The natives sometimes insert a block of clear ice in the roof for a window, but this was dispensed with on the present occasion--first, because there was no light to let in; and, secondly, because if there had been, they didn't want it.
The building of the hut occupied only an hour, for the hunters were cold and hungry, and in their case the old proverb might have been paraphrased, "No _work_, no supper." A hole, just large enough to permit a man to creep through on his hands and knees, formed the door of this bee-hive.

Attached to this hole, and cemented to it, was a low tunnel of about four feet in length.

When finished, both ends of the tunnel were closed up with slabs of hard snow, which served the purpose of double doors, and effectually kept out the cold.
While this tunnel was approaching completion, Fred retired to a short distance, and sat down to rest a few minutes on a block of ice.
A great change had come over the scene during the time they were at work on the snow-hut.

The night had settled down, and now the whole sky was lit up with the vivid and beautiful coruscations of the aurora borealis--that magnificent meteor of the North which, in some measure, makes up to the inhabitants for the absence of the sun.

It spread over the whole extent of the sky in the form of an irregular arch, and was intensely brilliant.