisoners breathed more freely.

"It's all right, Bel," said Dallas; "but it did sound rather creepy."

"Hah!" ejaculated Abel. "I thought--"

"Yes, so did I, old fellow; but it's a mistake to think at a time like
this. We only frighten ourselves. Now then, let's see what we've got."

"See?" said Abel bitterly.

"Yes, wi