168 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



while some, I am sorry to say, have gone back to 

 their heathen ways, and their hearts seem closed 

 against the truth. But to counteract this last 

 saddening fact God has given us a mighty token of 

 His power in the happy, yea, triumphant, death 

 of one of Christ's little flock. 



" Having remained at Little Whale River as 

 long as possible, I took an Eskimo, with sledge and 

 dogs, and travelled on to Fort George. One remark- 

 able incident ought to be mentioned here in connec- 

 tion with this journey. When we approached the 

 Fort George River, the ice, which was very weak, 

 began to break up ; but fortunately the portion on 

 which we were standing held together until the 

 people at the post came and took us away in a 

 canoe. The rush of water and ice near us was 

 really alarming, and nothing, humanly speaking, 

 could have saved us had the whole force of the 

 current borne down upon us ; but, thank God, it 

 was carried in an opposite direction, and we were 

 able to keep afloat until succour arrived. 



" Had I known the real state of the ice I should 

 not, of course, have gone near it ; but neither my 

 Eskimo companion nor I had any conception of its 

 weakness, and we thus unconsciously ran into 

 danger. May this remarkable preservation be 

 written upon my inmost soul ! May gratitude to 

 God for His goodness incline me to real devotion in 

 His service ! " 



