282 THE WORLD OF ICE.

in moody silence, and then started off howling as if
pursued. In thirty-six hours after the first attack
the poor animal died, and was buried in the snow on
Store Island.

This was the first death that had occurred on. board,
and although it was only a dog, and not one of the
favourites, its loss east a gloom over the crew for
several days. It was the first blow of the fell de-
stroyer in the midst of their little community, which
could ill spare the life even of one of the lower ani-
mals, and they felt as if the point of the wedge had
now been entered, and might be driven farther home
ere long.

The expressive delight of the poor dogs on being
adimitted to the light of the cabin showed how ardently
they longed for the return of the sun. It was now
the beginning of December, and the darkness was
complete. Not the faintest vestige of twilight ap-
peared even at noon. Midnight and noonday were
alike. Exeept when the stars and aurora were bright,
there was not light enough to distinguish a man’s form
at ten paces distant, and a blacker mass than the
surrounding darkness alone indicated where the high
cliffs encompassed the Bay of Merey. When there-
fore any one came on deck, the first thing he felt on
groping his way about was the cold noses of the dogs
pushed against his hands, as they frisked and gam-
bolled round him. They howled at the appearance
of an accidental light, as if they hoped the sun, or at
least the moon, were going to vise once more, and they