ESKIMOS AT HOME AND AT WORK 61 



been saved again and again simply by allowing the 

 dogs to have their heads. With unerring scent 

 they bring them safely to some encampment. 



And how cunning they are. One day, after he 

 had been living among the people some time, Mr. 

 Peck describes how he was travelling over the 

 frozen waste. One Eskimo companion was with 

 him. They had been spinning along at a capital 

 rate, but then, he says : "As our feet became chilled 

 we both (this was exceedingly unwise, I confess) 

 got off the sledge at the same time. The leading 

 dog, a knowing old fellow, realizing what the sudden 

 diminishing of weight meant, looked back, and see 

 ing both of us running by the side of the sledge, 

 suddenly set off at a flying pace, and in spite of all 

 our cries to stop the runaway team and the use of 

 all our racing powers, we were soon left far behind. 



" Our position was not to be envied. Everything 

 we possessed was on that sledge ; we were far, far 

 away from all human habitations or settlements, 

 and the wind cut like a knife. Fortunately the 

 weather was clear, and we could see the track of the 

 sledge across the snow ; so, panting and blown, we 

 followed the fugitives, hoping, praying that the 

 sledge would get stuck up somewhere amid the 

 hummocky ice, which, to our joy, as we pressed on, 

 we saw piled up ahead in the immediate track of 

 the runaways. We knew that our deserters could 

 never draw the sledge unaided through that rugged 



