noon
Then Nazinred spread a deerskin on the ice , rolled himself in his blanket , pillowed his head on the dog , who seemed to be perfectly satisfied with the arrangement , and went to sleep till -- we can not say morning , for pitch darkness still prevailed , but till that point of time when the stomachic chronometer awoke them . After another feed the chief again set to work with indomitable perseverance , and extended the tunnel during many hours ; yet when he had accomplished what appeared to him a long and severe day 's work , it seemed as if he were as far off as ever from deliverance . Just as he was giving way to weary disappointment , however , a rush of cold air came against his face , and with an irrepressible exclamation of satisfaction he found that his last blow with the axe had opened a way to the outer world . A few more strokes , delivered with unwonted vigour , set him free , to find that the gale was over , that a profound calm prevailed , and that the faint grey light of the Arctic noon was illuminating the ghostly scene . He also discovered that during his imprisonment a heavy fall of snow had taken place , so that he sank a full foot into it -- if not more -- at every step . Congratulating himself on having brought his snow-shoes with him , he at once put on those useful implements , and , having secured the pack on his back , he once more set forth on his journey , beating a track as he went on which the dog followed him with ease , though without such a track the poor thing could not have travelled at all until the surface of the snow had hardened . But although our Indian 's heart was lighter after his deliverance , the toil which he had undergone , and the cold which he had experienced in the berg , had told somewhat severely even on his hardy frame , and when he built his hut that night it was with a feeling of despondency , for he became aware of a considerable diminution of strength .