288 THE WORLD OF ICE.

gale, compelling them to seek the shelter of a cluster
of icebergs, in the midst of which they built a snow-
hut. Before night a terrific storm was raging, with
the thermometer 40° below zero. The sky became
black as ink, drift whirled round them in horrid tur-
moil, and the wild blast came direct from the north,
over the frozen sea, shrieking and howling in its
strength and fury.

All that night and the next day it continued. Then
it ceased, and for the first time that winter a thaw set
in, so that ere morning their sleeping-bags and socks
were thoroughly wetted. This was of short duration,
however. In a few hours the frost set in again as
intense as ever, converting all their wet garments and
bedding into hard cakes of ice. To add to their mis-
fortunes their provisions ran out, and they were
obliged to abandon the hut and push forward towards
the ship with the utmost speed. Night came on them
while they were slowly toiling through the deep drifts
that the late gale had raised, and to their horror they
found they had wandered out of their way, and were
still but a short distance from their snow-hut. In
despair they returned to pass the night in it, and
spreading their frozen sleeping-bags on the snow, they
lay down, silent and supperless, to rest till morning.