WHEN THE ESKIMOS LEFT US 267 



south of camp, for a look about. In a few moments 

 he came back on a run to announce that four sledges 

 were coming. I arose at once and started a fire in 

 the stove with wood, and in a little while had the place 

 warmer than it had been in many, many days, for we 

 knew that the sledges would have a fresh supply of 

 coal for us. 



Presently the boatswain, Murphy, arrived with 

 four sledges, each in charge of an Eskimo, and bring- 

 ing the coal and other necessaries for which we had 

 been looking so long. Murphy had been with the 

 Eskimos at Nockme for several days, where they were 

 endeavoring to kill sufficient walrus to leave their 

 families well supplied before they came to Annootok 

 to go on the musk-ox hunt. The ice continued in 

 bad shape, and they had been poorly rewarded, though 

 Murphy had made a very good trade in walrus tusk 

 ivory and fox skins. 



We had partaken of a meal of beans and bacon, 

 which I prepared upon the arrival of the party, and 

 were getting ready for bed, when the four Eskimos 

 rushed into camp in a high state of excitement. 

 They talked so rapidly that for a little time I could 

 make nothing of what they said, but at length learned 

 that three men had been sighted far away to the north- 

 west on the ice of Smith Sound, walking toward 

 camp. I ran out with the Eskimos at once and with 

 difficulty distinguished three moving black specks, so 

 far off that at first I was not at all certain I saw 

 them. Eskimos have a remarkable power of vision, 

 far superior to the white man's. The travelers were 

 13 



