68 The Musk-ox 



to shoulder, squatted around the light in the 

 fancy that some heat must come from that little 

 jumping flame. Outside that other circle of 

 sledges, the dogs snuffed and sniffed and 

 howled. Once I took off my gloves, with the 

 thought of warming my fingers. I made no 

 second experiment of the kind. 



Having drunk the tea, we rolled up in our 

 fur robes, lying side by side around the tepee, 

 with feet toward the fire and head against the 

 sledge, knees into the back of the man next 

 you, and snow-shoes under your head, away 

 from the dogs that would eat the lacing. This 

 was only preparation for sleep ; actual sleep, 

 even to men as tired as we were, never came 

 until the dogs had finished fighting over us; 

 for so soon as we were rolled in our robes the 

 dogs invariably poured into the tepee. As there 

 were twenty-eight dogs, and the lodge about 

 seven feet in diameter at its base, I need not 

 further describe the situation. Truth is, that no 

 hour in the day or night was more miserable than 

 this, when these half-starved brutes fought over 

 and on top of us before they finally settled down 

 upon us. In extreme cold weather a dog curled 

 up at your feet or at your back is not unpleas- 



