irections
like a shower of broken crystal. Bryan seconded his efforts, and in
less than half an hour a block of solid ice, about four feet high and
two broad, was cut out and detached from the side of the dome.

"That'll do, Bryan," said Frank, when their work was nearly completed;
"I'll finish it myself now. Go to the carpenter's house, and Francois
will show you what to do with the sled."

As Bryan walked away, Frank dealt the mass of ice a blow that split it
into several pieces, which he quickly removed, revealing to the
astonished and eager gaze of his young companion a cavern of a most
beautiful light blue colour. Taking Edith by the hand, he led her into
this icy cave. Its walls were quite luminous and delicately blue,
except in places where the green moss and earth around the spring had
been torn from the ground and lifted up along with the dome. Icicles
hung in various places from the roof, and the floor was hard and dry,
except in the centre, where the spring bubbled up through it, and cut a
channel across towards one side of the icy wall, where it disappeared
under the snow.

"Oh, what a beautiful palace!" cried Edith, with delight, after she had
gazed around her for a few minutes in silent wonder and admiration. "I
shall come and live here, Frank. Oh! do come, and let us get chairs and
a small table, and make it our sitting-room. We can come every day when
the sun shines and read, or you can tell me the tales about spirits and
fairies you spoke of!"

"A good idea, Eda; but I fear we would need a stove to keep us warm. It
strikes me it will make a capital ice-house in spring to keep our fresh
meat in. It will last long after the snow is melted."

"Then we shall make a palace of it in winter and a meat-store in
spring," cried Edith, laughing, as she walked round this
newly-discovered house, examining its blue walls and peeping into the
cold black spring. Meanwhile Frank examined it with a view to the
utilitarian purpose, and, after both of them had gone round it several
times, they continued on their way towards the dog-kennel.

The sledge which Francois had constructed for Edith was made after the
model of those used by the Esquimaux. There were two stout runners, or
skates, made of wood, for sliding over the snow. These were slightly
turned up, or rather _rounded_ up, in front, and attached to each other
by means of cross bars and thin planks of wood; all of which were
fastened, not by nai