42 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



had taken possession of me. My mind was made up, 

 and I would stay. 



With no previous intention of facing an Arctic 

 winter, I had made no provision for it upon leaving 

 home. I was short of heavy underclothing particu- 

 larly, and Captain Sam helped me in this respect 

 with some from his own wardrobe. The carpenter 

 and boatswain of the Erik set about erecting a house 

 from provision boxes, which when finished measured 

 ten by twelve feet in size, with a height of eight feet 

 at the peak of the roof and six feet on the sides. The 

 door looked to the east. The crew and remaining 

 Eskimos landed coal and supplies, and at length the 

 Erik was ready to sail. 



I was called at five o'clock on the morning of 

 August twenty-first. The sky was clear, the day 

 beautiful and a light south wind fanned our cheeks. 

 Two hours later anchor was hoisted and the ship 

 began to move. I remained aboard for three-quarters 

 of an hour; then the ship came to, a whale-boat, which 

 had been in tow, was hauled alongside, good-by was 

 said to all on board, and in company with five Eski- 

 mos I dropped into the boat. The Erik's engines 

 began to pulse, her flag dipped, three blasts of her 

 whistle blew in salute, all on board waved farewell, 

 and she headed south. 



I sat in my boat and watched her until the last bit 

 of hazy smoke from the funnels had dropped below 

 the southern horizon. Then I realized that I was 

 marooned in the most desolate region of the earth, 

 among a race who spoke a strange tongue, and that 



