Nothing occurred that night to disturb our repose, and we arose in good
spirits, anticipating a successful termination to our journey. In the
morning the sky was clear, and the sun glanced brightly over the
glittering sheet of snow. It was perfectly calm, and we trudged on
cheerfully, every now and then exchanging remarks with each other. We
had been walking for some hours, and had agreed that it would soon be
time to stop for dinner, when Martin complained of a peculiar pricking
in the eyelids.

"Shure, it's the same sort of thing I've been feeling," exclaimed Pat.
"It's mighty unpleasant, but I thought I'd say nothing about it."

It did not occur to me at the time that the symptoms were those which
precede snow-blindness, and Alick was too far behind to hear what was
said. I had found the glare of the sun unpleasant, and had drawn the
front of my cap somewhat over my eyes, which I kept partially closed,
fixing them only on Martin's dark coat, which served to guide me. It
was owing to this that I did not experience the sensations of which my
companions complained.

Nothing more was said on the subject for some time, and Pat went forward
at his usual pace.

The ground became at length rather more uneven than before, but Pat
manfully dragged forward his sleigh without complaining; and Alick, who,
though coming last, was really directing us like a helmsman at the
wheel, seemed to consider that we were going right.

Presently I heard a cry, and looking over Martin's shoulder, I saw Pat's
legs in the air, and the sleigh, the hinder part of which Martin had
just caught hold of, tipping up, as if about to follow the Irishman down
the hollow into which it was evident he had fallen. I sprang forward as
fast as my snow-shoes would allow me, to catch hold of the sleigh, when
what was my dismay to see Pat's feet disappear altogether beneath the
snow, his stifled cries alone reaching my ears.

"He has fallen into a deep pit, I fear," cried Martin.

"He'll be smothered if we don't dig him out quickly," I said.

Martin and I, going ahead of the sleigh, hauled away at the traces which
were secured round Pat's body, but in our efforts to haul him out they
broke. We became seriously alarmed, for the snow falling in completely
concealed Pat from sight.

Alick, seeing what had happened, came hurrying up ahead of Bouncer, who
sagaciously halted. Every moment of delay was of consequence, but
before we could do anything