140 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



minutes, yet in that brief period dogs and komatik 

 were buried under the drift. It was amusing to 

 watch the dogs roll up into balls, go to sleep and al- 

 most immediately disappear beneath the snow, until 

 there was nothing to indicate where they lay save 

 white mounds. Presently the Eskimos returned, 

 cracked their whips and shouted, the snow mounds 

 moved, broke open, and the dogs appeared to resume 

 their weary hauling. 



Crossing a wind raked mountain, we descended into 

 a valley which led down to the frozen ocean. Here 

 where rocks had been swept bare of snow for several 

 miles, the sledge shoes, striking against stones, made 

 long streaks of fire, and the dogs had almost more 

 than they could do to haul the sledge. When at 

 length the final turn was made toward Etah, the gale 

 hit us squarely in the face, and it was so strong that 

 at times the animals were brought to a stand, unable 

 to move the komatik against it. As the wind hit 

 one's face, it was like a million fine pointed needles 

 pricking the flesh. 



Sixteen weary, toilsome hours were consumed in 

 this journey of forty miles from Annootok to Etah. 

 Within the shack we found a great deal of snow 

 drifted and piled, the stove-pipe blown down, and it 

 seemed every moment as though the building itself 

 would be taken up and carried away by the raging 

 hurricane. When, at length, snow was cleared out, 

 stove-pipe put in place, and a fire started in the stove, 

 I discovered that I had frozen my nose and face 

 again! 



