easy to see that a sledge has
turned off here."

"Quite easy," responded the Eskimo, with suppressed eagerness; "we will
follow."

Running back, they turned the dogs into the fresh track, and soon came
to the place where Ujarak had joined the women. Angut pointed to the
footprints with a gleam of unusual ferocity in his eyes. For some time
they could easily follow the track, and went along at a rapid pace; but
when it led them to the point where it joined other tracks, the
difficulty of following became great. Of course Angut at once
understood the object of this ruse, and became more attentive to every
mark that seemed in the remotest degree to indicate another divergence,
but failed to hit upon the spot, and finally came to a halt when far out
on the floes where drift had obliterated the old sledge-marks, and a
recent track could not have escaped notice. Then he made a wide
circular sweep, which was meant to cut across all the tracks that
radiated from the village.

In this manoeuvre he was more successful.

Towards evening he came upon a recent track which led straight to the
southward.

"Got him at last!" exclaimed Rooney, with a shout of excitement and
satisfaction.

"I think so," said Angut, as he went down on his knees and carefully
examined the marks on the floe. His opinion was clearly shown by his
starting up suddenly, jumping on the sledge again, flourishing his whip
savagely, and setting off at a pace that obliged Rooney to seize the
lashings with both hands and hold on tight. Old Kannoa did the same,
and stuck to the sledge like a limpet, with her chin resting on her
knees and her sharp little eyes gazing anxiously ahead.

Soon they came to the rough ground that had tried the quality of the
wizard's sledge, and the vehicle bumped over the ice at such a rate that
the poor old woman was almost pitched out.

"Hallo! hold on!" cried Rooney, as they went over a hummock with a crash
that made Kannoa gasp, "you'll kill the poor thing if you--"

He stopped short, for another crash almost tumbled himself over the
stern of the vehicle.

Angut was roused to desperation. He scarcely knew what he was doing, as
he lashed the yelping team furiously, hoping that when he should pass
the cape ahead of him he would come in sight of the fugitives.

"Here, catch hold of me, old woman," cried Rooney, putting an arm round
the poor creature's waist; "sit on my legs. They'll act something like
a buffer to you