three o'clock in the afternoon
We never slept better or more warmly than we did in this hole which we had made on the ground , covered with ice and snow . O'Brien parts company to hunt for provisions , and I have other company in consequence of another hunt -- O'Brien pathetically mourns my death and finds me alive -- We escape . The ensuing morning we looked out anxiously for the promised assistance , for we were not very rich in provisions , although what we had were of a very good quality . It was not until three o'clock in the afternoon that we perceived a little girl coming towards us , escorted by a large mastiff . When she arrived at the copse of trees where we lay concealed , she cried out to the dog in Dutch , who immediately scoured the wood until he came to our hiding-place , when he crouched down at the entrance , barking furiously , and putting us in no small dread , lest he should attack us ; but the little girl spoke to him again , and he remained in the same position , looking at us , wagging his tail , with his under jaw lying on the snow . She soon came up , and looking underneath , put a basket in , and nodded her head . We emptied the basket .