ms of his companion.

Edith wept bitterly for a few minutes, while she tried in vain to awaken
her companion from his state of lethargy. At length she dried her tears
hastily, and, rising, placed Frank's head on her warm cloak, which she
wrapped round his face and shoulders. Then she felt his hands, which,
though covered with thick leather mittens, were very cold. Making Chimo
couch at his feet, so as to imbue them with some of his own warmth, she
proceeded to rub his hands, and to squeeze and, as it were, shampoo his
body all over, as vigorously as her strength enabled her. In a few
minutes the effect of this was apparent. Frank raised himself on his
elbow and gazed wildly round him.

"Surely I must have fallen. Where am I, Edith?" Gradually his
faculties returned. "Edith, Edith!" he exclaimed, in a low, anxious
voice, "I must get back to the igloo. I shall freeze here. Fasten the
lines of my snowshoes, dear, and I will rise."

Edith did as she was desired, and immediately Frank made a violent
effort and stood upright; but he swayed to and fro like a drunken man.

"Let me lean on your shoulder, dear Eda," he said in a faint voice. "My
head is terribly confused. Lead me; I cannot see well."

The child placed his hand on her shoulder, and they went forward a few
paces together--Edith bending beneath the heavy weight of her companion.

"Do I lean heavily?" said Frank, drawing his hand across his forehead.
"Poor child!"

As he spoke he removed his hand from her shoulder; but the instant he
did so, he staggered and fell with a deep groan.

"O Frank! dear Frank! why did you do that?" said Edith, anxiously. "You
do not hurt me. I don't mind it. Do try to rise again."

Frank tried, and succeeded in walking in a sort of half-sleeping,
half-waking condition for about a mile--stumbling as he went, and often
unwittingly crushing his little guide to the ground. After this he fell
once more, and could not again recover his upright position. Poor Edith
now began to lose heart. The utter hopelessness of getting the wounded
man to advance more than a few yards at a time, and her own gradually
increasing weakness, induced the tears once more to start to her eyes.
She observed, too, that Frank was sinking into that state of lethargy
which is so dangerous in cold climates, and she had much difficulty in
preventing him from falling into that sleep which, if indulged in, is
indeed the sleep of death. By perseveri