A Winter Amid the Ice

necessary. Jean Cornbutte followed the coast, and ascended northward. The steps of the travellers made no impression on the hard ice. Jean was forced to guide himself

xtreme cold, for luckily the breeze had subsided, and was much more bearable; but the young girl had several times been obliged to descend from her sledge to ave

m for Marie. The evening repast was composed of fresh meat, pemmican, and hot tea. Jean Cornbutte, to avert danger

provided to the men and the dogs; then they set out. The ice, exceedingly compact, enabled thes

hthalmia betrayed itself in Aupic and Misonne. The moon's light, striking on th

illock, they stepped down lower, which often occasioned falls, happily so little serious that Penellan made them occasions for ban

red, seemed burnt by the white reflection. Marie had been preserved from this misfortune by remaining within her hut, to which she confined herself as much as possible. Penellan, sustained by an indomitable courage, resisted all fatigue. But it was André Vasling who bore himself best,

een feet long by five wide. Penellan, Aupic, and Misonne, by aid of their knives, cut out great blocks of ice, which they carried to the chosen spot and set up, as masons would have built stone walls. The sides of the foundation were soon raised to a height and thickness of about five feet; for the materials were abundant, and the structure was

not walk, and André Vasling so skilfully aggravated his gloomy feelings, that he forced from him a promise not to pursue his search farther in those frightful solitudes. Pene

n, rest had become so necessary that for three

e place of the deposit, in the improbable event that new explorations should be made in that direction. Every day since they had set out sim

ompletely discouraged. So many useless sufferings! so much labour lost! Penellan himself became ferocious in his ill-humour; he consigned everybody to the nether regions, and did no

re attentive than ever to the young girl, to whom he even held out hopes that a new search shoul