hereupon got up, along with Hamilton, who was now also
awake, and the three spread their hands over the bright fire, and
revolved their bodies before it, until they imbibed a satisfactory
amount of heat. They were much too sleepy to converse, however, and
contented themselves with a very brief inquiry as to the state of
Hamilton's heels, which elicited the sleepy reply, "They feel quite
well, thank you." In a short time, having become agreeably warm, they
gave a simultaneous yawn, and lying down again fell into a sleep, from
which they did not awaken until the red winter sun shot its early rays
over the arctic scenery.

Once more Harry sprang up, and let his hand fall heavily on Hamilton's
shoulder. Thus rudely assailed, that youth also sprang up, giving a
shout, at the same time, that brought the accountant to his feet in an
instant; and so, as if by an electric spark, the sleepers were
simultaneously roused into a state of wide-awake activity.

"How excessively hungry I feel! isn't it strange?" said Hamilton, as he
assisted in rekindling the fire, while the accountant filled his pipe,
and Harry stuffed the tea-kettle full of snow.

"Strange!" cried Harry, as he placed the kettle on the fire--"strange to
be hungry after a five miles' walk and a night in the snow? I would
rather say it was strange if you were _not_ hungry. Throw on that
billet, like a good fellow, and spit those grouse, while I cut some
pemmican and prepare the tea."

"How are the heels now, Hamilton?" asked the accountant, who divided his
attention between his pipe and his snowshoes, the lines of which
required to be re-adjusted.

"They appear to be as well as if nothing had happened to them," replied
Hamilton. "I've been looking at them, and there is no mark whatever.
They do not even feel tender."

"Lucky for you, old boy, that they were taken in time, else you'd have
had another story to tell."

"Do you mean to say that people's heels really freeze and fall off?"
inquired the other, with a look of incredulity.

"Soft, very soft, and green," murmured Harry, in a low voice, while he
continued his work of adding fresh snow to the kettle as the process of
melting reduced its bulk.

"I mean to say," replied the accountant, tapping the ashes out of his
pipe, "that not only heels, but hands, feet, noses, and ears frequently
freeze, and often fall off in this country, as you will find by sad
experience if you don't look after yourself a lit