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Our snow-wall had indeed settled down nearly a foot by the gradual diminution of the blocks of which it was composed; but the thawing had been artificially assisted by the black cloth hung against it. Five ravens were seen to-day, all quite black; four of them were flying in pairs.
Like the Spirit-Bear, he has several extra pairs of legs, six or eight, and this Thing jumping up and down in the haze had more legs than any real dog needed. Kotuko and the girl huddled into their hut quickly. Of course if Quiquern had wanted them, he could have torn it to pieces above their heads, but the sense of a foot-thick snow-wall between themselves and the wicked dark was great comfort.
"Now, God be praised!" cried the hunter, at once comprehending what had happened, and starting forward to feel out what space was left them between their shielding rock in the rear and the wedged and compact slant snow-wall in front, which, with the no less deeply blocked ends, formed the roof and sides of their new and thus strangely built prison-house. "This is the work of Providence!
"And now, my lads," he said, when he had modestly accepted the office, "the first thing we must do is to build a snow-wall, to shelter us from the wind; and as soon as the wind moderates, we'll have up a flagstaff on the top of the highest hummock, to show our friends where to look for us."
"Look out for the steps!" Yes, he could be sure of that; I had come one cropper that day, and it was enough. We once more descended into the Barrier by broad, solid snow-steps covered with boards. Suddenly a door was opened a sliding-door in the snow-wall and I stood in Bjaaland's and Stubberud's premises. The place might be about 6 feet high, 15 feet long, and 7 feet wide.
We thought that we had known what cold was when the winter first began; but when a strong northerly wind commenced, having passed over either a frozen sea or sheet of snow, then we really felt how hard it could freeze. Even the Esquimaux kept within their snow-huts, and we could not venture beyond the shelter of our snow-wall, without instantly having our faces frost-bitten.
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