RED SQUIRREL AND ARCHIE DIG A HOLE IN THE SNOW--THE SNOW SHELTER--
SLEEP--NO FOOD, AND BURIED IN SNOW--EFFORTS TO DIG OUT--SOME ANIMAL
SCRATCHES AT THE HOLE--LAST EFFORTS AT DEFENCE.
To leave Hugh was not to be thought of.
"Oh, say what we must do!" I exclaimed, addressing Red Squirrel.
"Make haste," he answered, taking off his snow-shoes.
I took off mine also, and using them as spades, we energetically set to
work to shovel up the snow until we had got down to the ground, building
up a wall with what we had thrown out. There was just sufficient space
to hold three. We then placed Red Squirrel's shoes on the top, for they
were the longest, and Hugh's above them, while with mine we threw up
more snow to form a roof. As soon as we had got thus far, we lowered
Hugh into our burrow, that he might be sheltered from the wind, placing
the guns beside him. We then continued throwing up the snow until we
had completely surrounded the hole, leaving only a small aperture
through which we could crawl in on hands and knees. We next covered one
of my snow-shoes with snow, patted it down until it was like a board,
and this served as the door of our burrow. We had just space sufficient
to sit up, or lie down packed close together, for we knew that the
smaller its size the warmer it would be, or, rather, the less should
feel the cold.
The change from the outer biting air made us feel tolerably comfortable,
and we had no great fear of being frozen to death. Hugh, from not
having exerted himself in building the hut, suffered more than Red
Squirrel or I, and as soon as the door was closed I set to work to rub
his hands and feet to restore circulation, for I was afraid that they
might have been frost-bitten.
A very faint light at first came in through the snowy walls, but this
lessened, until we could not see our hands held close to our faces.
Night we knew must have at length come on. We were very hungry, but as
we had not a particle of food, there was no use in complaining.
For a long time neither Hugh nor I could go to sleep. At last Red
Squirrel set us the example, and when, some time afterwards, I addressed
Hugh, he did not answer, so that I knew he had forgotten his troubles,
and I hoped that perfect rest would enable him to recover from the pain
he had been suffering. I at last also dropped off to sleep.
When I awoke the darkness was as complete as ever, though supposing it
was still night, I once more went to sleep. The next time I opened my
eyes it was still dark as before. I felt warmer than I had expected,
but I was desperately hungry. From this I fancied that another day must
have begun. In a short time my companions awoke. Hugh said the pain in
his instep had gone, but that he would give much for something to eat.
Red Squirrel did not suffer as much as we did, for Indians are able to
endure hunger and pain a much longer time than can white people.
"Surely it must be day," said Hugh. "We ought to try and get out, and
find our friends. Rose and Uncle Donald will be dreadfully frightened
at having lost us."
"I hope that no accident has happened to them," I could not help saying,
for the recollection came upon me that they also had been exposed to the
snow-storm; but then I reflected that they were a large party, and might
have reached the shelter of a wood. This was some consolation.
"Oh, how hungry I am!" cried Hugh. "We must get out."
I took up my rifle and tried to open the door with the barrel, but,
although I ran it up to the lock, on again withdrawing it I could not
see daylight through the hole.
"I am afraid that the snow must be very thick," I said. The dreadful
idea now occurred to me that we were buried alive in a snow tomb. Such
had happened to other people, I knew, and it might be our fate, for if
the snow once froze over us we might be unable to force our way out. I
asked Red Squirrel what he thought.
He answered with an ominous "Very bad! Try," he added, and I found that
he was groping about to find the door. He did not speak, but I heard
him scraping away with his hands, just as a terrier does at the entrance
of a rabbit burrow, with a vehemence which showed how much he feared
that we were completely buried. I could feel the snow which he dug up
coming down on my legs.
At last he asked for my gun. He thrust it into the hole he had formed,
but still no light streamed through it. We must, however, by some means
or other, force our way out or perish.
"We had better try to work upwards," I observed. "The falling snow has
surrounded the walls of our hut, and though we made the roof pretty
thick, we are more likely to reach the open air through it than by
working at the sides."
The Indian followed my suggestion. Of course, we could all work
together, but then we might have pulled a mass of snow down on our
heads. Our object was simply to make a hole through which we could look
out and ascertain if it were daylight, and if so to try and find out
whereabouts we were. We might all the time be close to our party. I
earnestly hoped that we were, so that we might satisfy the cravings of
hunger without delay. The Indian tried to force off the snow-shoe which
formed the door, but found that impossible. He then worked away above
it. The snow he brought down considerably decreased the size of our
hut. Still he persevered in working away, until I thought that he would
never get through the roof. At last he asked me again to hand him up my
gun, and having forced the barrel upwards, as he withdrew it we could
feel the cold air coming down, while a gleam of daylight entered our
burrow. But it would still require much labour before we could enlarge
the hole sufficiently to enable us to force our bodies through it.
At last, by dint of hard work, standing on the snow he had brought down,
Red Squirrel got out his head. The report he gave was unsatisfactory.
Scarcely, however, listening to what he said, I jumped up and thrust out
my head, eager to ascertain the state of affairs. I could see nothing
but a vast plain of snow on every side without a single object to direct
our steps. Snow was still falling and had already reached above the
level of our hut. We could not make our way over the vast plain without
our snow-shoes, and it would take a considerable time before we could
dig them out; and in the meantime we should be well-nigh frozen.
I drew in my head again, my face chilled by the cold air, and, sinking
down to the bottom of the hut, consulted with Red Squirrel and Hugh as
to what was to be done. Hunger made us all anxious to go on; but then
arose the question, In what direction should we go? We might perish in
the attempt to reach our friends. We accordingly agreed to wait until
the snow had ceased.
Red Squirrel had, in the meantime, stopped up the hole to prevent the
cold from getting in. Hunger and darkness soon caused us again to drop
off to sleep, and thus we must have remained some hours. When at length
I awoke, I had neither the inclination nor power to move.
I called to Hugh. He answered faintly. I had, however, my senses
sufficiently about me to be aware of our perilous position. The acute
sensation of hunger had gone off, and my only wish was to be left alone.
I tried to rouse myself, and endeavour to get up, but sank again to the
ground. I then asked Red Squirrel to take a look out. He at once rose
and scrambled up to the hole. It was some time before he could force
off the snow. He then told us that the snow had ceased, and that it was
night, for he could see the stars shining overhead.
"We must wait until morning, then," I said, thankful that I should not
have to move.
Once more we all dropped off into a state of stupor rather than sleep.
I don't know how long we had thus remained, when I was aroused by a
noise which came down the funnel. It seemed as if some animal were
scratching away at the entrance. The idea seized me that it was a bear,
and I thought how unable we were to defend ourselves. I felt about for
my gun, forgetting that it had refused to go off. Just as I grasped it
I remembered this, and desperately plunged my hand into my pouch, when
at the bottom I discovered my pricker, which my numbed fingers had
before failed to feel. Clearing out the nipple as well as I could in
the dark, I put on a fresh cap. While doing so, I awoke my companions.
Hugh answered faintly. Red Squirrel immediately got up, and together we
managed to crawl to the opening through which I thrust my rifle, ready
to fire should the bear show himself.
The scratching continued more vehemently than before. "He'll be upon us
presently," I whispered to Red Squirrel, as a gleam of light came down
through the aperture. "Do you take the gun; I haven't strength enough
to fire;" and I sank back quite exhausted.