nowhere was there to be seen a living
thing--nothing but one vast field of ice reaching to the horizon on
the north, east and south. To the west the water sparkled in the
sunlight, but no land and no life, human or otherwise, was within the
range of vision.

After a time they returned to their bivouac and then drove the dogs a
little farther into the ice pack to a high hummock that Aluktook had
found, and with an axe and snow knives cut blocks of ice from the
hummock and snow from a drift on its lee side, and finally had a
fairly substantial igloo built. This they made as comfortable as
possible, and settled in it as the last shelter they should ever have
in the world, as they all firmly believed it would prove.

They were now driven to straits by thirst, but there was not a drop of
water, save the salt sea water, to be had.

"We'll have to burn the komatik," said Aluktook.

Netseksoak knocked two or three cross-bars from it and built a
miniature fire, using the wood with the greatest possible economy, and
by this means melted a kettle of ice, and Bob brewed some tea.

The warm drink was stimulating, and gave them renewed ambition. They
separated again in search of game, but again returned, towards
evening, empty handed.

"Too late for seals," the Eskimos remarked laconically.

All were weak from lack of food, and when they gathered at the igloo
it was decided that one of the dogs must be killed.

"We'll eat Amulik, he's too old to work anyway," suggested Netseksoak.

Amulik, the dog thus chosen for the sacrifice, was a fine old fellow,
one of Netseksoak's dogs that had braved the storms of many winters.
The poor brute seemed to understand the fate in store for him, for he
slunk away when he saw Netseksoak loading his gun. But his retreat was
useless, and in a little while his flesh was stored in the igloo and
the Eskimos were dining upon it uncooked.

Though Bob was, of course, very hungry, he declined to eat raw dog
meat, and to cook it was quite out of the question, for the little
wood contained in the komatik he realized must be reserved for melting
ice, as otherwise they would have nothing to drink. Another day,
however, and he was so driven to the extremes of hunger that he was
glad to take his share of the raw meat which to his astonishment he
found not only most palatable but delicious, for there is a time that
comes to every starving man when even the most vile and putrid refuse
can be eaten with a