69 



light in the East, and we saw the wide stretch 

 of white ice beside us, and the dogs with their 

 spidery shadows and a black and awful sea 

 in front of us. 



Then it was, as we stood talking and planning 

 and trying to find a way, with the dark sea 

 before us and the ice heaving and groaning 

 under our feet, that we heard the quick 

 pattering of the feet of dogs in the gloom 

 behind us, and we turned to greet a short 

 light sled with an active little driver, and we 

 heard a cheery voice say " Aksuse." It was 

 Johannes. What was he doing ? " Oh," said 

 Johannes, " I heard that you were going to 

 Hebron, so I thought that I would come with 

 you. I hear they have plenty of walruses at 

 Hebron, and I want some walrus skin for 

 drags for my sled. I think they will sell me 



some." 



What a day to choose to go a-shopping ! 



I wonder if there was more at the back of 

 that little man's mind. He joined our con- 

 ference, and listened with nods to all that the 

 drivers had to say. They wanted to turn back. 

 4 There is no road," they said, " the ice is all 

 broken around the headland across the bay. 

 Let us turn homewards." " A-a-atsuk," said 

 Johannes, with a slow shaking of his head ; 

 " I know a track over the headland ; let me 



