ure that same is what I'm doin'," replied O'Riley with a bland smile,
which he eclipsed in a cloud of smoke. "Haven't I bin workin' like a
naagur for two hours to git out of that hole, and ain't I playin' a tune
on me pipe now? But I won't be cross-grained. I'll lind ye a hand av ye
behave yerself. It's a bad thing to be cross-grained," he continued,
pocketing his pipe and assisting to arrange the sledge; "me owld
grandmother always towld me that, and she wos wise, she wos, beyand
ordn'r. More like Salomon nor anything else."

"She must have directed that remark specially to you, I think," said
Fred--"(Let Dumps lead, West, he's tougher than the others)--did she
not, O'Riley?"

"Be no manes. It wos to the pig she said it. Most of her conversation
(and she had a power of it) wos wid the pig; and many's the word o' good
advice she gave it, as it sat in its usual place beside the fire
fore-nint her. But it wos all thrown away, it wos, for there wosn't
another pig in all the length o' Ireland as had sich a will o' its own;
and it had a screech, too, when it wosn't plaazed, as bate all the steam
whistles in the world, it did. I've often moralated on that same, and
I've noticed that, as it is wid pigs, so it is wid men and women--some
of them at laste--the more advice ye give them, the less they take."

"Down, Poker! quiet, good dog!" said West, as he endeavoured to
restrain the ardour of the team, which, being fresh and full fed, could
scarcely be held in by the united efforts of himself and Meetuck, while
their companions lashed their provisions, etc., on the sledge.

"Hold on, lads!" cried Fred, as he fastened the last lashing. "We'll be
ready in a second. Now, then, jump on, two of you! Catch hold of the
tail-line, Meetuck! All right!"

"Hall right!" yelled the Esquimau, as he let go the dogs and sprang upon
the sledge.

The team struggled and strained violently for a few seconds in their
efforts to overcome the _vis inertiae_ of the sledge, and it seemed as
if the traces would part; but they were made of tough walrus-hide, and
held on bravely, while the heavy vehicle gradually fetched way, and at
length flew over the floes at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour.
Travelling, however, was not now quite so agreeable as it had been when
they set out from the ship; for the floes were swept bare in some places
by the gale, while in other places large drifts had collected, so that
the sledge was either swaying to and