Again David followed the sledge.

He was struck with wonder at the suddenness with which the sun had gone out.

In the thick forest it was like the beginning of night.

The deep shadows and darkly growing caverns of gloom seemed to give birth to new sounds.

He heard the _whit_, _whit_, _whit_, of something close to him, and the next moment a great snow owl flitted like a ghostly apparition over his head; he heard the patter of snow as it fell from the bending limbs; from out of a patch of darkness two trees, rubbing slightly against each other, emitted a shivering wail that startled him--it had seemed so like the cry of a child.