At night, the cold was very great, but, as they scooped out a deep hollow in the snow, though they attempted no fire, they were able to keep warm within their bearskins.
A second and a third day passed in like fashion, and their progress to the south was unimpeded, though slow.

They beheld no signs of human life save their own, but invariably in the night, and often in the day, they heard distant wolves howling.
On the fourth day the temperature rose rapidly and the surface of the snow softened, making their southward march much harder.

Their snowshoes clogged so much and the strain upon their ankles grew so great that they decided to go into camp long before sunset, and give themselves a thorough rest.

They also scraped away the snow and lighted a fire for the first time, no small task, as the snow was still very deep, and it required much hunting to find the fallen wood.

But when the cheerful blaze came they felt repaid for all their trouble.