said Dampier, pointing to the chart before them, "as you should
make the beach in the next day or two I'll head for the inlet here. As
it's not very far you won't have to pack so many provisions along, and
I'll give you, say, three weeks to turn up in. If you don't, I'll
figure that there's something wrong, and do what seems advisable."

They agreed to that, and when next morning a little breeze came out of
the creeping haze, they sailed her slowly shorewards among the drifting
ice until, at nightfall, an apparently impenetrable barrier stretched
gleaming faintly ahead of them. Wyllard retired soon afterwards, and
slept soundly. All his preparations had been made during the winter,
and when at length morning broke he breakfasted before he went out on
deck. The boat was already packed with provisions, sleeping-bags, a
tent, and two light sled frames, on one of which it seemed possible
that they might haul her a few miles. She was very light and small,
and had been built for such a purpose as they had in view.

In the meanwhile the schooner lay to with backed forestaysail, tumbling
wildly on a dim, grey sea. Half a mile away the ice ran back into a
dingy haze, and there was a low, grey sky to weather. Now and then a
fine sprinkle of snow slid across the water before a nipping breeze.
As Wyllard glanced to windward Dampier strode up to him.

"I guess you'd better put it off," he said. "I don't like the weather;
we'll have wind before long."

Wyllard only smiled, and Dampier made a little gesture.

"Then," he said, "I'd get on to the ice just as soon as you can.
You're still quite a way off the beach."

Wyllard shook hands with him. "We should make the inlet in about nine
days, and if I don't turn up in three weeks you'll know there's
something wrong. If there's no sign of me in another week you can take
her home again."

Then Dampier, who said nothing further, bade them swing the boat over,
and when she lay heaving beneath the rail Wyllard and Charly and one
Indian dropped into her. It was only a preliminary search they were
about to engage in, for they had decided that if they found nothing
they would afterwards push further north or inland when they had
supplied themselves with fresh stores from the schooner.

They gazed at her with somewhat grim faces as they pulled away, and
Wyllard, who loosed his oar a moment to wave his fur cap when Dampier
stood upon her rail, was glad when a fresher rush of th