after lying down Edith heard the deep voices of her companions
engaged in earnest conversation; but these sounds gradually died away,
and she fell asleep, to dream of her berry-ravine at Fort Chimo. As the
night wore on, the deep breathing of the men told that they, too, had
sought and found repose. The lamp burned slowly down and went out, and,
when the moon threw her parting rays over the scene, there was nothing
to tell of the presence of human beings in that cold, wild spot, save
two little white mounds on the frozen lake below.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

FRANK MORTON GETS INTO DIFFICULTIES.

Chimo's loud bark and the angry snarl of a large wolf, as it darted away
to seek the shelter of the kills, were the sounds that awoke our
travellers in the grey dawn of the following morning.

Frank started up, seized his gun, and darted through the doorway of the
igloo; in doing which he dashed the door of snow to atoms. He had only
the satisfaction, however, of seeing the wolf's tail flourish in the
air, as the animal bounded over a snow-drift and disappeared in a
ravine.

"Ha! how cold it is!" he exclaimed, re-entering the igloo hastily; far
having issued forth without his coat or cap, the two minutes during
which he stood exposed to the open air cooled him down nearly to the
freezing point. "Hallo, Maximus! jump up; light the lamp while I fill
the kettle. Heyday! it solidifies the very marrow in one's bones. Ho,
Edith! up with you, lazy thing; there has been a wolf to bid you
good-morrow."

While Frank rattled on thus he belted his leathern coat round him, put
on his fur cap, and prepared breakfast; while Edith rose and resumed the
cap and cloak which she had put off on lying down to rest.

"Maximus," said Frank, after the first duties of the day were concluded,
"we must now go and set the hooks; but as cutting holes in the ice will
occupy you some time, I'll take a short walk along the margin of the
lake with my gun. Be careful of Edith till I return."

So saying, Frank went off, taking Chimo along with him; while Maximus
seized the axe and ice-chisel, and began the laborious process of
digging through to the water. The ice on the lake was five feet thick,
but by dint of great perseverance the Esquimau succeeded in making
several holes through it ere Frank returned. Each hole was large enough
to contain the body of a man, but a little wider above than below. In
these holes were set stout cod-lines, with