left for Cape Prince of Wales and all
suburban points some six hours ago. Some one offered him more money
than I did. I have a fancy it was your friend, the bearded miner who
wanted my mail."

"And--and you waited for us?"

"Naturally, since the guide left."

"But you could have gone sooner?"

"Some three days, I'm told."

"But you didn't?"

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

Marian's head whirled. She was torn between conflicting emotions.
Most of all, she felt terribly ashamed. Here was a boy she had not
fully trusted, yet he had given up a chance to escape to freedom and
had waited for them.

"I--I beg your pardon," she said weakly. She sat down rather
unsteadily on the reindeer sled.

"We couldn't help it," she said presently. "They just wouldn't bring
us back. Isn't there some other way?"

"I've thought of a possible one. I'll make a little try-out. Be back
in an hour."

Phi was off like a flash. A few minutes later the girls thought they
heard him calling old Rover, who had been left in his care.

"Wonder what he wants of him?" said Lucile.

"I don't know," said Marian. "But I do know I'm powerful hungry.
Let's go find something to eat."

CHAPTER X

FINDING THE TRAIL

"I think we can go." Phi smiled as he spoke. His hour for a try-out
had expired. He was back.

"Can--can we cross the Straits?" Marian asked, breathless with emotion.

"I think so."

"How?"

"Got a new guide. I'll show you. Be ready in a half-hour. Bring your
pictures and a little food. Not much. Wear snowshoes. Ice is
terribly piled up."

He disappeared in the direction of his own igloo.

Marian looked about the cozy deerskin home where were stored their few
belongings, then gazed away at the masses of deep purple shadows that
stretched across the imprisoned ocean. For a moment courage failed her.

"Perhaps," she said to herself, "it would be better to try to winter
here."

But even as she thought this, she caught a vision of that time when she
and her companion had been crowded out of a native village to shift for
themselves. Then, too, she thought of the possible starving-time in
the spring, after the white bear had gone north and before walrus would
come, or trading schooners.

"No," she said out loud, "no, we'd better try it."

When the girls joined Phi on the edge of the ice-floe, they looked
about for the guide but saw none. Only Rover barked them a welcome.

"Where's the