tillness of that gloomy place, a feeling of intense horror took
possession of the child's mind, and she pictured to herself all kinds of
possible evils that might have befallen her companion; while at the same
time she could not but feel how awful was her unprotected and helpless
condition. One thought, however, comforted her, and this was that
Maximus would certainly come to the hut on his return to the fort. This
relieved her mind in regard to herself; but the very relief on that
point enabled her all the more to realise the dangers to which Frank
might be exposed without any one to render him assistance.

The morning passed away, the sun rose above the hills, and the
short-lived day drew towards its close; still Frank did not return, and
the poor child who watched so anxiously for him, after many short and
timid wanderings towards the margin of the lake, returned to the igloo
with a heart fluttering from mingled anxiety and terror. Throwing
herself on the deerskin couch, she burst into a flood of tears. As she
lay there, sobbing bitterly, she was startled by a noise outside the
hut, and ere she could spring from her recumbent position, Chimo darted
through the open doorway, with a cry between a whine and a bark, and
laid his head on Edith's lap.

"Oh! what is it, my dog? Dear Chimo, where is Frank?" cried the child
passionately, while she embraced her favourite with feelings of mingled
delight and apprehension. "Is he coming, Chimo?" she said, addressing
the dumb animal, as if she believed he understood her. Then, rising
hastily, she darted out once more, to cast a longing, expectant gaze
towards the place where she had seen her companion disappear in the
morning. But she was again doomed to disappointment. Meanwhile Chimo's
conduct struck her as being very strange. Instead of receiving with his
usual quiet satisfaction the caresses she heaped upon him, he kept up a
continual whine, and ran about hither and thither without any apparent
object in view. Once or twice he darted off with a long melancholy howl
towards the hills; then stopping short suddenly, stood still and looked
round towards his young mistress. At first Edith thought that the dog
must have lost his master, and had come back to the hut expecting to
find him there. Then she called him to her and examined his mouth,
expecting and dreading to find blood upon it. But there were no signs
of his having been engaged in fighting with wolves; so E