These afforded food for a long time, as the frozen flesh would keep until the return of spring.

Holes were made in the ice on the stream, and baited hooks being set every night, it was seldom that two or three fish were not found fast on them in the morning.
Altogether, therefore, there was no lack of food; and as, under the teaching of the captain, Charlie in time learnt to be able to keep his direction through the woods, he was often able to go out, either with Stanislas or alone, thus keeping clear of the close smoky hut during the hours of daylight.

Upon the whole he found the life by no means an unpleasant one.
Among the articles purchased by the captain were high boots, lined with sheepskin, coming up to the thigh.

With these and the coats, which had hoods to pull over the head, Charlie felt the cold but little during the day; while at night he found the hut often uncomfortably warm, sleeping, as they all did, in the same attire in which they went out.
In February the weather became excessively severe, more so, the peasants and charcoal burners they occasionally met with declared, than they ever remembered.

The wild animals became tamer, and in the morning when they went out, they frequently found tracks of bears that had been prowling round the hut in search of offal, or bones thrown out.