gard to the general aspect of the
neighbourhood, however, there was little alteration; for the change of
position in the drifts among the mountain gorges, and the addition to
their bulk, made no striking alteration in the rugged landscape. In
some places the gale had cleared the sides of the mountains and left
their cliffs exposed to view; in other spots the gorges and ravines were
choked up, and the pine tops nearly covered; and the open water in the
lake was more encumbered than usual with icebergs.

"Now, La Roche," said Stanley, after they had surveyed the desolate
scene for a few minutes in silence, "go fetch the shovel and we'll dig
out the men. I daresay, poor fellows, they're beginning to wonder at
the length of the night by this time."

La Roche prepared to descend into the tunnel, when their attention was
arrested by a strange sound beneath the snow. In a few minutes the
crust began to crack at a spot not more than two yards from where they
stood; then there was a sudden rupture, accompanied by a growl, and
followed by the appearance of the dishevelled head and arms of a man.

"Musha, boys, but I'm out!" Bryan coughed the snow from around his
mouth, and winked it from his eyes, as he spoke. The first sight that
met his bewildered gaze was three pair of expanded eyeballs and three
double rows of grinning teeth, a few feet from his face. Uttering a cry
of terror, he fell back into the hole, the snow closed over him, and he
was gone!

It need scarcely be added that Frank and Stanley commenced to dig into
this hole with as much vigour as their frequent explosions of laughter
would allow. In a few minutes it was re-opened, and the men issued one
by one from durance vile.

"Och, sirs, ye gave me a mortial start!" exclaimed Bryan, as he rose to
view the second time. "I thought for sartin ye were all polar bears.
Faix we've had a job o't down there. I'll be bound to say there's
twinty ton o' snow--bad luck to it--in the middle o' the floor."

"There's work for us here that'll last two weeks, I guess," said Massan,
as he and several of the others stooped down and gazed into the tunnel
leading to the hall, at the end of which Edith's laughing face met their
view.

"When did you awake, and begin to suspect that something was wrong?"
inquired Stanley of Dick Prince.

"Awake!" cried Bryan, answering the question; "we awoke at laste a dozen
times. I suppose it must have bin the time for brikfust; for, ye