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 ! " 



