BACK OVER THE GLACIERS 197 



adventure that escaped ending in a tragedy only by 

 the barest margin. 



The side of the glacier sloping down was as smooth 

 as polished metal, naturally very slippery, and with 

 a steep descent toward the sea. At the top of this 

 the Eskimos lined up their teams and komatiks for a 

 race, and at nearly the same moment started forward 

 with dogs at a mad run. I never knew until then 

 how fast dogs could travel. Down the steep grade, 

 with constantly increasing momentum, our komatiks 

 shot, until we were traveling so fast that it was all 

 I could do to hold my place when small humps or 

 irregularities were struck and the sledge swerved. 

 It was the fastest ride I ever had in my life, except 

 possibly in an automobile. Thus we were dropping 

 down the steep decline, the dogs barely able to keep 

 clear of the coasting komatiks, Teddylinguah and 

 myself ahead, Oxpuddinguah directly behind, and 

 Inute on one side, when our sledge struck some ob- 

 struction, turned over, and I was knocked senseless. 



It will always be a mystery to me how Oxpuddin- 

 guah swerved his sledge out of the track and avoided 

 running me down. But he did turn it aside, and in 

 doing so, at the risk of killing himself and family, 

 turned it over to save me. It was certainly an ex- 

 hibition of quick thinking, quick acting, wonderful 

 nerve and high heroism. On looking the ground over 

 later I found that his komatik runner had shaved my 

 head by less than an inch. Had it hit me it would 

 certainly have smashed my head or cut me in two. 



When I regained by senses my head was aching 



