156 HUNTERS OF THE GREAT NORTH 



in a straight line. If you take two dominoes and place 

 them on a table end to end in such a position that they 

 are nearly in a straight line, then you will find it difficult 

 to make them stand by leaning one against the other. 

 But if you have the same two dominoes meet at an angle 

 of from thirty to forty-five degrees and lean them against 

 each other, they will stand supporting each other. The 

 like is true of snow blocks. When you get near the roof 

 the circle you are working on is less than half the 



Diagram to illustrate the method followed in building a snow-house 



diameter of the original ground circle. The blocks, 

 therefore, meet at a much sharper angle and you can 

 lean them together more squarely so they support each 

 other betti r. 



When the house is all but completed the builder finds 

 in the center of the dome above his head a little irregular 

 open space where the blocks do not quite meet. With 

 experienced eye he decides how to enlarge this hole so 

 as to make it big enough for an average sized block. 

 With his sharp knife he sni off the projecting corners 

 of the blocks, and now has above him an opening of 

 regular shape. It may be square or triangular and occa- 



