180 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



animals to a near-by pan of loose ice, and utilizing 

 this pan as a ferry all the dogs and komatiks were at 

 length transferred to the main ice in safety. 



Tukshu had not yet arrived with his team when 

 this was accomplished, but we had no time to look 

 for him if we were to escape with our own lives. 

 Farther out on the Sound the ice was driving rapidly 

 to the southward, and smashing with loud and ominous 

 reports. The lead of open water was visibly widen- 

 ing at our crossing point, and every moment was 

 precious. Therefore, reluctant as we were to do so, 

 we were forced to abandon the luckless Tukshu to 

 his fate, and one by one made the passage on the ice 

 raft to the main ice. 



The last of us had barely made the landing in 

 safety when we heard Tukshu shout, and a few 

 minutes later he arrived, in a state of great excite- 

 ment, at the point on the floe we had just abandoned. 

 His coming brought us relief, for perhaps he might 

 even yet be saved, though in imminent danger now 

 of being hopelessly cut adrift. All hands worked 

 rapidly and feverishly. Tukshu's dogs, then his 

 komatik, and finally his belongings, were all suc- 

 cessfully transferred, and at length the Eskimo him- 

 self was afloat on the ice-pan ferry. But the danger 

 was not yet over when we had him once adrift. 



Tukshu, on a block of ice, was scarcely half-way 

 across the open lead, when with a roar like the dis- 

 charge of artillery, the floe he had just left broke 

 into three parts. An upheaval of water followed, 

 the pan upon which Tukshu was standing broke, 



