slumbered instantly. Wildcat obeyed orders by
heaping fresh logs on the fire and following suit. They snored in
concert.

The night advanced; the uneasy grindings of the ice increased; the
tinkling of a thousand snow-born rills filled the air with liquid
melody. The sub-glacial murmuring of many waters filled many hearts
with anxious care, and numerous households near the river's brink sat up
the live-long night to watch--perhaps to pray. Intermittent cracking of
the ice kept up the sound, as it were, of spattering musketry, and
occasional loud reports were interspersed like the thunder of heavy
guns.

At grey dawn Peegwish awoke, looked slowly round, observed his sister
asleep, and seized her by the nose. She awoke, rose hastily, and
stirred the fire. An inspection of the big pot showed that its contents
had become barley porridge. Even Peegwish's imagination failed to
regard it as beer. But Peegwish had been somewhat sobered by his sleep.
Hearing the ominous sounds on the river he jumped up and ran outside.
The sight that presented itself was sufficiently alarming. During the
night the water had risen six feet, and the ice had been raised to a
level with the floor of the Indian's hut. But this was not the worst.
A short tongue of land just above the hut had up to that time formed a
sort of breakwater to the dwelling. Now, however, the ice had been
forced quite over the barrier by the irresistible pressure behind, and
even while he gazed a great wedge of ice, nearly five feet thick and
several yards in length, was being reared up like a glittering obelisk,
and forced slowly but surely down upon the hut.

Peegwish had not recovered from his first surprise when the obelisk
broke off by its own weight and fell in a mass of ruins, whilst the ice
behind kept thrusting with terrible force towards him.

If Peegwish was sluggish by nature his malady was evidently not
incurable. He uttered a shout, and leaped back into his hut like a
panther. His sister came out, gave one glance at the river, became
wild-cattish for the first time in her life, and sprang after her
brother.

A few seconds later and the pair reappeared, bearing some of their poor
possessions to a place of safety higher up the bank. They returned for
more, and in a very few minutes had the whole of their worldly wealth
removed from their doomed edifice. Then they sat down on the bank, and
sadly watched the destruction of their home.

From t