at all until the surface
of the snow had hardened.

But although our Indian's heart was lighter after his deliverance, the
toil which he had undergone, and the cold which he had experienced in
the berg, had told somewhat severely even on his hardy frame, and when
he built his hut that night it was with a feeling of despondency, for he
became aware of a considerable diminution of strength. An unusually
keen frost on the following day increased this feeling, and when he was
about to encamp at night, Nazinred said to himself, as well as to his
dog, that he feared they would never complete their journey.

But "Hope springs eternal in the human breast." On looking round for a
sheltered spot on which to build the snow-hut he observed three objects
in the distance which bore a strong resemblance to Eskimo dwellings.
Pushing forward eagerly, he soon reached them, and found that they were
indeed huts of these children of the ice, but that they were deserted.
The disappointment was very great, yet our chief bore up against it
manfully. He made use of one of the huts as a resting-place for the
night. Next morning he found that the prolonged strain had rendered him
much weaker than he had believed to be possible. Diminishing
provisions, also, had increased the evil, and a still further fall in
the temperature induced a feeling of feebleness which the hitherto
vigorous man had never before experienced.

The idea of giving in, however, had never once entered his mind. To
persevere in the search until success or death should arrest him had
been his fixed resolve from the beginning.

"Come on, pup," he said, patting the head of his faithful friend, as he
fastened on his snow-shoes and set forth.

To his surprise he found that he staggered a little at first, but as he
warmed to the work his vigour increased and his powers of endurance
seemed almost as strong as ever.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

THE ESKIMOS AGAIN, AND A GREAT DISCOVERY AND RESCUE.

While Nazinred, under the influence of strong affection, was thus
fighting with the unfamiliar difficulties and dangers of the polar sea,
Cheenbuk and his Eskimo friends were enjoying life in what may be called
their native element.

"Will Adolay come for a drive?" said our gallant Eskimo one day when the
sun had risen near enough to the eastern horizon to almost, but not
quite, extinguish the stars. "We go to seek for walruses."

The Indian maiden was sitting at the time in the