st go back because now i'm ）
Something thumped softly behind him。
He turned around； toward the hotel； and looked。 But even before he looked
（Can you see the Indians in this picture？）
he knew what he would see； because he knew what that soft thumping sound had
been。 It was the sound of a large clump of snow falling； the way it sounded when
it slid off the roof of the hotel and fell to the ground。
（Can you see — ？）
Yes。 He could。 The snow had fallen off the hedge dog。 When he came down it had
only been a harmless lump of snow outside the playground。 Now it stood revealed；
an incongruous splash of green in all the eye…watering whiteness。 It was sitting
up； as if to beg a sweet or a scrap。
But this time he wouldn't go crazy； he wouldn't blow his cool。 Because at
least he wasn't trapped in some dark old hole。 He was in the sunlight。 And it
was just a dog。 It's pretty warm out today； he thought hopefully。 Maybe the sun
just melted enough snow off that old dog so the rest fell off in a bunch。 Maybe
that's all it is。
（Don't go near that place 。。。 steer right clear。）
His snowshoe bindings were as tight as they were ever going to be。 He stood up
and stared back at the concrete ring； almost pletely submerged in the snow；
and what he saw at the end he had exited from froze his heart。 There was a
circular patch of darkness at the end of it； a fold of shadow that marked the
hole he'd dug to get down inside。 Now； in spite of the snow…dazzle； he thought
he could see something there。 Something moving。 A hand。 The waving hand of some
desperately unhappy child； waving hand； pleading hand； drowning hand。
（Save me O pl