race for life now, and it was a question whether the
sea or the men would win. Once a crack was reached that they could not
cross and they had to make a considerable detour to find a passage
around it, and it looked for a little while as though this sealed
their fate, but with a desperate effort they presently found
themselves within a few yards of the island.

Here a new danger awaited them. The ice upon the shore was rising and
falling and crumbling against the rocks with each incoming and
receding sea. To successfully land it would be necessary to make a
dash at the very instant that the ice came in contact with the shore.
A moment too soon or a moment too late and they would inevitably be
crushed to death. It was their only way of escape, however. The
howling dogs were held in leash until the proper moment, and all
prepared for the run.

Akonuk gave the word. The dogs leaped forward, the men jumped, and
they found themselves ashore. The three grabbed the traces and helped
the dogs jerk the komatik clear of the next sea, and all were at last
safe.

Five minutes later a landing would have been impossible, and two hours
later the entire bay surrounding their island was swept clear of ice
by the gale and outgoing tide.

During the whole adventure the Eskimos had conducted themselves with
the utmost coolness and gave Bob confidence and courage. Dangers of
this kind had no terrors for them for they had met them all their
lives.

They had landed upon the windward side of the island at a point where
they were exposed to the full sweep of the gale.

"Peungeatuk"--very bad--said Akonuk.

Then he told Bob to remain by the dogs while he and Matuk looked for a
sheltered camping place. In half an hour Matuk returned, his face
wreathed in smiles, with the information,

"Innuit, igloo."

Then he and Bob drove the dogs to the lee side of the island, where
they found four large snow igloos and several men, women and children,
standing outside waiting to see the white traveller.

The Eskimos received Bob kindly, and they asked him inside while some
of the men helped Akonuk and Matuk erect an igloo and fix up their
camp.

The several igloos were all connected by snow tunnels, which permitted
of an easy passage from one to the other without the necessity of
going out of doors. A piece of clear ice, like glass, was set into the
roof of each to answer for a window. They were all filled with a
stench so sickening that Bob s