ng it over the
spirit-lamp.

At three in the morning, when the tempest was at its height, the
doctor took his turn at the watch; he was lying in a corner of the hut
when a groan of distress from Simpson attracted his attention; he
arose to see to him, but in rising he hit his head sharply against the
icy roof; without paying any attention to that, he bent over Simpson
and began to rub his swollen, discolored legs; after doing this for a
quarter of an hour he started to rise, and bumped his head again,
although he was on his knees.

"That's odd," he said to himself.

He raised his hand above his head; the roof was perceptibly sinking.

"Great God!" he cried; "wake up, my friends!"

At his shouts Hatteras and Bell arose quickly, striking their heads
against the roof; they were in total darkness.

"We shall be crushed!" said the doctor; "let's get out!"

And all three, dragging Simpson after them, abandoned their dangerous
quarters; and it was high time, for the blocks of ice, ill put
together, fell with a loud crash.

[Illustration]

The poor men found themselves then without shelter against the
hurricane. Hatteras attempted to raise the tent, but it was
impossible, so severe was the wind, and they had to shelter themselves
beneath the canvas, which was soon covered with a thick layer of snow;
but this snow prevented the radiation of their warmth and kept them
from being frozen to death.

The storm lasted all night; Bell, when he was harnessing the
half-starved dogs, noticed that three of them had begun to eat the
leather straps; two were very sick and seemed unable to go on. Still,
they set out as well as they could; they had sixty miles between them
and the point they wished to reach.

On the 26th, Bell, who was ahead, shouted suddenly to his companions.
They ran towards him, and he pointed with astonishment to a gun
resting on a piece of ice.

[Illustration]

"A gun!" cried the doctor.

Hatteras took it; it was in good condition, and loaded.

"The men of the _Porpoise_ can't be far off."

Hatteras, as he was examining the gun, noticed that it was of American
make; his hands clinched nervously its barrel.

"Forward!" he said calmly.

They continued to descend the mountains. Simpson seemed deprived of
all feeling; he had not even strength left to moan.

The tempest continued to rage; the sledge went on more and more
slowly; they made but a few miles in twenty-four hours, and, in spite
of the st