we had to take off our snow-shoes. Alick
then holding on to the sledge, which we brought close to the side of the
pit, plunged into it, feeling with his hands in the hopes of catching
hold of one of Pat's feet, while we shovelled away, lying flat with our
heads and shoulders over the hollow, endeavouring to throw out the snow.

"I feel one of Pat's shoes!" cried Alick at length. "Here is a foot!
Pass the broken trace down to me."

We did as he directed. Presently we caught sight of another foot which
was still moving about, showing that the owner was not yet altogether
suffocated.

I succeeded in getting hold of it.

"Now, haul away!" cried Alick. "We mustn't mind how we get him out,
provided he comes out."

We pulled and pulled, the snow slipping in around us, and at length the
Irishman's legs came into view, though, as Alick was on one side of the
hole and I on the other, their owner must have suffered no little
inconvenience and pain. As soon, however, as Alick could get on firmer
ground, the body quickly followed, and at length we heard Pat's voice in
smothered tones exclaiming, "Shure, if you pull my legs off, I'll niver
be able to walk again at all, at all!"

"Never mind your legs, if we can get your head out," answered Alick,
laughing.

We saw that Pat was not likely to be much the worse for the adventure,
and in a few seconds we got him safe out of the hole, and in a few more
he was all to rights, and we helped him put on his snow-shoes, which
were fortunately not broken. His cap had stuck to his head, and he had
not even lost his mitts.

"Bedad! I thought I was niver going to stop till I got to the bottom of
the airth! I'm mighty obliged to yese, for if ye hadn't caught me I
should have been going on still," said Pat, shaking the snow from his
fur dress.

We again put on our snow-shoes, while Pat was knotting the traces.
Making a circuit to avoid the pit, which was of considerable extent, we
proceeded as before. We had gone two or three miles farther, and were
near a wood, when Pat cried out, "For the life of me it's more than I
can do to see the way," and Martin confessed that he also had almost
lost his sight.

I told Alick what they said.

"It is snow-blindness," he answered--"a serious matter. We must camp
without delay. Do you go on, David, ahead of Pat, and show the way."

I told Pat, who was stumbling on, to stop while I took the lead of the
train. He then easily followed, and