WHEN THE ESKIMOS LEFT US 261 



the southern side of camp strengthened when, at 

 eleven o'clock, the sky was suddenly hidden by ink- 

 black clouds, and the wind, now shifted from south 

 to north, rose again to a gale. In an incredibly short 

 time the storm had grown again to its former pro- 

 portions, and with the added terror of a much lower 

 temperature. A number of cracks opened in the 

 wall of our shack, and with no way of stopping them 

 our position grew very uncomfortable. A cup of 

 water set a little distance from the stove froze solid 

 in a few minutes. 



The storm had continued for twelve days, with only 

 one or two intermissions of a few hours. When 

 finally it subsided and we were released from confine- 

 ment, a great change had taken place in the appear- 

 ance of the country. Thick, ice-like snow which had 

 hidden rocks and land had been swept away, and 

 great stretches were left bare. Mighty drifts had 

 been formed. Familiar icebergs had been so trans- 

 formed in shape that they were hardly recognizable. 

 The channel out in Smith Sound had opened up and 

 as far as vision could reach a streak of black water 

 extended northward. Rising from this a heavy bank 

 of fog hung over Cape Sabine. 



For the first time since the return of the sun 

 the frozen, contracting ground began to crack with 

 cannon-like reports. At times the noise resem- 

 bled a Fourth-of-July celebration. Sometimes, when 

 cracks occurred near camp, we could feel the ground 

 beneath us shake, and the shack trembled. 



Our coal practically gone, we were in anything but 



