ly up
the channel, narrow though it was, had so agitated the water that there
was a good deal of force in it, and so now, even before Sam had
completely severed the ice from the main body, the water had begun to
cause it to slightly move. Dogs are more sensitive than human beings,
and so they had noticed it before Sam had, and while he was trying to
quiet them the whole thing broke loose and began slowly to move north.

As this novel raft broke loose it was quite unsteady for a few minutes,
and Sam saw with disgust his axe slide into the water and disappear.
However, he still had the ice chisel, with its strong handle, which was
about eight feet in length. At first he had all he could do to quiet
his excited dogs. They acted as though they would plunge into the water
in spite of all his efforts. Some soothing words, and also some
vigorous kicks, quieted those of different temperaments, and they
settled down at last and seemed to say: "Well, if our master can stand
this, surely we ought to be able to." Not until Sam felt that he had
his dogs well under control did he make any effort to get his novel raft
across the channel. But when they all lay still and quiet he took up
his ice chisel and was ready for work. He vigorously pushed against the
icy shore from which he had broken loose, but his strength did not at
first seem to make much impression, as the wind was somewhat against
him, and so his raft at times ground roughly against the side from which
he had broken away. However, he was slowly working north, and he was
not discouraged. Sam was always an observant lad. When on shipboard he
had been interested in watching the sailors shift the sails to catch the
changing winds. So now an idea came to him, and he resolved to see what
could be done with an improvised sail, even if it were only made out of
a large buffalo robe. Lashing one side of the robe to the pole of his
ice chisel, he then firmly fastened one end of it to the head of his
cariole. Cutting two holes in the outer corners of the robe, he there
tied a couple of strong deerskin strings. Then, taking his place in his
cariole, he pulled his sail up against the wind and awaited the result.

He was not very sure just how to manage to get across the channel, but
he had no anxiety about getting further off, as that was an
impossibility, as he was now jammed up against the ice. So he pulled in
his sail and then let it out, until at length he found the r