ing, and telling stories, by the light of the
stone lamp, the mellow flame of which shed a warm influence over the
sparkling dome of snow. Before retiring to rest, Frank said that they
must be up with the first light, for he meant to have a hard day's
fishing; but man little knows what a day may bring forth. Neither Frank
nor Edith dreamed that night of the events that were to happen on the
morrow.

On awaking in the morning they were again roused by the voice of the
wolf which had visited them the day before. In order to catch this
wolf, Maximus had, just before starting, constructed a trap peculiar to
the Esquimaux. It was simply a hole dug down through the ice at the
edge of the lake, not far from the igloo. This hole was just wide
enough to admit the body of a wolf, and the depth sufficient to render
it absolutely impossible for the animal to thrust his snout to the
bottom, however long his neck might be. At the bottom a tempting piece
of blubber, in very _high_ condition, was placed. The result of this
ingenious arrangement was most successful, and, we may add, inevitable.
Attracted by the smell of the meat, our friend the wolf came trotting
down to the lake just about daybreak, and sneaked suspiciously up to the
trap. He peeped in and licked his lips with satisfaction at the
charming breakfast below. One would have thought, as he showed his
formidable white teeth, that he was laughing with delight. Then,
spreading out his fore legs so as to place his breast on the ice, he
thrust his head down into the hole and snapped at the coveted blubber.
But he had mistaken the depth, and blaming himself, no doubt, for his
stupidity, he slid a little further forward, and pushed his head deeper
down. What! not at it yet? Oh! this is preposterous! Under this
impression he rose, shook himself, and advancing his shoulders as far as
prudence would allow, again thrust down his head and stretched his neck
until the very sinews cracked. Then it was, but not till then, that the
conviction was forced on him that that precious morsel was totally and
absolutely beyond his reach altogether. Drawing himself back he sat
down on his haunches and uttered a snarling bark of dissatisfaction.
But the odour that ascended from that hole was too much for the powers
of wolfish nature to resist. Showing his teeth with an expression of
mingled disappointment and ferocity, he plunged his head into the hole
once more. Deeper and deeper s